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Security convergence is non-negotiable in our digitalised world. It refers to integrating physical and cybersecurity measures and, with more hostile vehicle attacks originating online, is vital for effective Hostile Vehicle Mitigation (HVM).
Although a vast area, every physical security professional must know the steps to make security convergence happen. Learn the best-practice approach below.
When it comes to ensuring security convergence, thinking about your approach as a process rather than a checklist is crucial to ensuring that your solutions are individual to your situation and creativity in solutions sought can be facilitated.
1. Review
Confirm the digital security solutions which are currently in place at locations where you have implemented HVM measures. What are they, where does the data collected go, and is that insight factored into the initial decision-making process when specifying HVM? At the review stage, you should be taking a holistic approach to checking current solutions on a top-line basis.
2. Research
Think about how to protect your premises and research solutions. Try to be as creative as possible during this stage. View the sites secured / planning to be secured from the perspective of an attacker who uses the Internet for prior hostile reconnaissance. Attempt to trace potential steps using publicly available travel or space planning tools. This activity allows you to theorise angles exploited by attackers, which may be relevant to creating optimised security solutions for hostile vehicle mitigation.
3. Analyse
A public safety cybersecurity consultant is imperative from here on. Share your top-line review and reconnaissance output to find digital security gaps and correction opportunities. Uniting all parties early is beneficial. So, bring your security consultant into the conversation to help visualise how the digital and physical worlds might connect.
4. Evaluate
Ask your cyber and physical security consultant to collaborate on a converged solution. The recommendations will mitigate digital risk and deliver proportionate, appropriate physical security measures for the prevention of hostile vehicle mitigation attacks. A joint evaluation may necessitate a change in threat levels and subsequent product specifications required to protect people and assets from harm.
5. Augment
Consider any post-attack digital response measures that could increase effectiveness. These solutions are best provided by a specialist third party and may include emergency mobile phone push notifications to the public, integrated communications to emergency services and the unfettered use of nearby CCTV.
6. Initiate
When executed well, security convergence delivers HVM fit for the nature of threats in the digital age. But the solutions behind it are sometimes highly specialised. Work with your chosen consultants to set up a network of trusted solutions providers, including a partner experienced in integrating and making sense of the insights generated from digital.
The most important aspect of security convergence is data: knowing how to extract and get it to the right people in an actionable format. Therefore, early and constant collaboration between the digital and physical realms is paramount.
Although the specifics are beyond the domain of the physical security stakeholder, you are responsible for establishing security convergence.
For help finding a security consultant dedicated to the practice, contact ATG.