Physical Security Essay

A six foot fence secures the outer perimeter. Video surveillance is active on the north fence and inactive on the south. A manned guard station permits entrance into the outer perimeter from the west; an unmanned and unlocked gate permits entrance from the east. No Trespassing signs are posted at intervals upon the perimeter fence; Employees Only is posted on the gate. Visitors must obtain a pass at the guard station. The outer perimeter contains the parking lot and office building. The perimeter has two light posts that, when functioning, illuminate the entire parking lot. Currently, the light post on the south side is not functioning. The office building exterior has three outer doors and one window. The first door is marked with an Employees Only sign and requires a badge for access. The second door is the main entrance for visitors and is manned by a guard, who requires a visitor’s pass for admittance. The third door is an emergency exit only and is clearly marked. Any attempt to gain access through the first door without a badge, the second door without a pass, or the third door at all, results in alarm activation and guard response. The window is locked from within; any attempt to gain access through the window also activates the alarm and alerts the guard. The interior of the office building is segmented into two major areas. The first area is the employee workstation; only employees can access this area. Visitor and employees can access the second area. Both the first and second areas are monitored by active video surveillance. The second area has two doors, both of which lead to smaller offices. The first door is unlocked, but is within sight of video surveillance and employees within the work station. A visitor trying to attempt access to this office results in alarm activation. The second door is obscured from both employees and video surveillance and is unlocked. Each office contains valuable assets. Employees can access either office at will. Within the workstation and smaller offices are several computers. Passwords are required for access to each computer. Each employee has a password and can access network information at any time.