In the current security conscious environment, many government departments and the organisations they work alongside have made appropriate moves to enhance their security measures. The Australian Government has recently committed more than $460 million of additional funding over the next five years for a range of security initiatives including policing, critical infrastructure protection and disaster mitigation.
ADT Security are dedicated to developing security systems and devices tailored to protect Australia’s critical infrastructure and public services against a range of threats including theft, violence, vandalism and terrorism. For many of these organisations, vulnerability to these threats has a direct relationship with the electronic security systems in place. These systems are important in securing infrastructure and buildings and are designed to permit the free flow of authorised movement in to and around any site.
With experience in providing and operating comprehensive security solutions for some of Australia’s government bodies, ADT Security recommend any organisation responsible for critical infrastructure to undertake regular risk assessments to identify potential threats, their likelihood and their probable impact.
Simple measures such as keeping access points to a minimum, issuing staff and visitors with passes and installing physical measures such as locks, alarms and CCTV surveillance will assist in minimising some of the more basic threats. However, for those organisations those manage equipment, information and infrastructure, which if compromised, could result in severe economic damage, serious social disruption or even large scale loss of life. More complex systems and technology may be required to address site specific risk.
Recent advances in the integration capabilities of security technologies allow far more to be achieved from a single user interface. An example is ADT Security's new software integration platform. This innovation enables security operators to access multiple systems through a single customised interface giving control over a building or enterprise-wide systems.
Cameras can be viewed, doors can be opened, help points can be responded to and visitors can be granted access. Furthermore, the platform’s scalable design allows for the modification, replacement or addition of security applications to the core system without disruption to the user interface along with comprehensive incident management, systems diagnostics and reporting capabilities.
Perimeter protection is another high priority for many government organisations. By utilising solutions such as ground-based radar, seismic detection, laser systems, sonar and fencing and integrating these with intelligent video surveillance software, potential threats can be identified before they reach the site. The activation of the appropriate video when an alarm occurs is also important for visual verification and incident assessment.