Rapid and unprecedented digital transformations are always around the corner, along with a host of new threats that inherently come with them. But despite living in an increasingly digital age, all the things that matter – the infrastructure, businesses, and people – are still in the real world. Thus, physical security warrants just as much time, attention, and financial investment as cybersecurity services and should not be underestimated. Read on to learn more about its often-overlooked importance and why organisations cannot afford to settle for subpar measures.

What is physical security, and what does it have to do with cybersecurity?

While most people typically think of cybersecurity as protecting against attacks that occur online, cybercriminals are no strangers to breaching their targets through more direct ways by physically accessing their systems to bypass complex digital defences. From downloading malicious software on-site to plugging in infected drives, attacks can devastate organisations beyond just digital vectors.

Therefore, every cybersecurity plan is never complete without a physical security aspect, formally referred to as the discipline concerned with safeguarding real-world assets like IT infrastructure, property, people, and so on. If the loss or compromise of such assets negatively affects one's operations, then they must be protected with physical security measures. The goals of instituting such procedures may vary from one organisation to another. For instance, a particular company might focus more on mitigating financial losses while others prioritise reducing production downtime or protecting their workforce.

The five D's of physical security

Physical security risks, which stem from external or internal sources, are any dangers that threaten a business's operations. The most common of these include:

• Theft of physical and intangible assets, such as confidential data and trade secrets
• Unauthorised access
• Intentional sabotage
• Corporate espionage
• Human error/negligence
• Natural disasters and terror attacks
• Vandalism

The threats listed above can arise from anywhere, which means businesses will never be adequately safe until they implement the proper physical and cyber security measures for their needs. These measures must be centred around implementing as many of the core goals of physical security as possible, which are:

1. Deter

Deterrence is the most important aspect organisations should perfect to ensure no one gains unauthorised access to their physical spaces, merchandise, people, and other assets. The objective here is to make it incredibly difficult for attackers to get to key resources and ensure they are incredibly conspicuous when trying to do so.

2. Detect

Should bad actors manage to slip between the cracks, the next step is to detect their intrusion and determine their location in the shortest time possible to keep the attack from happening.

3. Deny

Upon detecting an intruder, denying them further access takes precedence through the use of physical barriers and access control systems.

4. Delay

Even if attackers do successfully breach the facility, there are still measures an organisation can take, such as delaying their progress towards their goal. Interior locking doors, active threat response measures, and the presence of security personnel are only a few examples that can significantly delay the execution of their attack.

5. Defend

Last but not least, defending against intrusions is the final step wherein organisations must shift to mitigating the damage done and sparing no effort to apprehend the intruder.

Best practices for deploying physical security plans

Creating an effective physical security programme is just as challenging as deploying its digital counterpart, with the latter involving many prerequisites, such as getting VAPT services to discover gaps in the organisation's defences. Nevertheless, by following the best practices in this field, business owners can also ensure a successful deployment and finally achieve comprehensive protection.

Plan with a risk-based approach in mind

A thorough evaluation of the organisation's risk profile is pivotal to correctly identifying the most important and cost-effective security controls to mitigate attacks. This profile covers various factors, such as the types of threats faced, their odds of occurring, and the business's capability to respond to them. For example, when looking to protect non-critical yet valuable equipment stored in inventory within the facility, a smart asset management system may be more than enough to prevent theft instead of assigning guards and an asset manager.

Customise access controls by individual or role

Generic access control policies, such as those with a simple 'all-or-nothing' requirement, are the easiest to compromise. Therefore, it is recommended that access control be tailored for every employee according to where they stand in the company hierarchy. For instance, the CEO may need physical access to locations like the C-suite offices during business hours, but perhaps not in other areas like the warehouse beyond that time period. In contrast, the warehouse personnel might be restricted to a single location, but they can come and go at any time.

Maintain an audit trail

Keep tabs on who has access to what and record timestamps on when they exercise their privileges. Maintaining detailed logs on personnel's access activities makes it easier to identify unauthorised access attempts during or after an incident. Speaking of tracking, it is important to do the same for all of the organisation's assets, from individual access keys to large equipment, as it is difficult to manage and secure something you don't know you have.

Repeatedly test and improve established processes

Much like in cybersecurity, protective measures that stay the same will fall behind. The only way to know whether they still hold up is by testing them constantly to see if there is any more room for improvement or if new developments have caused them to become obsolete.

Conclusion

While digital threats often take the spotlight these days, the importance of securing physical access to systems and other sensitive assets can't be overlooked since neglecting it can lead to breaches that bypass even the strongest digital defences. By staying on top of both physical and digital vulnerabilities, organisations can create a more resilient defence against a wide array of threats.

In the event that it's your digital security that could use a boost instead, our industry-leading cybersecurity services at Group8 guarantee to take your cybersecurity posture to the level you want. Contact us today at hello@group8.co to learn more about our diverse cybersecurity ecosystem and how it can offer comprehensive protection you can always count on.