Security In The Education Market – Opportunities for Growth

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May 2, 2012

By Ben Hattersley.

The security industry continues to grow, year-on-year, due to many factors, not the least of which are associated with persistent financial uncertainty, political instability, and competing religious ideologies around the globe. Public and private sector organisations continue to invest in security initiatives as a means of countering the threats they face during routine business operations. One area that is receiving increasing focus is the security of educational facilities, including schools and tertiary institutions. As education administrators seek to improve the safety and security of their clients, opportunities for security professionals to engage with the education sector will likely result in further growth within the security industry, both within Australia and abroad.

The risks that are prevalent in educational facilities on the international stage, particularly in the United States, are well documented. A number of well-publicised shootings on high school and university campuses in America have resulted in a comprehensive upgrade to the security at many of those institutions. Schools have seen the deployment of security personnel, who are responsible for ensuring the safety of students and staff, while some of the larger university campuses have their own police departments that provide a 24-hour security presence. Investment in security initiatives is not confined to public and private policing however, as physical and electronic security measures have become integral to the overall security management methodologies employed by these types of organisations.

As with other business environments, the security strategies that are ultimately endorsed and integrated with normal operations should be based on the outcomes of a methodical security risk assessment (SRA) process. The SRA enables security managers to plan for, and design, security measures that address specific and genuine threats that are applicable to the particular business environment in which they are operating. While it would be difficult to justify the same level of investment in school security programs seen in the United States, from a risk perspective, governments in Australia are beginning to identify security vulnerabilities within the education sector that require additional resources.

Under the Labour Government, approximately $1.9 Billion dollars has been channelled into schools across Australia over the last four years as part of the Digital Education Revolution. This program has seen the distribution of laptop, netbook and tablet style computers to students from years 9 through to 12 as well as the installation of a wide range of education technologies from interactive whiteboards through to data projectors, audio visual systems and more. With so much technology now powering classrooms across Australia, one has to ask what, if any, security upgrades have been made to schools to protect all of this investment?

Another section of Australian society that has perceived a threat to the safety of its students is the Jewish community. The Jewish school system has a well-organised security program that monitors the operations of its schools and synagogues through the use of private security firms and dedicated security groups within the Jewish community; with support from teachers, parents and scholars. Security awareness is promoted extensively within the Jewish school system and students are well accustomed to seeing armed guards controlling access to their schools. While opinions vary about whether the security risk to Jewish students in Australia substantiates the placement of armed guards at the entrances to their schools, Australian security firms are benefiting from the decision to do so.

While it could be argued that the Jewish community faces a higher level of risk than other groups within our society, particularly post 9/11, and may be able to justify a requirement for a large security guard presence at their schools, for the most part, Australian schools generally face lower level risks such as theft and vandalism. These risks can be mitigated through the consistent application of the widely accepted protective security principles of deter, delay, detect and respond. Protective security approaches may include a combination of physical security treatments such as fences, gates and signage, to deter and delay; electronic security measures, in the form of intruder alarm and CCTV systems for detection. Capital works, such as those that are typically required to improve the level of security within schools, are not generally accounted for in normal operating budgets and, therefore, commonly necessitate additional private or public sector backing.

One example of the type of investment that is occurring in this area at a Federal level is the Secure Schools Program (SSP). This program, administered by the Attorney-General’s Department, aims to assist ‘at risk’ religious, ethnic, and secular schools around Australia through the provision of funding for security related infrastructure including CCTV, security lighting, fencing and gates. The program is open to both public and private schools that are able to demonstrate the potential for security incidents to impact on the safety of students and staff as well as the security of physical assets.

Applications under this program are assessed by the Department in accordance with proven SRA processes and guidelines developed by the Australian Federal Police. Successful applicants are granted up to $250,000 in funding, which must be spent in addressing the specific security risks identified through the risk assessment process. Having previously allocated $20 million, the Australian Government has committed an additional $15 million over three years from 2011 to 2014 to continue the SSP. While these figures may represent only a small percentage of the total security market in Australia, they do demonstrate an increase in the demand for, and financing of, security initiatives in education. The onus is on security firms to position themselves in such a way as to benefit from these and other business opportunities as they arise.

Under the SSP, funding recipients are required to engage the services of security contractors in order to complete the scope of work that has been agreed under the funding arrangement. While this process may be less regulated for private industry, public sector procurement guidelines have become quite prescriptive, as a result of concerted efforts to eradicate the sort of corrupt activities that have traditionally plagued public sector procurement in the past. In general, these guidelines support the framework for procurement activities and include such directives as the requirement to obtain a certain number of quotes, dependant upon the capital cost of the project, or to select from a panel of approved suppliers that have already satisfied particular selection criteria.

Requests for tender that stem from the SSP and similar initiatives are generally advertised on State and Commonwealth Government websites, examples of which are NSW eTendering, QLD eTenders and AusTender, the Australian Commonwealth Government Tender System. Any business owner can register with these websites to receive notifications of business opportunities of relevance to them. This method of tendering promotes full transparency, ensuring that the process is equitable and that no one supplier receives an unfair advantage over another. Public sector tendering seeks surety that contracts are only awarded to reputable businesses and, in order to maximise the chances of success, it is imperative that any organisation wishing to tender for these opportunities has all of the necessary qualifications, licences, and insurances. It is also advantageous if contractors can demonstrate previous success on projects of a similar nature, both scope
and size.

With Commonwealth Government funding on offer through the SSP, and additional capital available through similar State Government initiatives, there should be no shortage of Principals keen to take advantage of opportunities to improve the level of security in their schools. If the experiences of educational establishments in the US are anything to go by, the demand for security within educational institutions in this country will continue to grow. And while the catalyst for growth in the education security sector in the US is alarming to say the least, the consequential business outcomes, for those who are engaged in the security profession, have been positive.

Most pundits agree that we can expect increasing demand for security in the vast majority of business market sectors over the coming years, and education should be no exception. Security consulting firms, fencing contractors, electronic security manufacturers, and integrators that can demonstrate the necessary expertise and capacity to acclimatise with public sector procurement processes, will be well placed to benefit from any injection of funds into the domestic security market. These are volatile times we live in and there appears much to gain from security firms partnering with the education sector.

Ben Hattersley, CPP is a Senior Security Consultant with Aurecon in Sydney who holds a Bachelor of Science (Security) and a Master of Security Management.
His expertise is in security operations management, security risk management, and security management consulting across a broad range of business environments.
Ben can be contacted on (02) 9465 5133 or ben.hattersley@aurecongroup.com.

Beyond Bin Laden

By

Kenneth Baker

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May 2, 2012

The Implications of Osama Bin Laden’s Death For Counter Terrorism Over The Longer Term

The following looks at the implications posed for counter-terrorism by the killing of Osama Bin Laden on 1st May, 2011, by a covert US Special Forces team inserted into Pakistani sovereign territory without Pakistan’s prior approval or knowledge. This action raised several uncertainties that will have varying consequences for Western societies.

1st of May 2011, a team of highly trained US Navy Seals raid deep into Pakistani sovereign territory. Their target, a private residential compound in Abbottabad, north of Islamabad; their mission, bring to an end the 13-year manhunt for the most wanted person on the planet, Osama Bin Laden. The operation was a significant success in the United States of America’s ongoing counter-terrorism campaign, representing the culmination of years of work by intelligence agencies that resulted in Bin Laden’s death.

US President, Barack Obama, states in his congratulations to the intelligence community on the 20th of May, during a visit to the CIA, that Bin Laden’s involvement in the Al Qaeda core was both symbolic and operational:

“We not only took out the symbolic and operational leader of Al-Qaeda, but we walked off with his files, the largest treasure trove ever seized from a terrorist leader.”

The death of Bin Laden will have sent Al Qaeda’s remaining leaders diving for cover with increased anxiety from this major security breach. Their number already decimated by constant drone attacks and with no safe mode of communications open to them, Bin Laden’s lieutenants must be concerned that intelligence gathered from captured documents taken from Bin Laden’s compound, will lead the United States closer to their apprehension or destruction, and impede current operations.

The two main schools of thought regarding the implications of Bin Laden’s death for counter-terrorism include, firstly, that his death will be a largely symbolic event due to the development of Al Qaeda as an ideological movement with him as the inspirational leader and, secondly, that Bin Laden maintained an active role in directing the Al Qaeda core and its affiliates in implementing attacks .

Other uncertainties that will further flow from the US action include:

Will Bin Laden’s symbolic status or his strategic and operational involvement within Al Qaeda core have the greater impact on counter terrorism?
What is the outcome for Al Qaeda’s affiliates? Does Ayman al-Zawahiri, the new leader for the Al Qaeda core, have their continued support and allegiance? Has the likelihood of attacks from lone wolf or home-grown radicals increased? Do Al Qaeda’s affiliates attempt to emulate them?
What are the implications from the US’s Special Operations surgical strike into Pakistani territory without prior approval? How will it affect the continued relations between the two nations?
Will the US rethink its strategy? Does this mean they will draw down from Afghanistan sooner? Will they develop a more sustainable counter-terrorism plan?

The short-term future will no doubt see Bin Laden’s death directly affect operational matters. That is, we may see acts of revenge and retribution or, more likely, acts portrayed as operations by Al Qaeda or other Islamist groups as retaliation for the death of their Sheikh. In the long term, we are more likely to see operations fuelled by the legacy Bin Laden developed, a strategy of warfare based on a sequence of low-cost events – inexpensive, well-planned and well-implemented actions formulated to undermine and disrupt the infrastructure and systems vital to the US economy.

Osama Bin Laden: Strategic And/Or Symbolic?

For years, Bin Laden was thought to have only a peripheral role in directing Al Qaeda as he was presumed to be so isolated for his own safety that he could barely communicate with the outside world; widely seen as little more than a figurehead. However, it seems the opposite was more likely. Bruce Hoffman in Foreign Affairs believes Bin Laden “played an active role at every level of al Qaeda operations: from planning to targeting and from networking to propaganda.”

This is further supported by a senior intelligence official at the Pentagon on the 7th of May, 2011 who refers to information collected from the Abbottabad raid:

“The materials reviewed over the past several days clearly show that Bin Laden remained an active leader in Al Qaeda, providing strategic, operational and tactical instructions to the group and continued to direct even tactical details of the group’s management and to encourage plotting. The materials show that Bin Laden remained focused on inspiring and engineering international terrorism and specifically on attacking the US.”

While Bin Laden was more operationally active than previously believed, this position would be far easier to fill than his role as a symbolic figurehead for what has become a network of affiliated and allied groups, as well as a wider movement of sympathisers. Praised for his humility and generosity, as well as his courage under fire in Afghanistan, he was widely respected in jihadist circles. When individuals and other groups joined Al Qaeda, they swore allegiance directly to Bin Laden, rather than his organisation, making him the focal point for a network built on personal loyalties.

Al Qaeda’s Leadership

Bin Laden’s leadership, guidance and overall importance for Al Qaeda and the adverse effects his death will have on the group could not be exaggerated. Although his operational role diminished post 9/11, Bin Laden was the epitome of a jihadist leader within Al Qaeda. Having devised the group’s strategy, he was a strong symbol of resistance and it was the power of Bin Laden’s charisma that allowed Al Qaeda to survive after 9/11 and become the brand name that attracted individuals and other Islamic radical groups.

Ayman al-Zawahiri, Bin Laden’s replacement as the head of the Al Qaeda core, has what seems to be the perfect resume for an aspiring terrorist leader; having formed his first terrorist cell in 1966 at only 15 while plotting against the Egyptian regime, and then spending several years in an Egyptian gaol after the assassination of the President in 1981. He then placed himself at Bin Laden’s side in 1988, when Al Qaeda was founded. Al Zawahiri has been labelled Al Qaeda Number 2, but there is no guarantee of his remaining in control after the succession. He is still perceived as rigidly opinionated, argumentative and authoritarian – in stark contrast to the conciliator that Bin Laden was reported to be.

The Al Qaida core in Pakistan has been clearly weakened operationally post May 1 and deemed less capable of planning and carrying out significant attacks by US experts, while its affiliates have gained strength and consequently diversified the broader threat geographically and ethnically. General Carter F. Ham, the chief of the US Africa Command, indicated during a September interview that the rise of regional affiliates of Al Qaeda is especially worrisome .

The biggest danger to Al Qaeda in the long run is its irrelevance; it was dying politically before Bin Laden’s death. Its ideology remains irrelevant to the revolutions of the Arab Spring. While Bin Laden plotted how to kill Americans abroad and at home, protestors across the Middle East demanded democracy and an end to corruption and economic opportunity. They didn’t seem interested in a continued war with infidels or the restoration of the caliphate.

Al Qaeda’s Affiliates And Retribution

The Al Qaeda core is suffering and attention is increasingly focused on its affiliates. The most notable of these include Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), Al Qaeda of the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and Al Shabaab in Somalia. In an article published on the 2nd of May, the day after Bin Laden’s death, analysts from Stratfor Global Intelligence stated:

“[the Al Qaeda core] central group including leaders like Bin Laden and Ayman Al Zawahiri, has been eclipsed by other jihadist actors on the physical battlefield, and over the past two years it has even been losing its role as an ideological leader of the jihadist struggle.”

The Stratfor analysts elaborate that the new primary threat is now posed by Al Qaeda franchise groups such AQAP in Yemen and AQIM in northwest Africa.

AQAP sits atop the affiliates list and continues to demonstrate its growing ambitions and strong desire to carry out attacks outside of its region. The AQAP leader has publicly proclaimed his group’s allegiance to Ayman Al Zawahiri as the new amir of Al Qaeda in July 2011.

The most recent edition of Inspire, AQAP’s propaganda publication, was dedicated to Bin Ladin’s memory and martyrdom and it clearly endorses Al Zawahiri as the leader of global jihad saying, “now Shaykh Ayman carries the banner” of jihad.

AQIM is attempting to associate itself with Al Qaeda’s transnational struggle yet remains an organisation that continues to carry out the majority of its attacks against security forces in the north-east of Algeria. However, no group has made a bigger name for itself in the kidnapping-for-ransom business than AQIM; it is one of the foremost sources of revenue for Al Qaeda-related groups. AQIM has also sworn allegiance to Al Zawahiri. In an interview on the 7th of July from Abu Ubaidah, a member of the group’s shura restated their allegiance to Al Qaeda post May 1:

“In the name of myself and my brothers in the organisation, I renew my oath of allegiance to our favoured emir, Sheikh Abu Muhammad Ayman al-Zawahiri, and we say to him: ‘O wise sheikh, for as long as you are our leader on the path of truth and jihad in the name of God, we swear to you that we will listen and obey.’”

In the Horn of Africa, the Al Shabaab, an organisation composed of a range of groups with varying motivations and interests, conducted its first major attack outside of Somalia last year when it claimed responsibility for twin suicide bombings that killed 76 people during the World Cup in Kampala, Uganda.

Al Qaeda’s presence within Al Shabaab is increasingly leading that group to pose a regional threat with growing trans-regional ties to other affiliates, and to participate more actively in Al Qaeda-inspired violence.

In addition, Al Qaeda has forged closer ties with some of the other militant groups in the South Asia region; for example, Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Haqqani Network, providing the group with additional capabilities to draw on.

Al Qaeda is likely to become an increasingly loose network of jihadist groups with conflicting priorities, rather than the centralised organisation headed by Bin Laden. Bin Laden’s death could undermine the leadership’s centrality in what has developed into a network of regional affiliates, allied groups and sympathisers. However, with strong, adaptable affiliates pledging their allegiance to Al Qaeda’s core and Zawahiri, it is posing an interesting development to analysts as it implies a continuation of Bin Laden’s ideology and the willingness of these affiliates to continue the jihadist struggle as a centralised network.

It is likely Al Qaeda will seek to carry out some dramatic act of revenge in retribution for Bin Laden’s death and to demonstrate to its followers that Bin Laden’s death does not end the terrorist campaign. [Continued in Part 2.]

Structured Decision – Making In IT Security

By

John Bigelow

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May 2, 2012

By Kim Khor.

IT security requires refined decision-making skills and decision-making is a dynamic and potentially-complex activity.

Generally, we need to make efficient decisions. This means that we must balance our priorities quickly. We can’t afford to think about things forever.

Systemising decision-making allows us to standardise and improve performance. Removing the clumsiness of unsophisticated decision techniques leaves us free to concentrate on the increasing quality and consistency of our decisions. The clumsiness can include over-analysis, thoughtless rushing, fear, anger, checklist-blindness and indecision over competing priorities (one cannot serve two masters).

Some people have good, gut-instinct decision skills and will understandably find this discussion boring and unnecessary. However, they may have trouble if their gut instinct fails to kick in with an answer, or the coroner asks them to explain a decision.

There are three scenarios where decision systemisation provides value:

Making decisions with appropriate speed, consistency and effectiveness.
Regaining balance and alignment when decision-making goes out-of-tune.
Reviewing and substantiating decisions.

Decision systemisation in IT security is a lot like athletic preparation or artistic rigour:

We must practise the elemental, dynamic skills involved. Making dynamic activities conscious and sequenced allows us to improve and refine them. Then they can be set back to automatic.
We must gain and retain match practice. This is a heightened state of awareness and muscle-memory when performing the activity.
We need methods for steady improvement and performance review.

The method used by the writer is called ‘Decision Sequencing’. This provides a framework within which to practise and sharpen, to the point that the skills become subconscious, muscle memory. The process can be used in broad strokes or in fine detail, depending on your need.

The Decision Process

Generally, a decision process comprises three stages:

Reasoning (logic)
Judgement (probability) and
Final decision (utility)

Reasoning identifies, and assigns relevance to, elements of the decision.

Judgement assesses probabilities and estimates outcomes, efforts, obstacles and so on. Here, we might run hypothetical scenarios to perform mental experiments.

The final decision is weighing up the information obtained from the previous stages and making a selection, not necessarily knowing it to be right or wrong, but simply as a step in the overall constructive process.

Reasoning

We must first identify relevant priorities and decision criteria in our mind. For example:

The doctrine of my profession (such as, do no harm)
The mission of my organisation or team (achieve this outcome)
The welfare of my teammates/subordinates/stakeholders (do they suffer harm? Has their position improved?)
Our preparedness for the next likely few steps after this (like a footballer making a good pass)
An appropriate budget for solving this problem.

The Decision Sequencing Compass. Use this image as a guide for shifting your perspective as you move through the problem at hand. Look left/right, and then look up/down. Just briefly, then move on. Repeat as necessary.

Secondly, assess the available options and rough out some descriptive numbers or proportions that are meaningful to you. For example:

My appointment is in 20 minutes.
If I continue this way, I should be there in 10 minutes.
There’s a railway crossing on the way. I could be stopped there for 10 minutes.
There’s another route with no crossing but that’s 20km long.
I will either be late, or I won’t be. There’s no grey area.
If I know 10 minutes prior, that I’m going to be late, I can manage that situation for an acceptable outcome.

If you don’t know something important, just note it, insert a tentative answer and move on.

Thirdly, consider change. There are many ways to effect change. When configuring performance improvements, we do them gradually, one at a time. Otherwise, we can’t keep track of what changes when. On the other hand, if we change a password, we change abruptly. What style of change is appropriate for the current situation?

Judgement

Before assessing things, we must first get organised. We need to arrange the decision information we’ve collected into a useable configuration. Consider the minutes of a meeting. They provide context and familiarity with brief and efficient information. They provide a digestible snapshot and prepare us well for a subsequent meeting. Similarly, we need a method of arranging our decision information in our minds.

The military of last century provides the customisable five paragraph order (also known in other forms as SMEACS, or similar). This gives relevant and structured information to efficiently describe a task or problem. I use this framework because it is so versatile when used for problems large or small, simple or complex.

The concise and efficient arrangement of decision information facilitates rapid and accurate sequencing of the decision process is the essence of this system.

Assessing Options

The basic maths of proportions and probabilities allow us to scope outcomes and flow-on effects and their costs. More modern systems, such as Bayesian probability, provide alternative perspectives. For example, how does knowing about one outcome alter our consideration of an alternative outcome? (Coincidentally, this is also a classic question seeking to expose error-causing psychological bias.)

Sufficient familiarity with the concepts can be gained without studying the details – start with Wikipedia. Ignore the equations and just read the executive summaries. You’ll find that a lot of this maths just describes how gut instinct might work.

Developing the ability to perceive proportions gives most of the value anyway. We want awareness of relative sizes, rates and probabilities, and the perspective from which we judge those. Look for a way to see proportions that is comfortable for you.

For example, what does a 10% versus 60% likelihood really mean? In what situations can I afford to ignore the 10% probability?

When it won’t be hard to fix?
When it won’t be my problem?
When the cost of simply suffering the adversity can be absorbed without too much pain?

Considering questions like these provides a refinement in our knowledge that will allow us to more confidently make reflex decisions.

The Decision-Sequencing Technique

Note the decision inputs (e.g. there are these streets, these obstacles, and these forces in effect…)
Note the possible choices and outcomes
Note your criteria — priorities, principles, doctrine, the law, etc.

For each potential final choice, assess the possible outcomes against your criteria and exclude any unacceptable options
Score the remaining few options, combining both likelihood of success and criteria compliance
Highest score option wins.

The structure may be varied to match the problem at hand as long as the spirit remains. We can pause, rewind and repeat as necessary.

As your structure becomes refined, and as practice turns into muscle-memory, you will find the process increasingly easy, tending to leisurely. Don’t be put off by the apparent complexity. Just do one bit at a time. You already do this kind of thinking when you make gut-feeling decisions. That’s why they’re often so good.

Speed

Gradually practise making decisions more quickly. It’s possible to make a fully-featured decision in less than half a second. This is like encountering an unexpected punch or a car crash.

We probably don’t need sub-second responsiveness, but everyone can be a little better and it’s interesting to see how many decisions are procrastinated out-of-existence, never to be actually made. This kind of awareness is just as valuable as the increase in speed we get from the practice.

Practice Makes Perfect

It’s just a matter of finding efficient ways to practise. Like the way many of us learned the phonetic alphabet by reading out car licence plates. Such methods cost no extra time and provide great results, quickly.

Practise assessing decisions in common activities, such as your morning routine. What should I do first? Why? What could be the benefit of changing this habit?

You will be surprised at how many decisions are based on skewed subconscious programmes, and you will have a lot of laughs getting to know yourself in this way. n

Kim Khor is a computer forensics expert. Kim consults on network security, incident response, risk & compliance, investigations and electronic evidence management in the Asia Pacific region and can be contacted at kimkhor@gmail.com

Professional Development: It’s Not Just For Doctors and Lawyers

By

John Bigelow

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May 1, 2012

By Troy Johnston.

The journey to becoming a locksmith usually begins with the undertaking of an apprenticeship through which one studies at the local or interstate TAFE, in conjunction with on-the-job training to satisfy what are deemed to be trade qualifications within our chosen field. In most cases, this period lasts for about four years before we are then let loose on society as a qualified locksmith to do as we please.

But then what? Does our learning and development curve cease to exist? Unfortunately, with the exception of the daily challenges of the job, it does for some individuals, just as soon as they finish their apprenticeship or vocational training.

The physical and electronic security industry, like most things in life, does not stand still for long, especially with its rapid uptake of technology. More than likely, the products, technology and even the common business practices used over the years, as an apprentice or business owner, have slowly been used less and, in many cases, they have been completely superseded.

How does one keep up with these rapid changes in the security industry? In two words, professional development.

Professional development is not just for academics and what some members of society deem as professionals, such as doctors, lawyers and accountants. Yes, professional development has, in the past, been directed at these professions most likely due to the ever-changing rules of the industry they are in, and the various bodies that govern their qualifications.

The more common professions also want to project to the public that they are at the forefront of their industry; that they are current with all their legal obligations; and that they implement best-practice procedure for their clients.

Most of you reading this obviously have an interest in your chosen careers, businesses and the industry as a whole. So why not apply the same logic as a security professional that other professionals do in their chosen fields? Consider professional development as furthering one’s career, business and personal prospects to new levels while, in some instances, also attaining industry recognition and the ability to network as well.

Professional development may be modelled on various themes with the most common being one CPD (continued professional development) points issued for every hour of development undertaken — with a goal of 12 to 16 points being undertaken every year, depending on the industry and profession.

In fact, some professions have made it mandatory to undertake CPD on an annual basis to maintain their existing qualifications. This ensures that all participants are current with product, legal, regulatory and best-practice business procedures.

Professional development can be undertaken in a formal manner, such as striving for a new qualification associated with locksmithing or the security industry itself; or an informal style, such as workshops, meetings, product training and launches that are relevant to the industry.

Contact your local suppliers and enquire about any upcoming training they will be running throughout the year. This will allow your staff to be proactive in relation to product awareness which will provide them with more tools in their selling basket when dealing with clients.

From the business owner’s perspective, you would be right in wanting well-trained, knowledgeable and driven staff to grow your business. In some instances, if your business is large enough, you may well have a HR department that can look at incorporating and driving a CPD programme for your staff.

For those of you that are not in that boat, you can still drive a CPD programme with input from your staff. Think about what existing skills they already have and, where they are lacking, sit down with each staff member and discuss their options. Provide some CPD options that are relevant to you and the business and that can also enhance your employees’ work and personal life. Once the various options have been finalised, ensure that regular reviews are put in place to maintain the ongoing commitment from both parties.

For business owners, subjects of interest may include management, sales, accounting, tax, marketing and HR. A common complaint from business owners in the locksmithing industry is that of staff retention.

Why not look at undertaking a management or leadership course to help motivate and retain your good staff? While such courses might not appear to be industry–specific, they are essential knowledge pools that are ever-changing and constantly need to be updated to help ensure one’s business success.

One highly important aspect of professional development is that of keeping well-informed about regulatory changes to the locksmith and security industry as a whole. These regulatory changes affect your legal rights and obligations as both business owner and employee. They could range from security licensing through to changes made to fire doors or handling asbestos on the job. Knowledge of these changes is crucial to ensuring your business and employees operate in a legal manner at all times.

For employees, the opportunity to undertake new qualifications or enhance their existing repertoire usually adds some drive and vitality to what can often be a stale career for some. Look at your current position and skills in conjunction with your desired career direction.

If you are currently on the tools and looking for a change, consider some short courses in sales or project management to show your employer you can take it to the next level. Don’t forget the increased demand for IT skills in our rapidly-changing industry either. Regardless of the direction or subject you decide to choose, undertaking professional development will separate you from the pack in your locksmithing career for years to come.

Overall, professional development should not be considered as work that is additional to one’s already-busy schedule. CPD should be considered as an opportunity to lift one’s career and personal prospects to the next level to ensure continued success. n

Troy Johnston has been involved in various aspects of the locksmithing industry for thepast 17 years. He is currently based in QLD and working for LSC (Locksmiths Supply Company), Technical Sales and Support, Electronic Security. Contact him at: tjohnston@lsc.com.au or (07) 3252 1056

Recognising And Dealing With Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

By

Tony McHugh

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May 1, 2012

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric consequence of exposure to potentially traumatic events (PTEs); that is, events where the person experienced, witnessed, or was confronted by an incident involving actual or threatened death, serious injury or threat to the self or others. Such events include war and war-like occurrences, physical and sexual assault, serious accidental injury and (natural and man-made) disasters.

Who Gets PTSD?

While exposure rates to such events within the general community are often as high as 60-65% , and in some populations have been reported to be as high as 84% , these rates increase considerably in (serving and retired) members of organisations whose role routinely involves exposure to PTEs. This includes military personnel, security officers and members of emergency service organisations such as police, ambulance and fire services.

The prevalence of PTSD following exposure to PTEs is much less common than the occurrence of trauma. However, that can vary, with lower rates between 5-10% reported following non-interpersonal events, such as accidental injury and natural disaster. Higher rates of between 25-50% can occur following interpersonal traumas, such as combat and assault, with the highest rates being among those exposed to sexual assault . It is important to note, however, that the likelihood of developing PTSD increases with repeated exposure to PTEs .

Recognising The Signs And Symptoms Of PTSD

The Formal Definition

PTSD is understood to be characterised by three sets of symptoms. The first relates to the re-experiencing of the traumatic event and includes such phenomena as intrusive thoughts and images of the event, recurrent nightmares and physical and emotional distress at exposure to reminders of the event.

The second symptom set comprises avoidance and numbing symptoms. These include active avoidance of thoughts and feelings related to the event and places, or activities that act as event reminders, and interpersonal detachment and the numbing of feelings.

The final symptom set relates to the hyper-arousal symptoms. These include disturbances in sleep and concentration, exaggerated startle, hyper-vigilance and increased anger .

What People Typically Report

People can be reluctant to report such reactions, be it to a GP, work colleague, family member or friend. This reluctance can be motivated, among other things, by embarrassment, fluctuating wellness, difficulty in describing symptoms and clinician attitude.

Thus, people are more likely to admit to or exhibit clear signs of:

Disrupted sleep and consequent loss of concentration and problem-solving ability
Being unusually irritable
Relationship problems
Physical illnesses of a psychosomatic origin (e.g. gastro-enteric problems — a particularly noteworthy example being Irritable Bowel Syndrome)
Pain conditions (from physical injuries associated with or exacerbated by trauma)
Co-morbid problems or behaviours (e.g. alcohol abuse or problem gambling)
Risky behaviours (e.g. reckless driving or sexual encounters)

Co-Morbidities Of PTSD

While PTSD is a critical, Trauma-Related Mental Health Disorder (TRMHD), its symptoms rarely exist in isolation. In reality, co-morbidity is the norm rather than the exception. For example, co-morbidity rates in the often-studied military and veteran populations have been reported to be as high as 90% (Kulka et al., 1990; O’Toole et al., 1996).

The most common co-morbidities include depression, other anxiety disorders and substance use disorders. A range of broader, psychopathological features are also associated with PTSD. Such features include trauma-related guilt and anger.

Understanding How PTSD Works

PTSD will be more or less likely to occur depending on the operation of the following factors:

Trauma Characteristics

Trauma(s) can fall into any of four descriptive categories. That is, those relating to human-caused trauma, where acts are either intentional (e.g. crime) or accidental (e.g. road traffic accidents), and nature-related trauma that are complicated by human actions or not. Human-caused or complicated traumatic events are well known to have greater potential for traumatisation. Thus, person-implicated events that are horrific, prolonged or repeated, deliberate and malevolent, have the greatest capacity to negatively affect people.

Personal Characteristics

There are certain members of the community who are at greater risk of negative, psychological and functional outcomes following trauma. Known high-risk groups include women, the young and elderly, those with chronic illnesses and diseases (especially pain and mental health conditions), people who are economically, materially or socially disadvantaged and, as mentioned, those who have experienced cumulative, traumatic events.

Individual Response Characteristics

It is well known that response styles will help or hinder people in dealing with PTEs. For example, those who have highly-anxious, pre-trauma response styles and tend to avoid (especially through the abuse of substances or engaging in unhelpful behaviours such as problem gambling), and those with rigid response styles, are less likely to recover speedily or easily.

Those who have cynical response styles or who are self-critical and hence unable to respond to advice or offers of assistance with an open mind, are unlikely to aid their recovery process. Very angry, post-trauma response styles are also likely to interfere. Anger is known to be a powerful predictor of recovery — the greater the anger, the more difficult and delayed will be the coping and the process of recovery.

How To Help People Who May Be Suffering With PTSD

Exposure to trauma, as highlighted throughout this commentary, is common. Most people will have some psychological reaction(s) to trauma — fear, sadness, guilt and anger are common, possible feelings. The majority of people, however, re-establish functioning quickly. Similarly, the vast majority recover over time and only a small proportion go on to develop TRMHDs.

Health professionals, who are experienced in the treatment of TRMHDs, use the following simple questions as preliminaries to deciding whether someone who has been exposed to a PTE has PTSD:

Do you have vivid memories of an event?
Do you avoid things which remind you of the event?
Do you feel emotionally cut off?
Are you irritable or constantly on edge?

These are important signs for us all to consider when a colleague, friend or family member is not functioning normally after a stressful event. However, the task of the caring observer in the workplace, and beyond, is typically not that of a mental-health professional. There are, instead, vitally important roles we can all play after a colleague, friend or family member has experienced trauma. These are best summarised as:

Respectful and watchful waiting — as emphasised throughout this article, although most people will recover without the need for treatment after experiencing a PTE, some will not. It is important that those with a role to play in assisting people exposed to trauma, maintain an awareness of their variable needs. Some will display a lesser ability to cope to the point where specific assistance may be required. Some of the signs of the need for assistance are described below.
Making Psychological First Aid (PFA) available — we should not under-estimate the power of simple acts of caring to people who have experienced a significant stressor. The power of the cup of tea and metaphorical shoulder-to-lean-on to help, is a repeated finding from studies of refugees and disaster-survivors.

Psychological First Aid Overview

Emphasising the importance of maintaining normal functioning — presenting for work, engaging in family and social activities and even going dancing, to the movies or exercising, etc; etc; are not minor matters in maintaining wellbeing.

How To Reduce The Likelihood Of Vicarious Traumatisation

Knowing when to refer — interactions with workplace colleagues who are showing persistent signs of stress (see below) should, however, alert us to the importance of a referral to a professional who is an expert in the assessment and treatment of TRMHDs. Often, early referral can result in impressive gains after small amounts of treatment.

What Sort Of Support Will Help Someone Suffering From PTSD?

It is important to emphasise that people demonstrate, time and again, the capacity to survive traumatic/significant, stressful events and continue to live meaningful and satisfying lives. Thus we speak of PTEs, rather than traumatising events.

One of the most important factors in being able to come to terms with trauma and traumatic loss is what is known as resilience. Individuals who are resilient have been found to experience lower rates of depression, substance abuse and post-traumatic stress following traumatic events than their less-resilient counterparts.

Resilience is defined as the capacity of people to effectively cope with, adjust to, or recover from stress and adversity. Resilient people will not typically need a great deal of assistance post-trauma.

It is important to accurately identify the resilient from those who will need more assistance, without any sense of discrimination or judgement. Such assistance may include PFA or any or all of the five psychological recovery skills.

Skills For Psychological Recovery

For this group, it may be necessary to sensitively encourage them to seek treatment from a health practitioner who is an expert in the treatment of TRMHDs. Such action should be considered if the person, weeks after the event:

Still feels upset or jumpy most of the time;
Persistently exhibits changed behaviour compared to pre-trauma;
Has difficulty with normal activities
Has worsening relationship issues –especially because of anger
Has disturbed sleep
Keeps dwelling on the event(s)
Seems unable to enjoy life and appears numb or withdrawn
There is evidence of depression, persistent high anxiety or risky alcohol and/or drug use
There are concerns about risk to self/others or capacity to care for self and/or others

Hey, I Just Want to Get on the Flight!

By

John Gratton

-

May 1, 2012

So far, we have covered the global aviation security system including the role of the United Nations’ specialist agency, ICAO (the International Civil Aviation Organisation) and the relationship between ICAO and the 190-member States of the Organisation. We know that Australia, as a signatory State to the Chicago Convention, has both privileges and responsibilities; and that one of those responsibilities is to put in place binding legislation to manage and oversee effective aviation security

This doesn’t tell us, however, who actually does aviation security. We need to address who, or what, organisations undertake the actions required by the regulations that make sure that our aircraft terminals are appropriately secure, and that all aircraft travelling from and within Australia do so in a secure manner.

In this country, making regulations and policy directions for aviation security is largely all that government does. Government agencies and officers do not patrol the airport perimeter fence or screen the carry-on bags of passengers. Government will oversee the effectiveness of these procedures, using audit and quality control techniques, but the actual work and the greater majority of the cost of processes is incurred by the aviation industry. These costs are mainly passed back to the travelling public who benefit from a secure operation.

The term, aviation industry; is a collective phrase which is ill-defined and of differing significance to many. From the aviation security perspective, it includes international and domestic airlines, charter carriers, airport operators, cargo handlers, freight forwarders, ground-handling agents, security companies, air traffic control providers and many other types of specialist companies and organisations a long with their staff.

You will notice that each of these is a commercial entity of some form and each, therefore, has a major interest in maintaining a viable business. Government-directed aviation security regulations and requirements are one of the many areas of governance that aviation businesses must comply with. Think also of the safety, occupational health and environmental issues involved.

The roles of any one part of the industry are various. For example, most people would realise that airlines are responsible for ensuring that only passengers who have been security-screened can board their aircraft. In a single-user terminal such as the Melbourne, Qantas domestic terminal, these screening tasks are undertaken by a Qantas contractor. Quality control (surveillance, supervision and testing) of this contractor is undertaken separately by both Qantas and the Federal Department of Infrastructure and Transport.

However, many would fail to consider the situation in a terminal such as at Melbourne International (or Brisbane, Sydney) where a multitude of airlines, regardless of what nationality they are, are required to meet the same Australian government regulations for the security of their aircraft departures. Another consideration is that the security screening of passengers and their carry-on bags is only one facet of securing the flight. Such things as the access control systems that prevent unscreened persons from joining the flight or unscreened goods and cargo from being placed on board, also need consideration.

For this reason, in large, multi-user terminals, it is normally the entity that has ownership or management of the access control systems that also lets a suitable contract for a security-screening organisation to provide services for all aircraft operators on a cost recovery basis. In many cases, this is the airport operator who is also the terminal operator. However, in some cases around the world, it may be that the large national airline and flag carrier has an owned and operated terminal, and contracts out this security role on behalf of all airlines.

Variations on this theme abound, with some States believing that passenger screening is an appropriate government, rather than civil contractor role. For example, post 9/11, the US federal government decided that existing standards were too low and so they federalised various commercial screening staffs around the country to bring them under direct government control. They also instituted new directives, personnel standards and equipment to provide more effective screening outcomes.

New Zealand has long had a very effective screening regime for international departures using the Aviation Security Service as a government business enterprise, run along corporate lines. India considers itself as a high security risk and uses a national government body, the Central Industry Security Force, to provide virtually all security services at airports, security screening, access control, perimeter patrolling and rapid, armed response.

It is interesting to consider these various methods of addressing this required outcome, given our previous comments on the ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) and the responsibilities of signatory States to meet these.

The various SARPs which cover access control and passenger and carry-on baggage screening are non-specific and outcome-based, as has previously been discussed. Examples of these, shown below, indicate just how outcome-based they really are.

“4.2.1 Each Contracting State shall ensure that the access to airside areas at airports serving civil aviation is controlled in order to prevent unauthorized entry.”

“4.4.1 Each Contracting State shall establish measures to ensure that originating passengers of commercial air transport operations and their cabin baggage are screened prior to boarding an aircraft departing from a security restricted area.”

“4.4.3 Each Contracting State shall ensure that passengers and their cabin baggage which have been screened are protected from unauthorized interference from the point of screening until they board their aircraft.”

These give absolutely no direction or guidance on how these outcomes are to be achieved. So, to allow aviation security to be done, governments have put in place a comprehensive suite of regulations and policies which direct and require various facets of the aviation industry to undertake certain tasks.

As a further wrinkle to this cascading sequence of Treaty to SARPs, to national regulations, we have the conflicting requirements of telling involved parties what they must do without telling potential perpetrators how this will be achieved. In some cases, governments will want and need to define how things will be done, down to very specific detail.

This is difficult when all legislation is publicly available and scrutinised to the smallest detail. Aviation security-related systems and legislation are very much different in their approach than other aviation fields, such as safety. With safety, there is no need to know basis, and every effort is made to spread detailed information as far as possible, often by prescriptive levels of legislation.

Globally in the aviation security field, however, use is made of a tiered system of security programs, which are required at various entity levels. The first entity is the State, in this context.

ICAO SARPs require each State to have in place a National Civil Aviation Security Program (NCASP). In most States, depending on the style of government, the NCASP is a requirement of, and is given power by, some form of national, enabling legislation such as an Act or a Decree

At the national level, the NCASP is complemented by others, such as the National Civil Aviation Training Program and an equivalent National Quality Control Program. These programs are not legislative in nature, but do carry a national security classification and are, therefore, not subject to the level of public access which applies to regulations.

This control allows the national programs to include specific targets and detailed requirements for meeting those targets. One set of requirements under the NCASP is for other entities such as airlines, airports and cargo organisations to have their own company–specific, aviation security programs.

These company-specific programs, such as XYZ Airlines Aviation Security Program, cover how the company and its agents will actually undertake the processes and systems required to meet their legislated responsibilities for a secure aviation operation. Because the company program is a restricted, internal document, it is able to go into the very specific, detailed requirements for company processes and procedures, and this can form the basis for further direct-task instructions down to the working level.

The program for each entity will include coverage, not only of preventative measures, but will also include a system of ongoing risk assessment and measures relating to responses against acts of unlawful interference against civil aviation.

The format and content of the completed company program will be reviewed and, when suitable, approved by the national regulatory authority. This program, however, is not intended to be a static document; just to meet a regulatory requirement. Rather, it is a living document which will change as required, driven either by new or modified regulatory requirements, or by company changes such as new routes and destinations.

So, the answer to our initial question of who does aviation security, is that it is largely done by the aviation industry and its agents or contractors. This system is defined and regulated via a series of cascading standards and regulations leading to detailed national and lower-level programs, all of which combine to allow the travelling public to just get on a secure flight.

What Makes A Strong Loss Prevention Team?

By

John Bigelow

-

May 1, 2012

By Murry Taylor.

For any high performing team, there are multiple facets at play at any one time to continually produce results at a high level. Add to that the fact the Loss Prevention Department is often (and unjustly I might add) seen as an unfortunate expense to the business and you’ve just added a significant amount of pressure to ensuring top performance.

The best place to start building performance is at the top: depending on the size of the organisation this position will usually be either at a national or state level. Either way the success or failure of the loss prevention team ultimately sits with this person.

I’m sure most of you have worked for both good and bad bosses; and those that have can testify to the fact that a company can be perceived as one of the best employers around but when you report directly to a ‘monster’ you couldn’t care less if the company was voted best place to work in the universe. People work for people, not organisations, so there are several core attributes a manager needs to display to enable him/her to build a high performing team. Some of these attributes are:

Optimism

The last thing you need from the head of a department is a continual message of doom and gloom. As the head of your department/team, it’s your responsibility to keep the troops happy and at times that may mean shelving your own opinions on how certain things are being done. For example, a new line may be coming out and you want it locked away due to its the desirability but management want it on show. If that’s what they want even after you have put your case forward, then you need to sell that message to your team and work around it as best you can.

Consistency

When your team comes to work, it’s critical they know that your expectations and the interaction they’ll have with you are going to be the same as yesterday and the same as the day before that. There is almost nothing that fractures a team quicker than a manager who changes his or her direction, personality and/or philosophies on a daily basis. In order to flourish, your team needs stability and that will come with being consistent.

Relationship Building

Loss prevention departments are really service providers. While you may all be part of the one company the fact is, loss prevention provides a service to the operational team, and so the ability to build and foster strong relationships is critical. I’ve seen loss prevention managers who were despised by the operational managers and as a result of this, the loss prevention team’s name was mud. On the flip side of this, I have also seen loss prevention teams very well respected by the operational arm of the business and these teams have flourished. An important distinction to make here is by building relationships, I don’t mean selling out as this defeats the purpose of the team; I just mean earning and showing respect to fellow managers.

Drive

True leadership is demonstrated, not talked about. If you expect your team to do additional hours on a semi-regular basis, then you had better be doing it on a regular basis. Every manager I’ve worked for and respected was highly driven and had a work ethic that was inspiring. No team member worked harder or longer than their leader did and in turn it would always drive the team to continually improve.

Promotion

By this I mean if you have a team member who contributes something that will further enhance your team, or they are demonstrating skills that can be further promoted, then do exactly that – promote them, praise them. As I’m sure many of you can attest, there is nothing more frustrating and demotivating than your manager taking credit for work you have delivered. Strong managers understand they are only as good as their team, and by promoting and praising your team you are doing several things – motivating your team member/s, improving the profile of your team/department and highlighting the fact that you lead a high performing team.

A team manager who displays these attributes will go a long way to ensuring the loss prevention department is a committed team so the next part of the equation is ensuring your team is armed with the relevant skill sets to perform the job required of them. These skills will vary depending on the size and type of business you are looking after. However, there are some core skills within loss prevention that translate across all industries.

An important distinction to make is that not every team member needs to excel in every skill set; as long you have all the required skills covered, then you can allocate work based on strengths and training based on opportunities for further improvement. Some of the core skills your team will require are:

Understanding The Reporting Structure
Of The Business

If you’re the manager, it is so important to ensure your team understands the business protocols. Some businesses will have an expectation that when investigating a store or employee, you or your team member must advise a manager responsible for that site or person prior to any contact taking place. Other businesses will expect you to consult with HR at some stage during the process and for the lucky few there are companies that will just let the department get on with its job and wait for a report once the entire fact finding process has concluded. Regardless of which scenario fits your organisation, it is critical to fit in with the businesses requirements.

Factual Investigations

In its simplest form, this means gathering
the facts and being able to present findings
to the business based on these facts.
This sounds simple enough but it’s amazing
how many reports are written providing an overview of an incident based on the ‘factual investigation’, that are laced with personal opinions and assumptions. When you start to add opinion and assumptions into a factual investigation it will only be a matter of time before the team comes unstuck because of an unfair dismissal or civil suit against the
company. The facts are the facts; they don’t offer opinion, emotion or assumptions so neither should your team.

Interviews

It’s amazing how many people think conducting an interview is an easy process and one that most people could do. If you are talking about interviewing somebody applying for a job or a minor disciplinary matter, then this thought process is probably correct. However, these types of interviews are very different to interviewing a suspected thief. This is the area where your team members need to be very resilient and have developed strong communication skills and thick skins because when offenders realise they have been caught out ,they can become quite hostile. If your team gets this process right and gets positive results with minimal fuss it won’t take very long to build a positive reputation within the business.

Murry Taylor is the Chief Operating Officer for Group 1 Security, a boutique security firm specialising in retail and asset protection. Murry has held multiple senior managerial security and loss prevention positions at state and national levels within both the public and private sectors.

For more information please visit www.group1security.com.au or email Murry on mtaylor@group1security.com.au

Will Power: Why Every Security Professional Needs A Will

By

Justin Lawrence

-

May 1, 2012

There are certain essential things that every person should do during their lifetime. One is to insure real estate against destruction and fire. Another is to insure all vehicles, at least against damage that yours does to somebody else’s. Do you really want to foot the bill after you run up the back of that brand new Aston Martin? Another is to pay off your home mortgage as fast as you can. The only person who wins from a 25-year home loan is your friendly, local bank manager. And another is to execute a properly-drafted and legally-binding Will as soon as you turn 18.

Over the years, I have seen countless, painful situations that have arisen for the families and friends of deceased persons because that person was too busy or not wealthy enough to make a Will during their lifetime.

Many people believe that you have to own significant assets before a Will is worthwhile. Wrong. Many people also believe that it is pointless making a Will because the people left behind will just sort it out anyway. Also wrong. Many people also believe that making a Will merely complicates what should otherwise be a fairly straightforward exercise of the passing of assets from one generation to the next. Wrong again. And many people also believe that even if there is no Will in place, assets will simply pass to the next of kin in any event. Strike four. Game over.

A Will is a document, executed during the lifetime of a person, which clearly states what is to happen to that person’s estate after death.
As such, it should cover, either individually or as a whole, the entirety of the assets and liabilities in which that person has an interest as at the date of their death.

If it sounds straightforward, that’s because it is. A Will can be as complicated or as simple as you like. In fact, more often than not, a Will reads something like, “I leave all of my estate to my husband and, if my husband dies before me, then I leave all of my estate to my children.” That’s it. Nothing more. No bells and whistles. Pretty non-eventful, but incredibly important.

I am often asked if a Will can just as easily be prepared using a Will kit. I always begin my answer by saying if the choice is between using a Will kit and not having a Will at all, then choose the Will kit by all means. However, if the choice is between using a Will kit and having the Will drawn up professionally by a lawyer, then that’s a different question entirely.

You can use a Will kit to prepare your Will if you like. It will be cheaper than having a solicitor draw up the Will for you. You can also change the tyres on your car yourself or you can pay to engage the services of a suitably-qualified motor mechanic to do it for you. In both cases, the consequences of choosing the cheaper option are potentially disastrous.

Most people will leave substantial assets behind after they die. Usually, the combined value of the family home and superannuation entitlements nudge $1million. More often than not, those assets are willed to children and grandchildren – or, at least, that’s the intention.

Picture this: After a lifetime of hard work, saving and investing, you have amassed a total fortune of, say, $2million. However, instead of all of that money going to your children and the other beneficiaries you have nominated in your do-it-yourself Will kit, which costs you $65, the law decides who will benefit because the clauses in your self-prepared Will are ambiguous. As a result, your intended beneficiaries are forced to launch costly and time-consuming legal proceedings against your estate in order to get their rightful inheritance.

While it is true that you will not be around to worry about it, is it really what you want? The alternative is to spend a few hundred dollars on a solicitor and get it right – the first time.

So what’s the big deal? Why is a Will so important? Why does it matter whether or not assets are left according to a Will or according to law?

Actually, the answer to all of these questions is pretty simple – because you keep control.

After you die, all of your assets and liabilities are gathered together. Properties, shares and other physical assets are usually sold and turned into cash. Tax is paid and the resultant money is pooled together. Liabilities are then quantified and, where necessary, paid from the pool of money created from the sale of assets. Everything left over is known as your residuary estate.

Once all other liabilities have been met, such as the payment of any outstanding personal income tax or the payment of tax incurred by the estate, the estate can then be distributed to beneficiaries.

The two largest portions of any estate are usually real property (home, investment property, holiday home) and superannuation entitlements (sometimes including death benefits). But what happens if the estate consists of an interest in a business? What if the deceased owned his own security company? What if he wanted his business interest to pass, not to his wife, but to his children or grandchildren? What happens if there is no Will in place? Will his children or grandchildren inherit that asset or will the law step in to thwart that intention?

Firstly, it must be mentioned that it is much easier to answer these questions in a theoretical sense now, rather than through the fog of grief, after a loved one dies without a Will.

Sometimes, family members such as children or grandchildren, work in a business that the family patriarch has started and built from scratch during his lifetime. When that person dies, it is his intention that the surviving family members carry on the business just as he had done. If, however, he dies without a Will, his interest in the business will, almost certainly, pass to his surviving spouse. Of course, that’s fine if that’s what he wanted anyway, even though it passes by fluke instead of good management. But, if the intended beneficiary was a child or grandchild, the estate will not be so fortunate. Why? Because by dying without a Will, the deceased allowed the law to dictate what was going to happen to his estate. Control over that question was taken entirely out of his hands and put in the hands of the lawmakers.

Now, some readers might be thinking that it’s no big deal – that the surviving spouse will simply transfer her newly-inherited interest in the business to her children or grandchildren and will thereby achieve the same thing that the deceased wanted anyway. Well, it’s not quite as easy as that because there’s a substantial sting in the tail if that’s what the spouse does: Tax.

If you inherit assets under the terms of a Will – assets which would normally attract nasty things like Capital Gains Tax (CGT), may be exempt as the Australian Taxation Office will not assess CGT because the Will provided for that inheritance. But, in the case where there is no Will, the spouse must pay CGT on the business interest that she inherited from her deceased husband.

However, that will only apply once. If she then transfers the business interest to her child or grandchild, then, guess what? The spectre of CGT will come knocking on her door and she will give the ATO lots of money, whether she likes it or not. Of course, if the deceased had made a Will during his lifetime and had gifted his interest in his business to his intended beneficiary, then that transaction would not have attracted an immediate CGT liability, and all parties would have been happy.

The same will be true for any other item of property owned by a deceased at the date of his death and which has the potential to attract tax on transfer. For example, shares or real estate. If they are inherited from a deceased person pursuant to the terms of his Will, then they do not attract tax.

However, if they are received outside the terms of a Will, even if they are gifted by someone who inherited them under the terms of a Will (or by operation of law if the deceased died without a Will), then tax will be payable. Just as the initial transfer takes place beyond the wishes of the deceased, so too is tax applied beyond the wishes of the deceased. However, in both cases, the people that the deceased left behind have no say in it – the law applies whether the deceased and his descendants like it or not.

When you think of it from the child or grandchild’s point of view, it is doubly unfair. Here we have a child or grandchild working everyday in the family business on the basis of an unwritten promise that “one day, all of this will be yours.” As it turns out, that was not the case.

Because of the frustration caused by this rather unpalatable situation, the child or grandchild launches a legal challenge to the estate, claiming that the deceased had promised him the business during his lifetime and claiming that as his rightful inheritance. Let’s assume that the claimant is not on very good terms with the spouse of the deceased and that, as a result, he is forced to take his action all the way to a courtroom in order to get what he believes he deserves.

Let’s also assume that his claim is ultimately successful, and that the court orders that the deceased’s interest in his business should pass to the claimant, either in part or in full. Who pays for that? Where does the money come from to pay for the hours upon hours of work done by the claimant’s lawyers, not to mention the costs of a long trial? You guessed it. In almost all cases, the costs of a challenge to an estate are paid for, not by the challenger, but by the estate.

So, in that case, what would have otherwise happened in a very simple, straightforward and matter-of-fact way, had the deceased executed a Will prior to his death, has cost tens of thousands of dollars in legal and other costs (not to mention the stress and heartache) to achieve exactly the same result as the deceased had always intended.

While some people believe that the cost of preparing a Will is too great, can you really afford not to have one? Most simple Wills should cost in the order of $400 to $500, plus GST. If you are being asked to pay more than that, then maybe you should change lawyers. Of course, the more complicated the Will and the more detailed the mechanisms put into it, the more it will cost and that should come as no surprise to anyone.

But, what should come as a surprise to those who do not have a Will, particularly business owners, is that if you die without one, you will leave a huge legal and financial mess behind, and it will be left to those that you love the most to clean it up.

Are you really too busy or not wealthy enough to make a Will? Think again.

Goal Setting

By

Catherine Hadaj

-

May 1, 2012

A Simple And Straight Forward Approach To Getting Where You Want To Go

A famous conversation from Alice in Wonderland goes like this: “‘Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?’ said Alice. ‘That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,’ said the Cat. ‘I don’t much care where—’ said Alice. ‘Then it doesn’t matter which way you go,’ said the Cat. ‘–so long as I get SOMEWHERE,’ Alice added as an explanation. ‘Oh, you’re sure to do that,’ said the Cat, ‘if you only walk long enough.’”

Why Is It Important To Have Goals In Business?

Goals give you direction; a final destination if you will. Alice did not have a destination in mind, so neither she nor others had any idea of how to get her there. By setting goals in business you are allowing yourself and your staff members to see where you want to go. This is very important as, without goals, how do you know if you are succeeding or not – sure, you will end up somewhere, but is that where you truly want to be? Another benefit of having clearly defined organisational goals is that each person is in alignment and working towards a common purpose. Goals also offer motivation – a focus. Imagine if you went ten pin bowling, but there were no pins. What would you be aiming for? Rolling the ball down the aisle as fast and straight as you can may occupy you for the first few goes but, very soon, most of us would lose interest. Without the pins, there really is no goal, and no opportunity to celebrate success, leading to a decrease in motivation. This brings me to longevity. For a business to be successful in the long term, goals must be determined to support this. Just like bowling, you will not be in the game for very long if you repeatedly do not achieve anything.

How To Establish Goals?

The first step is to look at organisational goals – the key performance indicators that will allow your business to grow and succeed. These will change for each business and each industry, but some common ones are: percentage of sales growth per year, Productivity levels, cost reduction, market leadership and so on. The second step is to determine individual goals for each person that will help achieve the organisational goals. We suggest an average of five critical goals per person. Not every daily task of each person needs to be written into one of these goals. These five goals should be focused on what is going to have the biggest impact for the business. This is known as Pareto’s Law, or the 80/20 rule – eighty per cent of the results will come from twenty per cent of the tasks performed. You may have 25 tasks that make up your role. There will be a huge variance in the impact that each of these tasks will have on actual business outcome, and thus the time you put into each should vary – it is important to prioritise those that will yield the greatest results and, once that is done, set some SMART goals.

Writing SMART Goals

When you start to write out these goals (putting pen to paper is an important step in the process), you must make sure that they are SMART goals. There are about 347 million variations of what SMART stands for, all of which are fairly similar. The version I use is, Specific and measurable, Motivating, Attainable, Relevant and Trackable over time.

A goal needs to be specific, so that those who are responsible for achieving the goal have a clear view of what is required of them, and what is considered goal accomplishment – the standard if you like. If a goal is specific, it is measurable, as it will be clear to see how far you have progressed toward goal accomplishment.

Motivating is the second step towards a SMART goal. It would be great if every job we had in life motivated us, but sometimes we just have to do things that are not enjoyable. We must, however, understand the importance of the outcome. For example, you may be looking after a friend’s baby when it gets struck down with a bout of gastro. Changing poor bub’s nappy is not going to be enjoyable, but you are motivated to do so for the health and wellbeing of the child. As you can see, not all goals themselves must be motivating (finishing a nappy change), but the outcome of the goal should be seen as valuable and motivating (a happy, healthy child).

Setting unattainable goals is only going to decrease motivation and increase the chance of failure. Make sure that the goals you set are attainable or achievable, but still push for improvement.

A goal must also be relevant, remembering the 80/20 rule. Set goals that are going to have the greatest impact on getting the results you want.

Making your goals Trackable over time means that you can celebrate the milestones along
the way.

How To Track Progress Towards Achieving Goals

You do not do goals, you achieve goals. What you do is perform a series of tasks that get you to accomplish goals. A good idea is to write down all the tasks that must be completed to reach your goal. List them in order of execution and build in timelines or deadlines for each, so that you can mark off where you are up to, and make sure that you are still on track. This is why your specific, motivating, attainable and relevant goals must also be trackable over time.

The Value Of Reassessing Goals

It is a valuable exercise to regularly reassess your goals, so make sure that your goals are written clearly and simply. It is great to have high ambitions, but make sure your goals do not resemble a full-blown business plan. Key goals should be written on no more than one page and be able to be read in less than one minute. This allows you to quickly see if the goal is still relevant – is that still a priority to get you to where you want to go? Goals also need to be reassessed on merit of attainability. If, while tracking your progress, you realise that you are not in line to meet your goal, ask yourself, “Have I done everything possible and sourced direction, support and resources to help me achieve this goal?” If you can answer yes, then possibly the goal was not attainable in the first place, or factors outside of your control have influenced your success. Make sure you have put in considerable effort before resetting the goal, as you will be resetting the standard.

What To Do When You Reach Your Goals?

Celebrate your success! If you do not have someone that will formally reward and recognise your achievements, then take it upon yourself to enjoy what you have achieved, and feel pride in your accomplishment. Foster this positivity into focusing on other goals that you are still working towards, and look to the future. Now is the time to set new targets and write new goals. Many businesses are in the process of doing this as we come to the close of the financial year. With hopes that the global financial crisis will be but a distant memory in the 2011/2012 financial year, the focus is shifting from cost reduction to attainable growth and prosperity.

The importance lies not in setting the goals, but in executing the day-to-day tasks that will allow you to achieve your goals. Goals are dreams with a deadline. Dream big, work hard and celebrate your success.

CCTV – Where Is It All Going?

By

John Bigelow

-

May 1, 2012

By Les Simmonds.

To many in the security industry, the specification, design and installation of a CCTV system is seen as being very complicated. But, is it really, or is it perceived to be complicated because of the lack of CCTV-educated and/or trained personnel in the security industry? Furthermore, what really constitutes training?

In an earlier article, I discussed CCTV system planning and design and CCTV lenses, both of which are fundamental CCTV requirements and are often the stumbling blocks for many electronic security personnel. I suggested that if the security industry doesn’t get itself trained to a reasonable level of competency, there might not be many security personnel in the CCTV industry in the future – especially at the rapid rate at which CCTV technology is developing.

Finding someone in the Australian security industry with formal or recognised CCTV or television qualifications (as opposed to on-the-job training or other forms of non-accredited learning) is like looking for hens’ teeth. I have even had some serious e-mail exchanges about this matter with a few risk-assessment gurus who call themselves CCTV consultants, but have no formal or recognised CCTV or television qualifications.

What may not be apparent to many in the security industry is that 85% of a modern, medium-to-large CCTV system is made up of IT technologies including the network and associated servers and other hardware. The cameras, lenses, camera mounts, camera housings and software such as the Video Management System (VMS) represent about 15% of the whole CCTV system. The rest is Information Technology (IT).

It is unfortunate that there are elements within the security industry who believe that CCTV should be the sole domain of security experts – with a security expert being anyone who falls within a broadly-defined group of people possessing a loosely-defined set of skills. Without wishing to sound off-handed, it is reasonable to say that just because one might be licensed to restrain an unruly offender, or know how to pick a lock, or screw an intrusion detector to a wall, it does not mean that person is qualified or competent enough to design and install a CCTV system. CCTV is a highly-specialised field. The effective design and installation of a CCTV system involves a great deal of understanding and knowledge of smart technologies, CCTV standards and design criteria — indeed, a greater understanding than many in the security industry would care to admit.

That said, not everyone in the security industry believes they can design and install a CCTV system just because they have a basic understanding of security principles. There are a growing number of security practitioners who understand that CCTV training and certification will not only provide them with the knowledge to do the job properly, but will also provide them with a career path, industry recognition and appropriate internationally-recognised qualifications. That said, it must also be noted that, until recently, properly-structured and recognised CCTV training and certification was largely non-existent. This is slowly changing, however, and those requiring formal qualifications will soon be able to achieve them.

One might ask what this rant has to do with the security industry. In reality, a lot. CCTV, and most of the electronic security technologies used in the industry, are fast becoming IP–based, running on IT networks. Given that the IT industry is extremely professional, with very good training and certification programmes already in place, it may not be long before CCTV will be absorbed into its training syllabus if the security industry does not act quickly.

Since the late 1990s, IP (internet protocol) technology has been applied to many medium and large CCTV surveillance systems in Australia and, more recently, to some small systems. Networked video technology is becoming the solution of choice for CCTV systems. Wireless networks have also been used successfully.

Digital and IP technologies have made CCTV easier to integrate with other technologies, making it a more operationally-responsive and effective tool. The transition from analogue to digital has improved the quality of both archived and retrieved CCTV images, as well as improving the speed at which images can be recalled from an archive. Furthermore, newer digital systems are less costly to repair, cost-effective across the board and, in some cases, capable of integrating into existing network infrastructure. The digital nature of the newer, IP-based systems make them much more scalable and flexible than traditional analogue systems. This means the size of an IP-based CCTV system is less restricted by the number of cameras, sites and control areas.

The user interface for an IP-based network CCTV system is typically more user-friendly and a new wave of CCTV equipment and software, which utilises open communications standards, is making it much easier to integrate non-proprietary equipment. This allows system designers to tailor solutions to the specific needs of the client rather than having to attempt to reconfigure a particular system to the needs of the job.

IP CCTV networks often include technologies such as intruder alarms, access control systems (including access card and/or manual door and gate controls), tamper alarms fitted to camera housings, equipment racks and cabinets and equipment failure alarms. These systems can also integrate with and manage a range of communication options such as panic alarms and communication, intercoms (including any-point-to-any-point, emergency or communications), public address systems, IP phones, laptops, PDAs, smart phones for response and control and many more.

Any proposed CCTV system should include a real, open-platform Video Management System (VMS) with IT network compatibility capable of including all current and future, security/CCTV equipment and technologies across all client sites.

The VMS should also include features that allow for tight control over local and third-party access to the system. The VMS server should include a DVD/CD recorder to download any required CCTV system video or stills, while the VMS and monitoring system should allow for the easily-targeted monitoring of any area or any individual’s activities, when required.

The VMS may also be a forensic-type CCTV system which operates 24-hours a day, seven days a week. The usual procedure is to store images for thirty days at eight images per second.

It is now accepted as a fairly-well-established fact that not only are digital systems the way forward for medium and large CCTV systems, but open platform, non-proprietary, IP-based systems are also the real future of CCTV.

Despite popular belief, IP systems are surprisingly affordable. This can be attributed to the fact that any initial higher costs for components can be counterbalanced by savings in installation and maintenance.

This article is not a how-to piece. It is not a step-by-step guide to designing, installing and maintaining a CCTV system. It is written, and should be interpreted as, a piece about the future direction of CCTV systems — for the reader to ponder and, hopefully respond to, in order to keep pace with the developments of both the CCTV and IT industries.

Les Simmonds is a fully-qualified broadcast television and radio professional and a graduate of RMIT and ABC TV Australia. Les has been involved in broadcast television engineering since 1959 and closed circuit television (CCTV) technologies since 1982, and he is considered to be one of the leading, innovative CCTV/IP consultants in Australia.Les is recognised as an industry leader. Services include innovative CCTV system design, CCTV testing and project management, including the creation of contracts that bind system installers to delivering to agreed outcomes.

Les Simmonds is Chairman of the Standards Australia Non-Broadcast Television Committee which has subcommittees for CCTV, medical video, industrial video, professional camcorders, consumer camcorders and non-broadcast video testing.More comprehensive information is available at: http://www.cctvconsultants.com.au/index.html.

Les Simmonds can be contacted by email: les@cctvconsultants.com.au

Edged Weapon Awareness: Crucial Information At The Pointy End Of The Issue

By

Richard Kay

-

May 1, 2012

There has been a great deal of information regarding edged weapons in the media over the past several years. The incidence of people carrying edged weapons is increasing, gaining access to such weapons is as simple as raiding the cutlery drawer at home, making a quick trip to the local hardware store, or using the grey matter to create innovative alternatives from everyday items.

One would naturally presume that people carry edged weapons with criminal, malicious or mischievous intent. But there is also a ‘catch-22’ trend emerging: some people carry edged weapons simply because they realise that others do too, and if they are attacked, they do not want to be caught defenceless. With more people in possession of edged weapons, the incidence of aggravated assault involving edged weapons is also increasing.

At a recent security industry forum, Victoria Police presented statistics showing that the most common item used to commit aggravated assault was, in fact, a pen. This innocuous, everyday item can hardly be regulated, yet it is a potential edged weapon that everybody has access to. This statistic highlights the very real threat posed by edged weapons in society.

In December 2009, Victorian Parliament passed new and wide-ranging laws, amending the Summary Offences Act and the Control of Weapons Act, to significantly broaden police powers to search people suspected of carrying illegal weapons. These legislation reforms are aimed at reducing the incidence of edged weapon violence in society.

For security and public safety officers who operate in the void between idealism and realism, understanding the threat posed by edged weapons is crucial. This means knowing the facts regarding edged weapon use, the effects of edged weapon attacks, and relevant training concepts.

There is a commonly held belief that someone with a knife is less dangerous than one with a firearm. The truth is that within their practical ranges, both weapons are capable of grievous and fatal wounds.

Facts On Edged Weapon Attacks

Edged weapons are the most commonly used weapon for killing people (seven in 20); in half the incidents of muggings the subject is armed with a sharp instrument.
There is a one in three chance that if faced with an edged weapon, you will be attacked and injured.
Edged weapon attacks are responsible for three per cent of all armed (fatal) attacks on officers (firearm attacks account for four per cent). Where the subject is shot, 10% die from wounds, where stabbed, 30% die from wounds.
Since 1980 the number of people routinely carrying knives in the United States has increased by 92%.
The most popular attack technique was found to be either straight down or diagonally.
The victim tends to squat in an effort to take a path which offers perceived escape.
Many people did not see the edged weapon that penetrated their body; they failed to recognise danger cues due to faulty perception.
Knife attacks are exceptionally accurate, able to penetrate deeper than some bullets, creating remarkable permanent cavities that can rip through numerous organs in one stroke.
In reality, within their respective ranges, knives are more lethal than firearms.

Within its range, an edged weapon never runs out of ammunition, jams or misfires; rarely misses its target; can cut bone, tendon, muscles, arteries, veins with one thrust; can bring about sudden shock, pain, and extended wound channels; is psychologically defeating; has better stopping capabilities and superior concealment capabilities; than a firearm and occupies a permanent wound channel until extracted, at which time, if the blade is withdrawn from a lung, consciousness is rapidly lost.

Pathology Of Edged Weapon Attacks

The typical depth of a stab wound is 1-1.5 inch through the rib cage.
In most edged weapon attacks the victim received multiple knife wounds; the usual cause of death was the last few wounds of the overall attack.
Even short bladed knives can penetrate the abdomen by 8-10cm; 3cm allows rib penetration, 4cm allows heart penetration.
Because of the small surface area of a knife, the amount of force per unit area is tons/in²
In most edged weapon attacks, the victim is already involved in the physical encounter way before he or she even has time to realise that a knife is being used.
Most victims see a thrust or slice with a knife as just another punch or kick and not an edged weapon assault.
It was difficult if not impossible for the victim to differentiate between an attack with an edged weapon and an attack using hands of feet; this is especially true when the victim is not aware from the start of the assault, that the attacker has a knife.

In one study, 85 officers participated in a scenario-based training session where they were unaware that they would be attacked with a knife. The attacker, who was dressed in a combative suit, was told that during the mid-way point of contact, he was to pull out the knife he had been concealing and flash it directly at the officer, saying, “I’m going to kill you” and then engage the officer physically. The results were as follows:

Four per cent saw the knife prior to contact.
Twelve per cent realised that they were being stabbed repeatedly during the scenario.
Eighty-five per cent didn’t realise that they were being assaulted with a knife until the scenario was over, and they were advised to examine their uniforms for the simulated thrusts and slices left behind by the training knives.
Most attempted to disengage from the attacker by backing away from the threat; this usually resulted in the attacker closing on the victim quite quickly.
Those officers that did engage the threat immediately, proceeded to block the initial strike of the attacker and then immediately began to grapple with the attacker using elbows and knee strikes, but failed to control the delivery system resulting in a large number of lethal blows from the knife.
Most of the scenarios ended up on the ground.

Research provides two clear messages about why people place themselves in bad tactical situations:

The common phenomena of backing away under survival stress results from the brain demanding more information to deal with the threat; the officer will invariably retreat to widen the peripheral field of vision.
Secondly, the brain’s normal ability to process (analyse and evaluate) a wide range of information is quickly focused on specific items. Therefore, additional cues, which would normally be processed, are lost. This explains why people cannot remember seeing or identifying specific facts, which were relatively close to the threat.

The person who attacks with an edged weapon has two distinct advantages:

Psychological – the presence of a blade conveys a high level of intimidation.
Physical – the attacker generally possesses a first strike advantage.

Training For Edged Weapon Attacks

Edged weapon defence comprises control tactics performed without benefit of other weapon systems, (firearm, baton, chemical sprays, and so forth). It is designed to address scenarios where alternative strategies, (creating distance, using cover, and disengaging) are not tactically plausible. Mastering the strategies in these worst-case scenarios will also make the officer more effective in situations where the alternative strategies can be employed.

The responses can be adapted to be effective against club weapons or unarmed striking attacks. This is a result of the commonality in the response steps. You should strive to link the skills of ground fighting, striking, handcuffing, and weapon-retention as well as other weapons systems. This facilitates the process of skill transference – when one motion or concept relates to another. An example would be the gross body movements of power generation using an expandable baton that are also used in unarmed striking. The phenomenon of skill transference makes training time more efficient and subsequent field applications more effective.

The best defence against an edged weapon attack is to not get into one in the first place. To watch for edged weapons, watch the palms of the hands. Be aware of the ways a person may deploy an edged weapon. This may give you an advantage in a weapons encounter. Get to know the available technology.

Research how edged weapons are deployed. Listen for the unsnapping of a knife case, velcro opening or the click of a lock blade. Watch for the subject closing the distance, movement behind the back or a drawing motion of the arm/elbow. The way in which a person may be carrying a visible knife can give an indication as to their intent and possible experience. A knife case that is holstered with the snap opening downwards can indicate that the person has thought about using gravity to deploy the knife quickly.

Surviving Edged Weapon Attacks

What if you get cut?

Don’t panic; consciously make yourself breathe slower (autogenic breathing).
Inspect yourself for apparent and hidden injuries.
Apply direct pressure to wounds; if the injury is to limbs, elevate if possible.
If you have a chest wound, seal it and protect your airway in case you become unconscious.
If you have a punctured lung, exhale first and use an airtight cover to seal the wound.
Mentally commit to winning.

It is the desperation factor and not the technical skill alone that makes a person armed with an edged weapon so dangerous. You may get cut; you may not. You may feel pain; you may not. But you will be in harm’s way. Find the right training program, keep it simple, practise winning, and expect to win.

Pricing Pitfalls When Evaluating Perimeter Intrusion Detection Systems

By

Alec Owen

-

May 1, 2012

Accurately comparing and costing Perimeter Intrusion Detection Systems (PIDS) is complex. There are many factors to be taken into account by customers, including selecting the most suitable technologies to use for the application, system performance, reliability, pre- and post-sales support, and of course the ‘real’ cost of delivering a cost-effective PIDS solution. When evaluating the cost of the system, you need to look beyond the up-front price of the hardware and software which is only a part of the picture. You need to look at the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) over the life of the product.

Total cost of ownership (TCO) is a financial estimate to help determine direct and indirect costs of a product or system. It is a useful way of comparing different PIDS systems on an accurate financial basis over their expected working lives. TCO analysis should include the total cost of the PIDS acquisition (that is, hardware, software, installation and commissioning) plus the ongoing operating costs over its working life.

The true cost of a perimeter intrusion detection system is easy to underestimate. Manufacturers frequently quote just the cost per metre for the system, and this figure is often only the hardware cost; excluding the cost of installation, any associated infrastructure required to provide power to the field elements (sensor and controller), communications from the field elements back to the control room, mounting poles, security management systems, training or maintenance.

Suppliers tend to downplay these installation and commissioning costs, often citing best-case scenarios, so it is important to use a realistic ‘total installed price’ for your particular site as the basis for comparing perimeter intrusion detection systems. An attractive, low up-front purchase price can be far outweighed by the high costs associated with providing extra hardware, power, and a communications infrastructure. The cost of these infrastructures can be many times the price of the actual system itself, making the fully-installed PIDS solution prohibitively expensive.

Hardware And Software Costs

You need to be very clear when obtaining quotes as to what is required for a project. Understand what is, isn’t included and what extras will be required to deliver a working system. Some suppliers tend to quote a ‘bare-bones’ system in order to win projects on price alone. Quotes often don’t include items like monitors, cabinets, power supplies, special tools or equipment, operator interfaces, lightning protectors, cables, communications interfaces, and so on. To be fair though, sometimes suppliers can’t be blamed for this as they have been requested to simply provide their ‘best price’ for an 800m PIDS system with few details.

These ‘bare-bones’ PIDS systems often provide just a simple contact type of output – one contact per zone. The supplier assumes that you will be connecting this contact into an existing security management system. If you don’t have an existing security management system, then you will need to add this cost to the PIDS system, plus associated integration costs. You may also have to purchase additional tools to set up and calibrate the system. You need to factor these costs into the final TCO figure.

Installation And Infrastructure Costs

This is an area where substantial cost overruns and project delays may be incurred. If you are using a series of single-zone controllers, then you will need to trench and install conduits to each of these controllers to provide communications back to the control room, and power to the controllers. If you are installing at an LNG terminal, for example, the field equipment may need to be intrinsically safe which means significant extra cost in mounting controllers or electronic field hardware within intrinsically safe cabinets, and so on.

If the perimeter is several kilometres long, connecting multiple controllers will add significant costs to the project. At a site like an airport, trenching to fences may not be allowed and, if it was, the costs would be prohibitive. On longer sites, just the cost of providing power to the remote fence-mounted controllers may involve high voltage power lines and step down transformers. One example is a 23km military site where the cost of providing power to the field-installed controllers would have been in excess of one million dollars – many times the cost of the PIDS system. So it is essential that these costs are clearly identified and quantified up front.

Performance

Perimeter security is about the deterrence, detection, assessment and delaying of the intrusion for a response to be initiated. Every application is unique in the type of facility to be protected, operating environment, perimeter fence construction, intrusion and security history as well as its perception of threats. The protection of the perimeters of these individual facilities also needs to be tailored to suit their unique and specific requirements. Site layouts, sensitive areas, facility buildings, the surrounding environment, activity in and surrounding the site, local weather conditions and topography are all factors to be considered when planning a perimeter intrusion detection system. These will influence the detection technologies selected and subsequent overall system performance.

There will always be a trade-off between price and performance. A system delivering prison levels of detection and nuisance alarms will always cost considerably more than a system designed to protect a container storage yard, for example. You cannot expect high levels of performance for a low cost. You need to match the system performance to the site characteristics and risk elements through the selection of an appropriate perimeter fence and intrusion detection system.

Operating Cost

Calculating the operational expenses should include additional and ongoing costs such as infrastructure (floor space), electricity (for related equipment, cooling, backup power), downtime, outage and failure expenses, training, security personnel and corporate management time.

As part of any intrusion detection system, there is a fixed cost associated with monitoring the system – whether it is by your own security staff, subcontracted staff, or by a security monitoring company. However, there will also be a real cost to respond to each alarm situation, regardless of whether it is a real intrusion event, a false event or nuisance alarm. So you need to understand how many nuisance alarms you can expect, the cost to respond, and how to minimise these.

Maintenance Costs

No system is completely maintenance-free, so take into account any regular or preventative maintenance requirements. Some require recalibration every season. Some require periodic testing, and some require batteries to be changed. You may also want to take advantage of any manufacturers’ performance improvements and upgrades.

Is there local support available? What will be the response times and associated costs if I have a problem? Is there a direct cost if the system is down, such as deploying additional security staff? What will be the future upgrade or scalability expenses? These all need to be factored into the ongoing costs.

MTBF

Mean Time Between Failures, or MTBF, is a measure of the reliability of a product. In general terms, MTBF is calculated by taking the sum of total operating time for a group of installed systems and dividing by the number of failures for that group during the testing period. This is the most reliable and realistic method as it shows what the end-users themselves actually see and experience. Some manufacturers use an alternative method where they take the estimated reliability figures of each system component and extrapolate this into a theoretical system MTBF figure. In either case, the lower the MTBF figure, the more service calls you are going to need over the system’s lifetime to keep it running and so the higher the ongoing maintenance costs
will be.

Also, bear in mind that the more hardware you have installed, the more breakdowns you can expect and, therefore, a lower overall reliability. If, for example, you have a site protected with a single controller with an MTBF of 10,000 hours, then you can expect a failure every 13 months or so. However, if you have 15 of these controllers protecting a site, then you can expect 15 of these to fail every 13 months, or a failure every 28 days on average. Try to minimise the amount of hardware you install in order to maximise reliability and reduce maintenance costs.

When calculating MTBF, be aware that it needs to be for the entire PIDS system as a whole ,and not just for the individual components.

Life Expectancy

To understand how long the system will last before it needs replacing, you need to identify the realistic life expectancy of the system, how long the warranty period is and what is covered by any warranty extension program as well as any ongoing hardware and software upgrades available to enhance performance and extend the working life of the system.

Conclusion

Comparing the ‘real’ cost of delivering an effective PIDS solution over its total lifespan is not a simple task. So take the time to look beyond just the up-front price of the hardware and software, which is only a part of the picture. Take the time to examine, calculate and compare the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO).

By Ben Hattersley.

The Implications of Osama Bin Laden’s Death For Counter Terrorism Over The Longer Term

Osama Bin Laden: Strategic And/Or Symbolic?

Al Qaeda’s Leadership

Al Qaeda’s Affiliates And Retribution

By Kim Khor.

By Troy Johnston.

Who Gets PTSD?

Recognising The Signs And Symptoms Of PTSD

The Formal Definition

What People Typically Report

Co-Morbidities Of PTSD

Understanding How PTSD Works

Trauma Characteristics

Personal Characteristics

Individual Response Characteristics

How To Help People Who May Be Suffering With PTSD

Psychological First Aid Overview

How To Reduce The Likelihood Of Vicarious Traumatisation

What Sort Of Support Will Help Someone Suffering From PTSD?

Skills For Psychological Recovery

By Murry Taylor.

A Simple And Straight Forward Approach To Getting Where You Want To Go

Why Is It Important To Have Goals In Business?

How To Establish Goals?

Writing SMART Goals

How To Track Progress Towards Achieving Goals

The Value Of Reassessing Goals

What To Do When You Reach Your Goals?

By Les Simmonds.

Hardware And Software Costs

Installation And Infrastructure Costs

Performance

Operating Cost

Maintenance Costs

MTBF

Life Expectancy

Conclusion

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