September 25, 2001—Many US companies are re-evaluating their physical security plant needs, due to the September 11 terrorist attacks in New York City and Washington DC. In many cases this is long overdue, says Kimmons & Associates, Inc., a Houston-based investigations and securities services firm. Rob L. Kimmons, the firm’s founder and president (and a former police officer), suggests that corporate America and the US government must begin to make security planning “a high priority” rather than “react[ing] to breeches in security after the fact.”
Kimmons believes that companies must examine all aspects of their security programs for them to be effective. “The old axiom about the chain being no stronger than its weakest link holds true. A security program epitomizes attention to detail, and it is this comprehensiveness that has caused some people to worry that emphasizing tighter security will threaten our personal freedoms…. But is it really an issue? When properly in place and managed, security measures soon become seamless features in our corporate and private lives.”
He suggests that a comprehensive security program encompasses the hiring process (pre-employment investigations), vendor relationships, due diligence efforts, access control, protection of sensitive data, and communication security (countermeasures/debugging). He emphasizes that delays and personal inconveniences are “simply a matter of providing the safest possible environment for our people.”
He also recommends that corporations need to view security as an investment rather than an expense. “What was once considered a luxury must now be seen more as a staple for the modern company,” he says. “Perhaps potential employees will now include security issues on their checklist for future employers.”
Kimmons believes that companies and government entities should take advantage of new security related technologies such as fingerprint access control systems and video monitoring.
Based on a report from PRNewswire
