SECURITY SITE SURVEY REPORT ABC Company 123 Main Street New York, New York 20152 File # 9210 The security survey at ABC Company was conducted on June 10, 2009, by Thomas Brown who was retained by the...

SECURITY SITE SURVEY REPORT


ABC Company


123 Main Street


New York, New York 20152


File # 9210

The security survey at ABC Company was conducted on June 10, 2009, by Thomas Brown who was retained by the DeVry University for this purpose. Information set forth in this report was obtained from Gregory Smith, Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer, and from David Davis, Facilities Manager, and from personal observations of Thomas Brown during the inspection of this facility.
This report is intended as a detailed audit of all phases of the ABC COMPANY security operations and a review and evaluation of those areas and activities most vulnerable to the theft or safety risks.
Neither the ABC COMPANY nor the writer of this report is in a position to evaluate the integrity of the employees of DeVry University and this report does not attempt to do so.

SUMMARY


ABC COMPANY is in the business of acquiring feature widgets from various sources, enhancing them physically, and delivering them back to clients. ABC COMPANY is 80 percent owned by Widgetcorp and 20 percent by Widgetcom. Other services include widget enhancement and assembly. As such, ABC COMPANY is the market leader in the digital intermediate industry.
The ABC COMPANY process in handling client elements appears quite satisfactory in that the elements are bar-coded upon receipt, they are scanned into a computerized inventory tracking system and they are secured until distributed for production. The elements are tracked and controlled throughout the production process, then returned and logged back into the vault until being returned to the client.

DETAILS



General Information


DeVry University is located in three adjacent buildings on a commercial thoroughfare in New York. They are in the process of remodeling a fourth adjacent building to use as administrative offices. Currently they have approximately 45,000 square feet of space including four suites, a master control [computer] room, editorial space and operations room where recorders and scanners are located.
In the past couple of years the company has expanded to approximately 120 employees who have access to controlled areas according to their work assignment. Due to the work load they currently operate three shifts around the clock. Potential employees are processed through the Human Resources department at ABC COMPANY, including background checks. Employees are required to sign confidentiality agreements and are notified that they are subject to searches of their office space and email.

Physical Security


The receptionist desk is staffed from 8 AM until 7 PM even though the company operates 24 hours a day. During other hours the security guard is stationed at the receptionist’s desk. Electronic identification cards are used by employees to gain access to the exterior doors as well as interior doors on a restricted basis. A six-hour emergency backup system is a component of the door control system to ensure security in the event of a power failure. Additionally, there is a lockbox for keys to be used in an emergency and it is located in the Facilities Manager’s office. A security guard patrols the exterior of the building and the parking lot during times when the receptionist is on duty. The security guard escorts the cleaning crew when working in the premises.

Alarm System


There is an alarm system installed but since the company operates around the clock there has never been the need to activate it. There are two emergency exits which are alarmed and clearly labeled.

Closed Circuit Television [CCTV]


There are sixteen closed circuit digital color cameras and the file is maintained for a period of thirty days. The monitors are located in the Facilities Manger’s office and at the receptionist’s desk. Another monitor is located in the vault area to allow employees there to view the lobby outside the shipping/receiving area.

Visitors – Visitor Log


Visitors are required to sign in a log at the receptionist’s desk and wear a visitor badge while on the premises.

Vault / Inventory Controls


Only limited management personnel in addition to the three vault employees have access to the vault. Access is by use of an electronic identification card. There are two cameras inside the vault and another camera in the hallway monitoring employees at the window to the vault. At the request of a client, ABC COMPANY has installed a heavy locked metal cabinet within the vault for additional security. Elements received are bar-coded and scanned in and out of the vault.

Shipping / Receiving


The shipping/receiving area is located within the vault. All items are
received in that area including non-sensitive elements. Employees in the vault have a CCTV monitor to observe the lobby outside the secured vault area. Elements received are bar-coded and scanned in and out of the vault. Transportation for studio elements is provided either by company employees, external courier or from the individual client studios.

Recommendations

The security controls of ABC COMPANY are extremely thorough and here are the recommendations that require immediate attention.
The implementation of Universal Access Cards would allow an observer to track a person’s movement on site. In the matter of such cards, it is believe that some degree of trackability is acceptable. Naturally, certain sensitive non-facility areas must be treated with care. For example, payroll and human resources some other areas of administration must be accessible to students without requiring them to use their unique access card. Other tracking may possible with the introduction of networked swipe-card locks, even if the actual transmission of data from the lock to the data center is encrypted (as the company requires from its future contractor).