In today’s interconnected world, the line between physical security and cybersecurity is increasingly blurred. This convergence has brought new challenges and complexities, particularly with protecting critical infrastructure.
While Physical Security Convergence (PSC) has long been a topic of discussion, it’s now gaining momentum, shifting from theory to practical application. Highlighting this shift, a recent industry report indicates that 66% of physical security professionals aim to move their system management to the cloud by 2024.
CISA, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency plays a crucial role in bridging the gap between robust physical security and effective lifecycle management.
CISA offers a wealth of resources to support organizations in this endeavor, ranging from frameworks and guidelines to incident response and recovery tools.
1. CISA's Call for an Integrated Approach
CISA emphasizes that physical and cybersecurity are not siloed entities. Threats can exploit vulnerabilities in one domain to compromise the other. For instance, a physical breach could provide access to IT systems, while a cyberattack could manipulate physical equipment.
To address this growing concern, CISA advocates for an integrated approach that considers both physical and cyber threats throughout the entire lifecycle of critical infrastructure, from design and construction to operation and maintenance. This includes implementing security measures that address both physical access control and cyber hygiene practices.
2. Strengthening Physical Security
- Perimeter security
- Access control systems
- Intrusion detection and prevention systems
- Video Surveillance cameras to deter, detect, and mitigate threats.
The challenge for many physical security teams is that they may not have the necessary expertise to implement these controls, and that’s where CISA’s guidance comes in.
3. CISA's Support for Strengthening Physical Security
CISA provides a wealth of resources and assistance to help physical security teams of all sizes and across various sectors strengthen their defenses.
Here are some specific ways CISA can help physical security teams overcome their expertise challenges:
- Guidance on selecting and implementing appropriate security controls: CISA’s resources help teams understand the different types of controls available and choose the ones best suited to their needs and threat landscape.
- Expertise and training: CISA’s training programs and technical assistance provide teams with the knowledge and skills needed to implement and manage effective physical security measures.
- Risk assessment and mitigation: CISA can help teams conduct risk assessments to identify potential vulnerabilities and develop mitigation plans to address them.
- Staying updated on evolving threats: CISA tracks the latest physical security threats and vulnerabilities and regularly updates its resources and guidance to help teams stay ahead of the curve.
Keep in mind that physical security is an ongoing effort, and without a strong lifecycle management strategy, security teams are only one incident away from significant issues.
4. Enhancing Lifecycle Management
Physical security is not a “set it and forget it” endeavor. It requires continuous effort and a robust lifecycle management strategy to truly be effective. Without such a strategy, even the most well-intentioned security teams can be vulnerable to significant gaps and weaknesses that could be exploited instantly.
CISA encourages organizations to conduct regular risk assessments to identify and prioritize vulnerabilities across the entire lifecycle of their infrastructure. This helps allocate resources and implement appropriate security measures.
A Strong Lifecycle Management Strategy Includes:
- Planning and Design: Integrating physical security considerations into the initial planning and design stages of infrastructure projects ensures a holistic approach from the outset.
- Implementation and Deployment: Implementing chosen security measures effectively and ensuring proper training and procedures are in place during deployment is crucial.
- Operation and Maintenance: Routine maintenance, patch management, and system updates are essential to keep your security infrastructure functioning properly and addressing vulnerabilities.
- Monitoring and Assessment: Continuously monitoring activity, conducting regular risk assessments, and analyzing operational data allows you to identify potential issues and adapt your security measures proactively.
- Incident Response and Recovery: Having a well-defined incident response plan and practicing recovery procedures helps minimize damage and downtime in case of a security breach or other incident.
All of this can seem overwhelming, but there are many tools and resources available to help you develop a robust lifecycle. SiteOwl’s Lifecycle Series is a great resource for understanding each of these phases and how to effectively execute them into your security strategy.
5. CISA + SiteOwl = A winning formula!
By leveraging CISA’s insights and resources, organizations can strengthen their physical security posture and improve their overall security strategy. However, since CISA is primarily an information-based program, security teams need a platform to design, manage, and maintain their physical security infrastructure and assets.
SiteOwl’s award-winning platform empowers security teams to centrally and collaboratively design, manage, and maintain their physical security infrastructure. This means no more relying on spreadsheets or other manual processes. SiteOwl’s intuitive user interface and powerful features are changing the way security teams approach physical security management and putting an end to the traditional siloed approach.
Ready to enhance your security strategy? Explore SiteOwl today!
