subject: How to ensure a project is secured by design [print this page] As a company grows and expands there may be several occasions where major building or renovation projects may be required or desired, but one aspect of these projects that is often overlooked in the planning and implementation stages is security. Usually a project like this will be completed and then security systems will be bolted on at the end as an addition to the site, but with a major project it is never too early to start thinking about security and integrating security into the design itself can go a long way to helping to secure the premises. If you consider security early on you can design out any possible security concerns and help to ensure that the site is secured by design.
There are many other things that must be considered when it comes to security with a major project. One important tip is to hire an independent security consultant; an independent security consultant will bring specialist knowledge to a project team covering ways of mitigating and neutralising security risks and expansive knowledge of the current security market, such as security equipment manufacturers, contractors and so forth. Having these security consultants conduct a security risk analysis is essential, as you must know what risks exist before you can design and purchase security systems to combat these threats. You will need to use the results of this security risk assessment in order to produce a performance specification for the security systems. Using the advice of the security consultants you should be able to ensure that this specification details exactly what security measures are needed.
The budget will be one of the most difficult parts of the project, but it's essential you set a realistic budget. It may be possible to reduce the costs of the project through the use of technology; for instance, there has been some development of security equipment integrated with IP networks, thereby foregoing the need for wires and cabling and meaning the security network will cost less as a result.
Although the whole process may seem overly convoluted and cautious, it is always best to help the security of your site integrate into its very design. A site is better secured if it is secured by design.
