1. INTRODUCTION The aim of this guide is to give a basic understanding of the principal security effects that will be present in the vast majority of security solutions. First of all, principal security effects are exactly the same as they were thousands of years ago and have not changed. What has changed are the security solutions (measures) which are constantly being developed. The dictionary defines ‘effect’ as either a verb or a noun. We are interested in both definitions. Verb definition: “To produce as an effect; bring about; accomplish; make happen” Noun definition: “Result, Outcome, Output” So in security terms, we are trying to accomplish a particular effect (Result, Outcome, Output). In the industry, there are differing opinions on what the principal security effects should be. At G4S, our view is that Detect, Delay and Respond form the key backbone principal effects in any integrated security programme. The omissions to what we may have heard before are Deter and Deny. Deter is a product effect of the combination of all countermeasures combined. Deny is covered under Respond and the Respond effect allows greater flexibility. Deterrence is what we are aiming to achieve as a result of bringing together the correct mix of countermeasures. In short, it is a desired outcome of a security solution. Deterrence should not be relied upon solely as a security strategy. We should remember that just because a location has not been attacked, this does not mean that there is sufficient deterrence in place. We should also be cognisant of the fact that a determined threat actor will likely attack, regardless of the integrated security programme’s deterrence value. Threat actors with greater capability and intent will take greater risks to achieve their aims. We all understand that we need to bring together a suite of security solutions and countermeasures to deliver a security plan. Good security is, after all, the intelligent and proportionate application of countermeasures (People Services, Risk Services and Technology & Data Services) to reduce risk. Inadequate security will leave us exposed whilst excessive security is expensive, restrictive and often ineffective. By looking at the countermeasure goals and functions we can see what the principal security effects should be by working backwards. This guide will provide insights into how best to approach principal security effects, as well as provide focus on unifying norms and standards to ensure we speak about value, risk, security and safety in the same way. 1
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