Title: Special Considerations for Physical Security Threats
Course: IN 2001 Principle of Information Assurance > Section: Module 9: Chapter Nine

Special Considerations for Physical Security Threats
1. There are a number of special considerations for physical security threats that should be examined.
2. The first of these is the decision to develop physical security in-house or to outsource it.
3. There are a number of qualified and professional agencies that provide consulting and services in the physical security area.
4. The benefit of outsourcing physical security includes gaining the experience and knowledge of these agencies, many of which have been in the field for decades.
5. The downside includes the high expense of outsourcing physical security, the loss of control over the individual components of the physical security solution and the level of trust that must be placed in another company.
6. Another area of physical security deals with social engineering.  Social engineering is the use of people skills to obtain information from employees without their knowing it.  While most social engineers prefer to use the telephone and computer to make their contacts and solicit information, there are those who attempt to access the information more directly.
7. Require all individuals entering the facility to display appropriate visitor badges and to be escorted by a security individual when in restricted areas.

Inventory Management
1. As with other organizational resources, computing equipment should be inventoried and inspected on a regular basis.
2. Similarly, classified information should also be inventoried and managed.
3. Whenever a classified document is reproduced, a stamp should be placed on the original before it is copied.
4. This stamp states the document’s classification level and document number for tracking.  Each classified copy is issued to its receiver, who signs for the document.