As has been amply proven in recent years, federal facilities at all levels are vulnerable to a variety of threats. It’s not just the facilities themselves that are at risk. Federal employees, the visiting public, and the American people at large can all wind up suffering as a result of attacks on government buildings, which is why federal security systems are so crucial. This article will introduce the types of security programs and systems used by federal facilities and discuss how they fit in with other security operations.
Table of Contents
The Physical Security Program
High-level federal buildings have a lot of employees, conduct public-facing government business, and have high risk profiles. These buildings are protected by the Physical Security Program (PSS), which upholds the federal standards and regulations set forth by the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service.
This organization prioritizes physical security efforts by certifying routine risk assessment surveys and recommending countermeasures to mitigate any vulnerabilities they uncover. More specifically, the PSS covers:
- Electronic security systems such as physical access control systems (PACS), video surveillance systems, and intrusion detection systems (IDS)
- Locks and keys
- The performance of facility security assessments
- The forming of facility security committees
- Protective security officers (PSO) and K-9 services
The Role of the General Services Administration
The General Services Administration (GSA) is responsible for designating the security levels of different federal buildings according to their risk profiles and security needs. The levels run from one to five.
- Level I buildings are small, have few federal employees and handle only a low volume of public contact.
- Level II buildings are slightly larger, have more federal employees, and handle a moderate volume of public contact. The federal activities housed within Level II buildings are always routine in nature.
- Level III buildings are larger, have more employees, have a moderate to high level of public contact, and house more essential tenant agencies such as government archives, court-related agencies, and law enforcement departments.
- Level IV buildings have over 450 federal employees and a high volume of public contact. They’re large and house tenant agencies that can include high-risk intelligence or law enforcement departments, judicial offices, federal courts, and sensitive government records.
- Level V buildings have mission functions that are critical to national security. The tenant agencies, which include the Pentagon and the CIA Headquarters, secure the sites using their own forces to meet more rigorous security requirements.
The GSA conducts security surveys every one to four years depending on how a federal building is classified.
Types of Security Operations
- The security systems used in federal facilities are integrated into broader programs and protocols. Security operations for federal facilities should include:
- Risk assessments
- Counter-terrorist and anti-crime measures
- Law enforcement response plans
- Emergency training programs
- Proactive analysis of criminal and terrorist threats
The Role of Technology
All federal access control, monitoring, and security systems should feature up-to-date technology that is both effective and easy to keep secure. Physical security measures should never compromise cybersecurity, so it’s important to work with security software and hardware developers that understand the sensitive nature of government activities.
