People: The Weakest Link

Technology can’t do the job all by itself, particularly since we are calling upon it to perform what is essentially a very human task: assessing the identity and intent of people. While people are a significant part of the security problem, they are also part of the solution — the abilities and fallibility of people uniquely qualify them to be not only the weakest link, but also the strongest backup.

In addition to mistakes and accidents, there is inherent risk in the natural human tendency toward friendliness and trust. A known person entering the facility could be a disgruntled employee or a turncoat; the temptation to bend rules or skip procedures for a familiar face could have disastrous consequences; a significant category of security breach is the “inside job.” Even strangers can have surprising success overcoming security — the ability of a clever stranger to use ordinary guile and deceit to gain access is so well documented that it has a name: social engineering. Anyone in an area where harm could be done must be well trained not only in operational and security protocols, but also in resistance to creative social engineering techniques.