Data centres, airports, military facilities, R&D establishments, etc. are always at the receiving end of intrusion threats from several directions. Clearly, this calls for a heightened focus on the physical security of these critical establishments.
Studies have shown that nearly60% of businesses face some instances of physical security breaches every year. Onecommonunderlying cause of this is the unjustified confidence in thefoolproof nature of the physical perimeter security measures.
By guarding the perimeters of any critical establishment with fences, cameras, and a range of sensors, many decision-makers feel that their job is done with respect to ensuring physical security. However, when security strategies are formulated without doing an actual audit of all possible entry points problems can creep in.And they could find the most surprising ways to breach the perimeter.
For any physical establishment, drains are obviously an important part of their maintenance framework. They are one of the key channels for the removal of unwanted materials and everyday debris from the facility. Rainwater, waste materials, or other effluents are often removed from large physical establishments via drains located across the length and breadth of the facility. Drains are connected to the external areas of a facility after passing through (or under) the protected boundary perimeter. While they perform an important function, they can be exploited if left unmonitored and unguarded.
Traditional meshes that guard entry and exit points of drains are not effective in guaranteeing a fail-proof mechanism to prevent intrusions. They say that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, and this is definitely true of perimeter security. Drains can be easily penetrated and that can result in the entire perimeter security ecosystem being compromised.
It is impossible to avoid the use of drains in any physical facility. In light of weaknesses from traditional mesh-based security measures, it is important to look at ways to secure drain systems with robust and appropriate alternatives.
The solution chosen must be able to meet the strict requirements from the drain security perspective. Let us explore some of the top features that a drain intrusion detection and prevention system must have today:
The drains used in critical establishments need to be capable of being augmentedwith modern detection and alert systems. For this to happen, they must have interfaces that allow connections to central security systems with reliable channels like optical fibre cables. Such a “connected” drain will help in integrating motion detection and other safety sensors to keep tabs on the drain network 24/7.
Another feature that should exist as part of equipping intelligence is the ability to operate without power from the field of deployment. The OFC cables can supply the necessary power needed for all electronic components to work. Other than that, there should not be a need to set up power sources in the field which will bring in additional complexities and risks. Drainage Intrusion Detection systems from providers like Athena offer the best of intelligent monitoring and power-free operations on the field.
We have seen the need for drains to accommodate interfaces for OFC connection as well as integrating sensors, detectors, etc. What is also needed is the ability of these drains to be deployed in a variety of shapes and sizes as per the needs of the facility. Customizations should be supported based on the size of drainage facilities, materials used for retainer walls, the kind of intelligent devices attached, and much more.
There should be highly extensible SDKs that allow the drainage intrusion detection system to integrate seamlessly with any security monitoring or command and control platform. Drainage intrusion systems from reputed players like Athena already offer ready integration with popular third-party security platforms and systems. Such a wide range of customizable options needs to be provided by the drainage intrusion system that a business or organization selects for safeguarding its critical physical infrastructure.
We have already seen how modern drainage intrusion detection systems can leverage OFCs to harness the true power of sensors and other equipment integrated into them. Such a connected drain network functions bestwhen it can be operated in sync with the centralized security system used for the facility.
The OFC will help ensure that the drainage system can relay information about any intrusion event detected to the security command centre of the facility in real-time. In other words, a connected modern drainage intrusion system will be able to guarantee round-the-clock protection against threats autonomously. It will help in pinpointing attack surfaces and direct personnel to the location in the earliest possible time frame thereby preventing further intrusions or vulnerabilities.
Another important factor to consider is that they should be low maintenance as well.Perimeter security measures are already resource-intensive. Given that drain security systems will, by design, be located in inaccessible and troublesome places, it is important to minimize the need to access the security systems for maintenance. In fact, enterprises need products and solutions that last longer with very minimal maintenance costs. This is why providers like Athena have come up with very low maintenance cost guarantees for their offerings.
Protecting against physical intrusions requires a holistic approach from business owners and organizations managing critical establishments. Selecting products and solutions that guarantee end-to-end protection ranging from boundary walls to drains is the right way forward. This is where Athena stands out as one of the best in the industry.Get in touch with us to explore our range of security products and solutions that give 24/7 protection across all areas of your critical facilities.