Security Industry Update For more information about the BSIA, visit
www.bsia.co.uk A guide to consultancy services
Theft of equipment and confidential information, internal security breaches and vandalism are only some examples of the multi-faceted threats that organisations are faced with on a daily basis. Adding to these the continuous terror threat and the need to demonstrate return on investment means it is almost impossible for facilities managers to be able to put together and manage all-encompassing security strategies that will effectively protect their staff and assets without expert advice.
One of the main risks is that, in the face of budget cuts, this lack of expertise can result in companies overlooking the quality of suppliers and using price as the key measure to benchmark products and services. Needless to say, this approach can prove costly and detrimental to the business in the long-run. The best security providers, in fact, bring real insight, know-how and enthusiasm to their work, which translates into better security, the delivery of a solutions-led approach, and ultimately lower costs.
Security consultancies are therefore a great place to start when looking at introducing new security strategies or simply reviewing or updating existing ones. Reliable consultants will have experience of providing advice on all manner of issues for all types of operations, whether these be construction sites, high profile governmental or business buildings, depots or small business concerns.
The role of the security consultant has evolved in the years, as has the nature of threats faced by organisations, and the scope of security technology. Nowadays, consultants are able to provide invaluable insight every step of the way, from the initial risk assessment through design considerations and solutions, design detailing and testing of security solutions, to providing information, technical or HR security consultancy. Moreover, consultancies are ideally placed to advise on the overall
integration of security systems and services such as access control, intruder alarms and CCTV, and how to increase their value by utilising them beyond their traditional security function, such as for health and safety, training, people counting or energy management purposes. Working independently, security consultancies also act as a guide to the many products and services on the market and provide unbiased recommendations based on an assessment of the individual requirements of their clients.
To help navigate the wide range of services they can offer and the ways in which they can help ensure the effectiveness of your security strategy, the British Security Industry Association (BSIA) has put together a useful guide, entitled “Security Consultancies - Expert advice on protecting your business”.
Chris Lawrence, Chairman of the BSIA’s Security Consultancy section, said about the guide: “The scope of the services provided by security consultancies is often not fully understood by procurement specialists, so I hope this guide will provide businesses with a first port of call to appreciate what consultancies can do for them. There is an expert out there available to give independent and tailored advice regardless of the size and type of business you run, or the industry it operates in.”
The guide is available for download on the BSIA’s website
http://bsia.co.uk/publications.php?r=OXFPYA592061
Members of the BSIA Security Consultancies section provide independent professional support to ensure that measures required by clients correspond to both existing and emerging threats whilst complimenting the client's business environment and operation. To find out more about the work of the section visit
www.bsia.co.uk/consultancies
ISACA Guide Offers Tips for Secure Mobile Payments With the increased use of mobile devices to pay for goods and
services, traditional wallets with cash and credit cards could one day be obsolete. A new ISACA white paper, “Mobile Payments: Risk, Security and Assurance Issues,” examines this growing trend and offers guidance on managing risk and increasing security. Mobile Payments: Risk, Security and Assurance Issues
A study found that the value of mobile payments for digital and physical goods, money transfers and other transactions will reach almost US $630 billion by 2014. The Mobile Payments white paper, available as a free download from ISACA identifies consumer benefits, including the speed and convenience of not carrying cash and credit cards, the consolidation of many cards and an enhanced layer of security. Enterprises benefit by reaching more consumers, reducing the amount of stored data needed to meet compliance requirements, improving transaction security and fraud detection, and engaging in location-based marketing (geo-marketing).
“Mobile payments offer many benefits, but we also need proactive planning and measures to manage risk, which can
include anything from theft of identities and services; loss of revenue, brand reputation and customer information; and money laundering and terrorist funding,” said Nikolaos Zacharopoulos, CISA, CISSP, IT auditor for Geniki Bank, Greece, and chair of ISACA’s project development team for the white paper. “This guidance identifies the risk types and the countermeasures that should be in place to mitigate them.”
The Mobile Payments white paper provides practical advice for enterprises:
•Build robust controls into the planning process. •Ensure that transactions are carried out only by the authorized person.
•Identify the data that are considered personal and sensitive, and ensure it is protected. •Ensure that third parties involved have robust security governance in place.
•Pay specific attention to the originating point of a mobile transaction—the customer device and the user
Q 037
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