Blog Post

There are facts and myths in every industry and the Security/Condominium field is no exception. One of the most common justifications for a lack of action is often “it has never happened before, so why do we need to worry about it.”

Unfortunately, the fact of the matter is that everything evolves. On the positive side, this means that a wealth of information, a wide variety of products, and professional resources are available to facilities to best protect their assets. The negative side of this is that perpetrators and intruders are becoming savvier and more daring.

For an example of how quickly a facility can be compromised, check out the following video: Click here to view the video

When discussing Physical Security, the prudent building manager or director must insure that they are scheduling activities and events in a proactive manner. It must be remembered that the decision not to act is also a decision, and might be the wrong one.

In this early part of 2017, an alarming trend seems to be developing in Home Invasion crimes. Within little more than a week of each other, two homes (one a single family, the other an apartment) were entered and the residents threatened at gun point. The victims were then transported by vehicle to an ATM, where they were forced to withdraw and hand over money. Thankfully, the reports that we have received have indicated no one was seriously harmed in the two events that we are aware of – but it could have gone very differently. And unfortunately, these types of incidents have a tendency to escalate.

Building and Condominium Managers, Board of Directors, Superintendents, and all other personnel that look after buildings, should be aware of the security concept of “Defence in Depth” (a term borrowed from the military).

Defence in Depth (or layered Security) is defined as the practice of combining multiple, mitigating security solutions to protect Resources, Assets or Data.

With the basic concept that the Integrated Condominium Security Solution is designed to detect, deter or delay intruders to the facility, we have our starting point to ensure that the building, residents and assets are protected.

Outer layers may be physiological (signage) or physical (fences, gates), whereas inner perimeters can be access control (locks, fobs), surveillance (camera system), or detection (intrusion sensors).

The purpose of the link in this blog is to demonstrate the damage of limited thinking (“it will never happen to our condo”, “it has never happened before”) and the potential consequence in depending on only one security measure (just fobs or just locks). Just observe how quickly a key card or fob was duplicated, without the owner’s knowledge (they would never report anything missing). Once the card was duplicated, the perpetrators now have unlimited and unrestricted access to the entire building. Coupled with the threat of home invasions, it is a scenario that facilities (and their managers) do not want to experience or even consider.

The Defence in Depth concept is a lengthy subject and beyond the scope of a single blog. This concept is incorporated into the 3D Security Audit/Assessment, and the recommendations of this report will ensure that this valuable security concept is present in your building.

Stay Safe ...

please contact us at 613-462-4086 or [email protected] if you have any questions about this blog or security in general.