Christian Little

The physical nature of security is all about deterring the potential intruder from gaining access to your property. As a first line of defense against an intruder or unwanted individual or individuals, it is highly important. You will aim to maximise the preventions of physical access to or theft from belongings or property.

This can be as simple as having secure locks on all of your outside facing doors/windows to security screens or high security gates. Window boarding has also been achieved by the use of wood panels which are considered less suitable. It could be a cheaper way to go, but it will be more vulnerable and more likely to degrade quicker than the metal versions.

There are several layers or tiers of physical security that you should be considering when reviewing your home security. It may include delaying obstacles preventing penetration of the property such as alarm systems or external CCTV or lighting. Two main layers of physical security are:

• Environmental Design
• Mechanical Security

Environmental Design

Environmental design is the initial layer of physical security for a property and is generally more for commercial properties but could be employed in a residential dwelling. These can include deterrents such as barbed wire, spikes installed on top of walls, concrete barriers, metal barriers and warning signs. Concrete barriers by definition are insurpassable, but need a professional organisation to advise on the installation and eventual removal.

Mechanical Security

This layer is concerned with mechanical aspects of security. These include security doors, gates, locks, windows. The approved method of access through the gate or door can be accessed via metal key or electronic key or keycard. In a large establishment, door access can be managed easier with use of an electronic key rather than keeping track of keys. Another area gaining interest in the realm of physical security is biometric access control, such as thumb print readers.