What is two-factor authentication? Two-factor authentication is a second level of authentication for you the user to be able to access your account. The first level of authentication is your user ID and password. What that means is that anybody with your user ID and password can log into your web-based accounts whether it’s your email account, Office 365, your …
A Delicate Balance, part 1 – Police Service
Where is a cop when you need one? The answer depends on where you live. Data reported by law enforcement agencies to the FBI depict a wide variation in the size of departments across the nation. Despite what you may hear or have read, there is no national standard for how many police officers a department needs or any type of …
Coronavirus Response
Consistent with Protus3’s commitment to help our clients plan and protect in order to prosper, we are monitoring the situation caused by the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). On March 11, the World Health Organization (WHO) elevated the outbreak classification to an official pandemic. Protus3 continues to evaluate our operations and continuity plans in order to provide for the ongoing health …
Perimeter Security
Every security program must be an integrated whole and each element must grow out of the specific needs dictated by the circumstances affecting the facility to be protected. Nevertheless, the first and basic defense is still the outer perimeter of the facility. Planning this defense is neither difficult nor complicated, but it is the product of common sense. Whereas the …
Terminating an Employee and Company Data
Having to terminate an employee is never easy. To make the process even more difficult, consider the recent survey conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of Courion which stated that 19% of employees age 18 to 34 would take company data with them if they knew they were about to be fired. Read the full story here. Depending on the …
Security in the Office – A Checklist
How is your security? The following checklist illustrates the necessary aspects of security that must be addressed for a secure environment. Comply with and support your company’s safety and security program and regulations, and insist that others do the same. Protect wallets, keys, purses, and other personal valuables on the job. This especially includes smartphones and tablets. Challenge strangers in …
Lessons from Lone Star College System
On January 22, 2013, gunshots were heard on the North Harris campus of Lone Star College System. It was later learned that an altercation between two individuals (one of whom may have been a student) had escalated to gun violence. The shooters were injured along with an innocent bystander. Incidents such as this immediately bring to mind topics such as …
Security Threat Assessments for Education
In an ideal world, our schools, colleges, and universities would be immune from the threats and challenges that affect other businesses and institutions. Unfortunately, we do not live in an ideal world. Academic institutions are cross-sections of society and bear the same responsibilities for the safety and security of their populations and infrastructure. This cross-section brings with it all the …
Probability and Criticality
When evaluating what security concern to address first, where do you begin? Consider the probability and criticality of an event, and assign values based on standard criteria. Probability 5 Almost certain. Barring major changes in circumstances, this event will occur or will occur frequently compared to other events. Or, historically, an event of this type has already occurred. 4 Very …
System Commissioning and Integrated Security Systems
As integrated security systems become more prevalent within the corporate, healthcare and government industries, security directors and mangers rely more heavily on their security integrator to verify that all systems work together properly, seamlessly, and as designed. Once an installation has been completed by the integration company, it is recommended that a third-party commission the entire system. This step is …