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Industry regulation is a major theme running through this month's SMT. Douglas Greenwell comments on the introduction of SIA licensing for door supervisors. In addition, Chris Watson tackles intellectual property theft, while Jim Hunter urges local Council managers to ensure their school security measures meet the approved standards.
SIR – As of Friday 4 June it became mandatory for all door supervisors in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight to hold a valid licence from the Security Industry Authority (SIA). This scheme is of course a pilot for the SIA's nationwide campaign, which would require all door supervisors to be licensed come April 2005.

Although this pilot scheme has – so far – passed by largely unnoticed in the national media, it has enormous implications for the security industry as a whole.

At the time of writing, there have been no publicised incidences of door supervisors being reprimanded for not holding an SIA licence, but that situation is sure to change. The SIA is absolutely adamant that it will enforce the provisions within the Private Security Industry Act 2001 to unlicensed personnel (though I'm given to understand that this will only involve a caution from the Hampshire police until early September).

It's hugely important that the SIA is seen to enforce its legislatory programme in order to ensure that private sector regulation isn't undermined in any way.

We understand that some employers in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight have already felt the effect of licensing. Indeed, there are reports that licensed door supervisors have been demanding increased rates of pay (in some cases by as much as 300%!). This classic example of labour supply and demand is certain to be replicated in other parts of the security industry due to the licensing regime.

Companies in other sectors making good use of security operatives would be well advised to take note of the SIA's Hampshire and Isle of Wight pilot, and ready themselves – and their customers – for regulation.
Douglas Greenwell
Marketing Director
Securicor Security

Caught up in Court
SIR – At this year's IFSEC, the risk manager for a large Metropolitan Borough Council in the Midlands visited our stand and told us that his organisation was seriously considering fitting Razor-Spike protection systems to all flat roof areas across every school under its control.

The decision was prompted by a pending Court case wherein the Council is being sued for £2 million by the parents of a young lad who fell through a roof light while on a school roof. Unfortunately, the boy in question is now severely disabled.

The case is being brought against the Council based on its management allegedly failing to take reasonable care in preventing children from climbing on school buildings. The Council's legal advisors have advised them to prepare for a substantial loss.

Over the past eight years or so we have fitted many thousands of metres of Razor-Spike ('Are you still sitting on the fence?', SMT, September 2003, pp45-46) for this Council, but sadly not at the school in question as we hadn't been asked to do so.

Those in charge of security management for schools across the country would be well advised to take note of this case, and ensure that their physical security installations for buildings (and any attendant signage) meet the correct standards.
Jim Hunter
Managing Director
Standfast Security Engineering and Installations

A bottomless swag bag!
SIR – As the likes of Google, Yahoo! and Lycos engage in open warfare to win the hearts and minds of web mail subscribers, businesses may end up as the innocent casualties.

With system storage capacities soaring to 1 Gb and beyond, information thieves are eyeing up online e-mail accounts as virtually bottomless electronic swag bags. E-mail is already the method of choice for such criminals. Indeed, over 53% of business professionals who've admitted to stealing corporate intellectual property have done so using a personal e-mail account.

Given the vastly increased web mail storage limits, it's becoming even easier for disgruntled employees and leavers to steal documents. Security managers must review their company's Internet usage policies, ensure that incident handling procedures are in place and consider making it corporate policy that all suspected cases of intellectual property theft be investigated by computer forensics experts.

Knowing that 'data detectives' will be on their trail would be a strong deterrent for would-be intellectual property thieves.
Chris Watson
Senior Forensic Investigator
Ibas (UK)

Source

SMT