How can security practitioners further develop Board support for their role? Not an easy question to answer, particularly so when you consider that many company directors view security as a costly overhead to be endured merely so that the insurance assessor can tick the ‘Yes’ box.

As former BNFL security manager John Davies suggests in this month’s Opinion (‘Security: The Boardroom Agenda’, pp17-18), security has perhaps been guilty of lacking focus in relation to the wider business issues. For that reason, the discipline hasn’t been considered as an essential business process, and certainly not as an enabler. A sad state of affairs.

Of late, legislation has brought the issue of corporate governance sharply into focus. All the talk in commercial circles is now of transparency, accountability and assurance. Shareholders want guarantees that everything possible is being done to protect their investment.

Security managers can increase their profile by providing the necessary levels of assurance and performance that modern business life demands. To do so, they must have real-time information at their fingertips as to how the security function is performing. Robust data and facts upon which improvement programmes may be based and measured.

If security and risk management are going to remain top priorities – which of course they must – then EVERY major business should arguably be looking to appoint a security professional to the Board of Directors. It is much easier to influence decision-making from within than without.

Running from 16-19 May at Birmingham’s vast NEC complex, IFSEC 2005 plays host to all of the industry’s key solutions providers. If you want to learn about the very latest developments in surveillance technology, access control and intruder alarm systems then this is the place to be.

You can also discover what’s new in the world of IP by visiting Network Advantage. Why not cajole your IT specialists into attending this part of the show? There will be plenty of cutting-edge technologies for them to digest.

All end users visiting IFSEC are urged to make good use of our comprehensive show guide (pp59-91) which we have produced in conjunction with our sister CMP Information titles Security Installer and CCTV Today.

As ever, the SMT Team will be at the NEC throughout. Pop along and have a chat with us on Stand K137.

Source

SMT