Human Factors in transportation security

Generally speaking, security operations are human/technology systems designed to protect installations or people from natural or man-engineered threats. The real concerns, of course, are always with people who possess malicious intent and means/skills allowing them to execute an attack. 

High-risk assets in transportation industry, such as air/ports and public transit hubs, present a particular problem for security operatives often due to larger territories to protect, multiple entry points, high passenger/cargo traffic and more. After conducting regular TRAs and identifying vulnerabilities, target hardening often ensues through the addition of infrastructure and/or technological 'barriers' and training of personnel to follow strict protocols. Apart from serious budget expenditures which continue to build-up as threats evolve and tech solutions are added (space allocation!), such typical responses often create a very rigid operational environment. Over time this vicious cycle leads to several outcomes: 

• the site has reached its full space capacity for adding new tech solutions (remember that most of our infrastructure goes back 30-40 years)
  
• the rigid system cannot adapt fast enough to evolving threats and often become detached from the surrounding context
  
• the 'protective' mentality of security personnel and management in particular becomes accustomed to a daily routine of maintenance
  
• customer service levels decrease as system complexity rises

Sounds familiar?

In such an operational environment, in our view, the only real solution lies with a renewed focus on 'Human Factors' and quality-driven performance. A proactive, risk-based security system sufficiently flexible to meet anticipated threats must be build around the following inter-related components:

1. Several tiers of especially selected and trained personnel motivated to perform duties of increasing complexity and responsibility, with a robust continuous learning & performance measurement processes
   
2. Such professional force should be supported by a required set of equipment and procedures with emphasis on scalability as per a risk matrix
   
3. Timely intelligence gathering and dissemination capabilities to support the personnel on the ground
   

Whereas most of these may sound familiar, the first point is the most crucial one. In the absence of a professional force consisting of motivated and outcome-driven officers and, especially (!) supervisors / managers all other components become either under-utilized or irrelevant.

Over the next while, we will continue with this topic, so stay tuned.