National preparedness technologies to secure federal buildings

Book excerpt: Thank you for inviting me to participate in today s hearing on security technologies to protect federal facilities. The terrorist attacks of September 11 on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon have intensified concerns about the physical security of our federal buildings and the need to protect those who work in and visit these facilities. These concerns have been underscored by reports of long-standing vulnerabilities, including weak controls over building access. As you requested, today I will discuss commercially available security technologies that can be deployed to protect these facilities, ranging from turnstiles, to smart cards, to biometric systems. While many of these technologies can provide highly effective technical controls, the overall security of a federal building will hinge on establishing robust risk management processes and implementing the three integral concepts of a holistic security process: protection, detection, and reaction.