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Develoments In Maritime Security
The International Ship and Port Facility Security Code (ISPS Code) is a world wide guide line, which is developed by the International Maritime Organization.
Its purpose is to protect terminals and ships from terrorist attacks and to prevent that ships are being used to tranport illegal assets or persons. If a company doesn’t comply with the ISPS code, the American government denies the access to its ports.
The implementation of the ISPS code covers a few cases. The first step was the Port Facility Security Assessment. These assessments made clear which measures an organization must take to be ISPS compliant. The next step is to appoint a Port Facility Security Officer who is responsible for the Port Facility Security plan in which the ISPS measurements are explained. These plans are tested by an assessment team. The approved plans are controlled and adopted by designated authorities. Organisations which have taken all these steps, are ISPS compliant since 1 July 2004 – the commencing date of the ISPS code.
The ISPS code has three levels
Security Level 1 – normal circumstances
- Introduction secured areas, restricted access control
- Surveillance in secured areas (possible but not required via CCTV)
Level 2 – higher risk for safety/security incident
- Restricted access to secured areas
- Intensified control at other access points
- Visual surveillance via CCTV
Level 3 – strong possibility for safety/security incident
- Complete closing of secured areas
- Intensified control
- Extension of registration via CCTV
Consequences for port organisations
The ISPS code has a couple of extensive consequences for port organizations. These consequences result in changes especially in company (internal) processes, ‘port wide’ processes and physical security.
The ISPS code makes demands regarding security of ICT and documents, the storage and distribution facilities and the registration of the employees. Many organizations are forced to redesign their corporate processes because of these demands.
Next to the internal changes, the port organizations have to reckon with ‘port wide’ measures. Many ports will use a PortID card and central registration of black lists. These measures require many changes in each individual port organization.
Port organizations are also faced with changes concerning physical security, especially in the field of access control and camera surveillance.
Optimising the ISPS measures? Think about an Electronic security management system!
The ISPS code has come in operation a few months ago. Many organizations are ISPS compliant, but are now optimising the processes and costs. In many cases, organizations have chosen a temporary filling in and are now looking for a permanent filling in. For instance, the security guard will be replaced by electronic access control. This can yield substantial cost savings.
In this process of optimisation, it is very important to realise that all these ISPS related issues are interdependent and use the same information. PortID cards and black lists directly influence the physical security management; when a person offers his PortID card, his data are registered in the access control system but are also checked in the black list. If this person is on the black list, the access is denied.
For port organizations it is important to go a step further when optimising the adjustments and realise real process integration in the light of multiple ISPS demands. One must make an integration hit and make useful system relations for the organisation.
By making an ID-integration between physical and logical security (software and one-card solution) and the relation between warehousemanagement/ -documents or asset containers to persons (lift truck driver/ transporters), one is always informed who has (de)loaded which container with what document in which area with what destination. Next to this, one can make an integration with security and authentification of the warehouse documents (logical security).
Besides, it is very important that the current functionalities are based on expected future applications. You can think of the TWIC (Transportation Workers Identification Card) card and the new digital ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) compliant passports.
An electronic security management system is the perfect solution for the aspects mentioned above. By choosing an electronic security management system, these integrations can be made and a future proof investment will be made. But a security management system must meet the following points:
- Integral, functional and interdependent security
- Low management, maintenance and service costs
- Central manageability
- Information available on-location
- Fast and trouble free installation
- Seamless connection to infrastructure
- Extensive security, safety and communication functions
- Modular software and hardware built-up
- Integrated and interdependent
- Central maintenance and control
- Web based
- Open standard techniques and related to free ware software
- Secure communication
Especially the application of open standards, the use of free ware software and the web based aspect are very important to be secured of a futureproof solution. These aspects also have the positve effect on the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO).
Not only the software functionality of a security management system must be flexible. The system scale and the hardware components must be easily adjustable. The system configuration must be in such a way that expansion without loss of investment must be guaranteed.
A security management system is not only a suitable solution for large and medium large organizations. Small port organizations can benefit from a security management system as well. These organizations can e.g. choose for security hosting to fill in the measures of the ISPS code on a low cost scenario.
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