Physical asset protection, also known as physical security management, includes the protection of both tangible (e.g., physical, human, infrastructure, and environmental) and intangible assets (e.g., brand, reputation, and information). The Physical Asset Protection Standard offers a framework for establishing, implementing, operating, monitoring, reviewing, maintaining, and improving physical protection systems.

“All organizations face risk,” said Allison Wylde, co-chair of the Physical Asset Protection Technical Committee and Course Leader, MSc Project Management, London Business School. “The challenge is to first determine how much risk is acceptable and second how to cost-effectively manage risk to meet strategic and operational objectives. This standard helps practitioners determine the appropriate balance between these competing demands.”

Work first began on the standard in 2010, when members of the ASIS United Kingdom Chapter, led by Wylde, developed an asset protection draft standard. The draft, which was used as the starting point document for the full technical committee, was based on the management system framework described in the ANSI/ASIS SPC.1-2009, Organizational Resilience: Security, Preparedness, and Continuity Management Systems – Requirements with Guidance for Use.  This enables seamless integration with the organizational resilience standard, thereby allowing organizations to build a comprehensive management system for security and resilience management. 

The Physical Asset Protection Standard integrates the organization’s security and related functions (e.g., risk management, safety, finance, quality assurance, compliance) into a comprehensive, proactive management system. This management system should:

 a)            Ensure top management leadership and commitment to the Physical Assets Protection policy

b)            Establish a comprehensive risk management program that identifies, analyzes, and evaluates risks to tangible and intangible assets

c)            Characterize the assets, design, and implement a Physical Protection System that meets the objectives considering the available resources

d)            Integrate people, procedures, technologies, and equipment to meet the objectives

e)            Continuously monitor, measure, and review the performance of the management system

 “The Physical Asset Protection Standard provides direction to security managers,” said Bernard D. Greenawalt, CPP, Standards and Guidelines Commission Liaison and Vice President, Securitas Security Services USA, Inc. “Used in conjunction with the ASIS Protection of Assets and the ASIS Facilities Physical Security Measures Guideline, this Standard will help practitioners determine the appropriate level of acceptable risk and the investment required to manage those risks.”

 The standard is available for download through the ASIS website, www.asisonline.org. In addition, there will be an education session titled, “Implementing the New Physical Asset Protection Standard”, Tuesday, September 11, 11:00 am-12:00 pm in Room 3201, at the ASIS International 58th Annual Seminar and Exhibits in Philadelphia, September, 10-13.