The Control Center, taken as the nerve center of protection and safeguarding operations, is a strategic site that is not absent from attacks or errors committed by its own operators and directors, which lead it to a point of crisis. Our guest expert tells us about his international experience and lessons applicable to the day to day.
*Alonso Vásquez Céspedes
In Costa Rica, mainly in the banking sector, some security concepts of both the control centers and their operating procedures have been evolving in recent years, which make the creation and implementation of operational policies, standards and procedures paramount.
Technology has undergone a real revolution in terms of its use in terms of security and the different existing modalities. In general, four categories of action can be determined: homemade, commercial, professional and industrial. The latter includes government entities, local governments, private security companies, public and private entities, banks, mutuals, different police entities, courts, supermarkets, small and residential premises.
These security teams operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and rely on security experts to determine support and backup with optimal service, meeting set needs. Any security scheme that involves the use of technologies such as alarms, access control, closed circuit television (CCTV) and media and automation must be analyzed from the point of view of the context and its function in an organization.
The control center (CC) from where all the security equipment is handled must have a strategic location, which will depend on the mission of the entity, the protection that must be given and the profile of the operators. You should also consider the training of these and knowledge in technical aspects, such as wiring, digital recorders, cameras, domes, dies, alarms, sensors, evacuation systems via automatic emergency doors, etc.
Integration
An important aspect has been the integration with other CCs, which has allowed to improve and formalize the contributions and support that can be provided to the administrative and judicial authorities, and to contribute to the protection of financial institutions, for example in the prevention of illicit activities and investigation follow-ups, by often providing suitable elements that may constitute indications or evidence that demonstrate antisocial behavior that allows the identification and detection of those responsible for these behaviors.
The functions and knowledge that operators must have in terms of safety and use of technology is constantly increasing, so continuous training is a fundamental pillar of good work. Security team integration schemes and analytical video management require applying standards and incorporating international best practices into your operation with properly trained personnel.
However, although all this type of knowledge and aspects such as equipment and operators are very important for the control center to function properly, a core element is the policies, that is, the rules and procedures of operational safety in a Control Center, which must be approved by the highest level of the organization.
This is the fundamental element, practically the most important in the whole scheme of electronic security systems. It could be said that it is the objective of a philosophy of prevention and protection in financial institutions today.
Results
The results expected by the directors, partners or owners of the entities that trusted and made the investments in the equipment can be affected by the slightest operational error that occurs, and this can mean a bad experience and large economic losses. Therefore, implementing this type of regulation allows us to work with the aim of avoiding or minimizing situations by which the image of security may be affected and increasing professionalism in this function.
In Costa Rica, as in many countries in Latin America, one of the main problems is the lack of legislation that regulates the use (good or bad) of technology in the field of security, an aspect that in the future must be developed to avoid many problems with employees, with our bosses, with partners, with society and even with justice. For the moment, we must see it as a concept of self-regulation and, in this same regulation, include points in this aspect that support our actions.
