Assessing the Scope of Corporate Security: Common Practices and Relationships with Other Business Functions

Abstract

This study evaluates corporate security functions and goals. Data from a survey of corporate security directors of Fortune 1000 companies in the US suggest that corporate security carries out functions and processes typically identified in private security literature. These functions include physical security, executive and employee protection, premises security, investigations, and prediction of threats. In addition, other functions typically considered as security tasks are actually administered by or jointly shared with other departments within the organization. Some functions, such as crisis management, disaster preparedness, emergency preparedness, fraud prevention, and due diligence are not the monopoly of corporate security. These tasks are either administered exclusively by other departments or jointly shared with security. Findings also suggest that not only is corporate security located very high in the organizational hierarchy but it is well integrated into the business functions of the organization. Finally, contrary to the popular belief that corporate executives do not work closely with security, we find that in most organizations executives and departments are actively involved in ensuring the success of security.