Definition
Exterior application of physical security entails a system that “integrates people, procedures, and equipment for the protection of assets or facilities against theft, sabotage, or other malevolent human attacks” (Garcia 2008, p. 1).
Introduction
Attention has been drawn to the use of physical security to reduce risks of exposure and consequences of intentional attacks on exteriors. Such measures also can be applied to unintentional weather-related and other natural hazards and accidents. Garcia (2008, p. 2) distinguishes the term security from safety. The term security is restricted to the outcome of “an attack by a malevolent human adversary,” and safety is applied to “the operation of systems in abnormal environments” (Garcia 2008, p. 2). Karlos et al. (2017, p. 3) provide a similar distinction. Dictionaries broaden the definition of security. For example, the Oxford Dictionary (2019) defines security as “The state of being free from danger or threat.” The definition...
Keywords
- Physical security
- Vehicle ramming
- Infrastructure protection
- Social vulnerability
- Safety
- Terrorism
- Intentional acts of violence
- Natural hazards
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Further Reading
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Acknowledgments
This work was supported by the following grants:
“Dynamic Resiliency Modeling and Planning for Interdependent Critical Infrastructures,” funded by the Critical Infrastructure Resilience Institute (CIRI), U. of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, supported by the US Department of Homeland Security under Grant Award #2015-ST-061-CIRC01
The National Science Foundation under Cooperative Agreement #1444755, the Urban Resilience to Extremes Sustainability Research Network (URExSRN)
“Critical Resilient Interdependent Infrastructure Systems and Processes (CRISP) Type 1: “Reductionist and integrative approaches to improve the resiliency of multi-scale interdependent critical infrastructure,” funded by the NSF (#1541164)
“Developing Secure Strategies for Vehicular Ad hoc Networks in Connected and Autonomous Vehicles,” from C2SMART, NYU Tandon School of Engineering, US Department of Transportation. US DOT award number 69A3551747124
Disclaimer: Any opinions, findings, views, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and not to be interpreted as necessarily representing the official policies, either expressed or implied, of the National Science Foundation, the US Department of Homeland Security, or the US Department of Transportation.
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Zimmerman, R., Restrepo, C.E. (2021). Physical Security: Exterior Application. In: Shapiro, L.R., Maras, MH. (eds) Encyclopedia of Security and Emergency Management. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-70488-3_221
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