Page 106 - Security Today, July/August 2022

Protecting Critical Infrastructure Sites from Opposition Attacks
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Critical Infrastructure
It doesn’t matter how desperately the infrastructure may be need- ed, how carefully designed the facility is (with safety, safe opera- tion and environmental safeguards at the forefront) or the positive economic impact it stands to deliver to the community. There inevitably will be people who disagree with the development of new infrastructure or wish to see existing infrastructure taken out of operation. Unfortunately, opposition to new or existing critical infra- structure results in attacks to the very facilities that keep our econo- my and communities running smoothly.
Projects that once seemed easy to approve and build, and that would be welcome in communities and contribute to the tax base, are now a challenge. Wind farms are the most recent infrastructure proj- ects to draw the ire of some environmentalists who fight against them for the sake of sound and sight pollution, or the risk turbines pose to birds. Replacing old pipelines with newer, better and safer systems continues to be a source of contention.
Being proactive in understanding the various local and national issue groups, their varying concerns and positions on critical infra- structure, and having a plan for responding with both effective com-
munity engagement and security measures can help keep infrastruc- ture on track and operational.
Taking Stock
For starters, every infrastructure operator should take a complete and thorough inventory of operational risks. Consider the mild to wild negative scenarios, who will be impacted by each and the full scope of the consequences of every potential incident. From there, take a deep dive with engineering to know and document all of the pro- cesses, tools and technologies that are in place to prevent accidents so that you are always prepared to address a question, respond quickly to issues and not be blindsided.
Knowing your operational risks will maximize the effectiveness of security assessments and mitigation planning, including determining the level of manpower needed for a response. Since you may not have company security present at all critical infrastructure sites, it is also important to know what resources you have available to surge to the problem. Are local law enforcement agencies well-staffed and available to support in a time of crisis? What other resources may be
30 campuslifesecurity.com | JULY/AUGUST 2022