Facility Security: Greater Outreach by DHS on Standards and Management Practices Could Benefit Federal Agencies

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Agencies draw upon a variety of information sources in developing and updating their physical security programs. The most widely used source, according to survey responses from 32 agencies, is the institutional knowledge or subject matter expertise in physical security that agencies' security staff have developed through their professional experience. The second most used source are standards issued by the Interagency Security Committee (ISC). The standards, which are developed based on leading security practices across the government, set forth a decision-making process to help ensure that agencies have effective physical security programs in place. However, according to survey responses, the extent of agencies' use of ISC standards varied--with some agencies using them in a limited way. Agency officials from the case-study agencies said that certain conditions at their agencies--such as the types of facilities in the agencies' portfolios and their existing physical security requirements--contribute to limited use of the standards. ISC officials said that the standards are designed to be used by all agencies regardless of the types of facilities or their existing security programs; the standards can be customized to the needs of individual facilities and do not require the use of specific countermeasures. ISC has an opportunity to clarify how the standards are intended to be used when it trains agencies on them; during quarterly meetings with member agencies, where ISC can share best practices on the use of the standards; or when ISC engages in other outreach on the standards. Clarifying how agencies can use the standards may result in their greater use. Greater use of the standards may maximize the effectiveness and efficiency of agencies' physical security programs.