Protection at a price

SCIFs are expensive, and for that reason, experts say companies with government contracts should follow the letter of government specs — and no more.

So corporations employing SCIF-inspired standards for facility management, for heating, ventilation and cooling systems, for access control or electrical wiring, should pick and choose the requirements from the government directives that are best suited to meet their needs.

Even at the lowest-level SCIF requirements come at a cost. "At the lowest level — government SCIF projects reach five or six different levels, Creaney says — is probably what would benefit most corporations, experts say. At that level, SCIFs may cost an extra $US50 per square metre (above and beyond normal office space cost); toward the higher end, as much as $US350, Creaney says. Mattice cites a range from $US150 to as much as $US1000 per square metre. Shaw of Morgan Franklin says that the cost of a 2000 square foot SCIF divided into multiple offices can run from $US400,000 to $US1 million.

Walter says that it is essential for companies working on buildings with SCIF-level features to work with a contractor who can see the reasons behind extra precautions: "Otherwise you may end up with a nice-looking facility that leaks like a sieve because the people building it did not understand the reasoning behind the plans."

Think in layers

Secure facilities experts like Shaw, Creaney and Tabetha Chandler, president of consultancy and SCIF builder FSO to Go, spend a lot of time studying government specifications for constructing secure facilities. The reasons for this range from the different rules that authorities have set out for what makes a secure building to the fact that they say more government programs require secure facilities since the September 11 terror attacks. They deliver a clear message from this experience as bureaucratic interpreters: know how your facility and staff need to work so you can secure assets needing protection. And be ready to do it for a long time. "It's unfortunate that people build things and then become complacent — when it's time to enact that level of security they don't posture their business or train their staff to fully understand the requirements," says Chandler. For that reason, these experts say you should think about secure facilities as not one entity, but many. Some examples:

Physical Security. Chandler says that security officers need to understand their building's surroundings and environment. "Physical security is always the centre point of securing classified information," she says. "Look at who is 200 metres around you; don't just centre on your office suite or headquarters." At the minimum, says Walter, the facility should have one access point or door devoid of any gaps, and ductwork openings that are secure.

Information Security. Phones should have filters that prevent wiretapping, says Walter, and encryption is vital. "It tends to be transparent to the user, and it can be easily installed and upgraded." Controlling electronic transmissions can be accomplished with shielding, filters, grounding and devices limiting radio frequency (RF) emissions. Shielding the walls of the SCIF with foil and other conductive materials will help ground electronic signals generated within the SCIF, says Walter.

Employee Security. Last but most important is the human factor. "the best security systems, even ones built by the CIA, can be and have been compromised by employees," Walter notes. A select number of designated employees should be assigned responsibility for certain facets of security, such as inventory of data and documents, says Walter. If employees who don't follow security measures and resolve the situation immediately, he says. Even if your company doesn't require a security clearance, you should know who has access to the data. And, of course, vetting everyone on the secure site through background checks is a must.