The impact of coronavirus on the security and fire sectors
‘Key’ or ‘critical’ worker status was an issue that dominated the discourse of the early weeks of lockdown in the UK. Associations from both the security and fire safety sectors made continual efforts to campaign for their members to be included in the ‘critical’ worker status guidelines issued by the Government, highlighting how important the industry is to safety and security in these challenging times. Installers, too, have been affected. Many installation companies fall under the SME category, with owners often self-employed. Due to social distancing measures and for the protection of themselves and their families, it was clear that many were having to cancel jobs unless the work was an emergency, as we asked installers and engineers how they’d been impacted and their reactions. We also spoke to firms such as International SOS, to offer some returning to work advice for security professionals. Find out all about the 
campaigns by following the links below:
Indeed, in a recent article from regular contributor, Sarb Sembhi, he highlights just how crucial professionals in the security sector are to the protection of people, businesses and assets, while also asking how COVID-19 is set to impact the industry going forward. Hunter Seymour also put together a similar piece, but focused on fire safety professionals and the impact of coronavirus.
Security and fire associations responses to COVID-19
Once again, while a little focused on the UK (only natural as IFSEC Global is based in London), it is likely the efforts shown by the various sector association were mirrored across the world. Support and advice have been abundant from all throughout the pandemic, covering everything from online training courses, through to remote audits and general messages of support for members.
The work from the British Security Industry Association (BSIA), Security Industry Authority (SIA) and ASFP, alongside others, has also been covered in the key worker status stories found in the section above.
The use of surveillance in the containment of coronavirus
On a global scale, there have been numerous reports highlighting how surveillance technology has been used to contain or combat the virus. Initially most prevalent in China, where mass surveillance is already used, stories included facial recognition software and CCTV integrated with AI to track people’s movements from areas that there were known to be outbreaks from, therefore measuring the risk of the potential spread of contamination.
These reports have since seen other nations adopting similar measures, with the additional usage of thermal imaging technology. However, it does raise the question of where this will leave us in terms of privacy following the pandemic? If mass surveillance measures are introduced with the initial goal of public safety in mind, would it lead to more ‘intrusive’ measures further down the line? This debate is not new, of course, but the impact of coronavirus has reignited the discussion in the security and privacy fields, once more.
Cyber security
Home or remote working has suddenly moved from the occasional to the regular for the majority who are not on the front lines. The nature of this varies from business to business, of course, with some already set up for such an event, while others were forced to change their entire working practices. Amongst other issues, cyber security is likely to be a major concern for security managers and IT departments. There has been a significant rise in cyber security scams related to the coronavirus, while protecting sensitive data and ensuring privacy laws are maintained when employees are working remotely is a much more challenging process.
Industry response to coronavirus
The response from the security and fire safety sector has been impressive, to say the least. Whether it is installers offering remote support to their customers, guards working on the front line to protect critical assets and ensure public safety, or manufacturers providing free training support and enhanced technology support, there’s been plenty of stories coming from the industry. Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to cover everything, but some of these are outlined below:
Additional stories
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SSAIB continues to provide certification despite COVID-19
Home or remote working has suddenly moved from the occasional to the regular for the majority who are not on the front lines. The nature of this varies from business to business, of course, with some already set up for such an event, while others were forced to change their entire working practices. Amongst other issues, cyber security is likely to be a major concern for security managers and IT departments. There has been a significant rise in cyber security scams related to the coronavirus, while protecting sensitive data and ensuring privacy laws are maintained when employees are working remotely is a much more challenging process.
