Physical security information management — or PSIM — is garnering increased attention in the security world these days. And after understanding the benefits of PSIM, it’s easy to see why.
A quick definition of PSIM says that it’s an integration of security software with physical assets that generates broader security coverage and faster response times.
But when describing PSIM to colleagues — as well as non-industry people — I tend to take it a step further in breaking down what the four letters mean:
Physical: A critical mass of people (e.g., guards, surveillers, and members of the public), buildings, access points, and security-sensitive assets.
Security: Security technology and professionals working at the strategic, operational, and tactical levels.
Information: A data-rich environment in which personnel interact with comprehensive, real-time security systems.
Management: An integration of all the security assets that facilitate proactive security strategies and enhanced response times. To use an IT phrase, it’s “smart security”.
A real-life example helps illustrate this definition:
CCTV cameras displaying 3D images inside a university research centre show a thief grabbing a laptop bag containing sensitive files and computers.
Watchful guards monitoring the unfolding situation immediately use their PSIM system to predict the exit path of the thief, flagging which CCTV cameras are along that likely path on their screens.
Those guards then direct on-site security to the exit points to help catch the thief before he leaves the building.
Think: Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible
There’s another way to think about PSIM that resonates with fans of action films.
Remember that opening scene of Mission Impossible III with Tom Cruise and company?
A van-based surveillance team guided the action heroes through a hostile building towards their security objective — a kidnapped colleague — with a combination of thermal cameras, earpieces, and Hollywood suspense.
Fans of the BBC show Spooks (which is called MI5 in North America) are familiar with the same sort of technology as Harry Pearce and his team go after the baddies.
The point is that PSIM is integration on a few levels.
First of all, it integrates cutting-edge security systems with a client’s existing physical infrastructure, be it an airport, hospital, or university campus, for example.
And it integrates that technology at the human level, with responders wired for sound and sight being guided by colleagues watching their every move during emergency situations.
The fact that PSIM sounds — and is — exciting, is another significant benefit to our industry from an HR perspective. In other words, it’s attracting a lot of bright minds to the security industry who may have taken their skills elsewhere.
Attracting top talent to security
Think of gaming programmers.
Think of graphic interface specialists.
Think of technology integrators.
PSIM helps attract these professionals — as well as IT trainees looking to launch into new and exciting careers — because of the strong appeal of the underlying technology, the relative newness of PSIM itself, and the increased market demand for what PSIM can provide.
Indeed, not a week goes by that I don’t have a really interesting conversation about PSIM with a supplier, client, or non-industry professional.
And that reality helps answer one of the questions that Rob Ratcliff asked in response to my previous blog on security and skills training.
Things like geospatial awareness software and 3D surveillance are being created by — and are attracting — top talent who see tremendous opportunity in the security industry.
This includes those programmers, graphic-user interface specialists, and integrators.
Not that long ago, these same people may have dismissed the security industry as — in their minds — a bunch of campus police who couldn’t cut the mustard as real cops.
Gamification
Well, guess what?
The university research example that I mentioned above — based on technology by the Montreal-based firm Fortem — is on the cutting-edge of PSIM. And just wait for increased gamification in security, brought to you by technology being developed, adapted, and/or incorporated by colleges and universities.
Educating each other about PSIM
So, how do we help bring it all together?
Well, it behooves security industry professionals to engage people not traditionally attracted to our industry in discussions about what is a massive convergence of technology and interests.
We can do that through a variety of means, including: meetings with and talks at local technology colleges; social media networking; “lunch and learns” that demonstrate the latest PSIM technology; and active engagement of industry influencers and technology first-movers.
Remember, it’s a two-way street. We can reach out to them as they do to us.
Before long, it won’t be “us and them” in any event. It’ll be “we”.
Never forget, of course, the value, input, and potential of existing staff who may not be at the cutting edge of technology — they are vital to our industry. And good employers will provide cross-training for staff who want to move up the value chain.
So, while PSIM as an acronym doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, it certainly has increased appeal for a variety of reasons.
We’ll be talking a lot more about it over the coming months and years.
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PSIM would certainly bring revolutionary chanages in the realm of security. I think it would hugely help security experts to manage available data and corelate for error free identification. Most companies are investing heavily in security due to prevalent precarious situation across the globe. PSIM would reduce the identification time and reduce the deployment of increased manpower for physical security checks.
Far as I understand it, it can make the decision making process so much simpler, Sheh. There’s so much data coming out of these systems now, and too often we’re just not using it effectively.