When leadership looks at cyber risks, it is always rated high and placed the probability on the top right quadrant. The importance physical security is also rated high not always as probable (far right on the risk cart).
What is interesting is with the increase of Internet of things, such as Video Cameras, Door Intercoms, Electronic Locks, etc., physical security is now just as much under the IT domain as cyber security.
Similar to both if either hinders the end user experience or ability to work, the importance to ensure that these systems enforce compliance also diminishes. An example, if the lock on a door is difficult or people's login is challenging, they will forego locking it.
As a leader in technology, we need to think how it will impact the end user just as much as how it keeps the end user safe.
Similar to designing cybersecurity, it is important to make plant security both familiar and easy to use. Once way to make it familiar is drills. In the event of a crisis, drills become important for our students and teachers because "...schools face a challenge of training staff and students to deploy the technology effectively and respond to it in an emergency." This was the case for Robb Elementary School. The linked article mentions how it is important for students and teachers, but I would argue it is critical for school administrators too.
As in the attack at Robb Elementary School in Texas, a school supervisor needs to make a concise immediate action. The window to act is incredibly small. Therefore, school supervisors need training to initiate the systems to lockdown the school. These same systems need to be designed in way that are accessible and simple to use when under duress. It is IT's role to make sure these systems are maintained and simple as much as possible.
In a perfect world it should be one button to execute all of these systems. But in many cases, only a couple can be connected to each other, such as a door lockdown system and an automated broadcast on a PA system, where the mobile broadcast and digital displays are on separate systems. How things are setup depends on the size of the campus, how the community is already connected, and the budget.
While technology can enhance onsite safety as much as the virtual one, it is worth reflecting that all stakeholders need to be committed, it is not just IT. In the event of a crisis, if training and design is not proper it can do more harm than good, as we have learned at Robb Elementary School.
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