Experts reveal Australias security challenge

By Simon Webster September 24, 2021 â€" 9.27am

COVID-19 and climate change may appear to be the most pressing threats to our way of life in Australia. But they are far from the only ones. Cyber attacks,terrorism, international conflict, and civil unrest are all capable of shaking our world at any moment.

Nicholas Martin is aware of what it takes to manage security threats. As well as being head of property and security at AGL Energy Services, he is chairman of the Forum of Australasian Security Executives (FASE), a professional affiliation of chief security officers from major companies across fields including finance, aviation, energy and food distribution.

Australia is facing a number of unprecedented challenges beyond COVID-19 and climate change. Credit: Getty.

He lists five big threats that businesses currently face: customer aggression, activism and extremism, digital disruption (including cyber security threats ­â€" enhanced by COVID and the working-from-home dynamic), weather events, and internal threats (for example, from employees or contractors).

How do businesses manage all that? Generally, it’s a three-pronged approach: internal management, relationships with government, and the employment of private security.

“Most businesses rely very heavily on contracted security companies to provide essential frontline services,” Martin says.

And with so much at stake, it’s vital they make good choices. “Some companies just want the cheapest ...” Martin says. “You want to do due diligence so you know who is protecting your assets.”

Evolving industry

Bryan de Caires, CEO of the Australian Security Industry Association Ltd (ASIAL), the peak body for Australia’s $11 billion private security industry agrees.

“Quality security comes at a premium,” he says. “Users of security services need to clearly understand the value of good security.”

De Caires believes security companies deserve more credit for the role they play in keeping Australia safe.

“Providing recognition of the hidden workforce that plays a critical frontline role in protecting people, places and property is long overdue,” de Caires says. However, he also acknowledges that the industry must evolve.

ASIAL’s Security 2025 Report, published this week, is a roadmap for the industry’s future. It says the security industry needs to improve its public standing, make security a career of choice, upskill and cross-skill its workforce, and embrace technological innovation.

De Caires says businesses hiring security can help by insisting on high standards. But government needs to step up to the plate too.

The regulatory rumble

The important role that security plays in keeping Australia safe should not be overlooked. Credit: Getty.

One of the problems the security industry faces is the fact it is regulated on a state level. Cameron Smith is the director of the Security Licensing & Enforcement Directorate (SLED), the regulatory body for security businesses in NSW.

“These security operatives perform roles whose purpose is the deterrence of crime, the protection of persons and property, the maintenance of public order and safety ...” Smith says. “Australia’s Strategy for Protecting Crowded Places from Terrorism notes the ‘central role’ played by the security industry in protecting crowded places. Effective regulation of the security industry ensures that it is fit for purpose to fulfil these important roles.”

Smith acknowledges that “there are a number of key differences in jurisdictional approaches to the regulation of the security industry”. State regulations on security licences vary when it comes to criminal checks, the regulation of training, and which types of visa holder are allowed to apply.

This can be a source of great frustration for the industry and for business. De Caires says: “ASIAL’s calls for nationally consistent industry standards over the past 25 years have largely fallen on deaf ears ... if Australia is to have the capability to meet key security threats in coming years, government must act now to bring about crucial reforms.”

Disrupted future

As the digital and physical worlds cross over, Martin sees plenty of challenges ahead. The security industry, for example, will need to ensure systems and data are secure while providing cameras or access systems that sit on business networks.

However, overall, he believes Australia is in good shape. He sees government putting in place mechanisms to help businesses deal with cyber attacks, and likes what he sees from ASIAL.

“They’re trying to start the debate, they’re trying to raise their profile, and they’re trying to educate both the government and business on the need to have a really well trained and capable security industry,” he says.

And that’s going to be necessary, because for Martin, the future is a dangerous place.

”I think the future is going to be more disrupted ...” he says. “Whether it’s on a geopolitical level ... whether it’s the impact of conflict or weather events, whether it’s the ability for cyber to reach across boundaries ... I think that’s only going to increase.”

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