PSAC key terms

A layered approach that stacks independent protective measures, such as perimeter fencing, door locks, alarms, and guards, so that failure of any single layer does not defeat the whole protection scheme.

A structured evaluation of a facility's assets, threats, vulnerabilities, and existing safeguards, producing findings and recommendations that guide protective upgrades and resource priorities.

The process of inventorying people, property, information, and processes that require protection, then ranking them by value and criticality so safeguards can be allocated proportionally.

A systematic look for weaknesses in physical, procedural, and technical controls that a threat could exploit, usually documented with severity ratings and remediation options.

The process of identifying credible threat actors, their capabilities, intent, and likely tactics, and estimating how those threats could affect specific assets or facilities.

A physical obstruction such as a fence, bollard, wall, or ditch that delays or channels an intruder's movement, buying time for detection and response.

The separation maintained between a protected asset and a potential threat such as a vehicle bomb, reducing blast effects and providing reaction time.

A short, sturdy vertical post, often steel-filled or removable, installed to stop or redirect vehicles while allowing pedestrian traffic through a controlled area.

A design philosophy that reduces crime by shaping the built environment through natural surveillance, natural access control, territorial reinforcement, and maintenance of space.

Designing spaces so that occupants and passersby can easily see what is happening, removing hiding places and increasing the chance that intruders are noticed.

Using signs, landscaping, fences, and clear boundaries to mark private areas and signal to outsiders that they have entered a controlled space.

Measured illuminance, often in lux or foot-candles, at specified locations; adequate and even lighting supports surveillance, deters intruders, and improves camera image quality.

The set of policies and mechanisms that decide who may enter which areas, when, and under what conditions, and that enforce those decisions at physical or logical checkpoints.

A designated location such as a door, gate, or turnstile where entry is permitted, denied, or monitored, often staffed or equipped with credential readers and intercoms.

A category of evidence used to confirm identity: something you know, something you have, something you are, or a location or behavior pattern used as supporting evidence.

Requiring two or more independent authentication factors before granting access, so that a stolen card or guessed password alone is insufficient to enter or log in.

A small enclosed space with two interlocked doors, where the first must close before the second opens, preventing tailgating and holding a person for inspection.

An unauthorized person following an authorized person through a controlled door or gate without presenting credentials, often defeated by turnstiles, mantraps, or attentive staff.

Entry gained with the knowing consent of an authorized person, such as an employee holding a door for someone without a badge; distinct from tailgating, which is usually unwitting.

Granting people only the access needed for their current duties, and no more, to limit damage if credentials are misused and to simplify periodic access reviews.

A periodic audit that compares who currently holds credentials and permissions against who actually needs them, removing stale or excessive access rights.

Sensors and systems, such as fence-mounted vibration sensors, buried cables, or microwave barriers, that detect attempts to cross a defined outdoor boundary.

A combination of sensors, control panels, and annunciation that detects unauthorized entry into a protected area and generates an alarm for response.

The function of receiving, interpreting, and acting on alarm signals, whether at an on-site console or a remote central station, including dispatching a response.

Desensitization caused by too many nuisance or false alarms, leading operators to ignore or delay response to genuine alerts; reduced by tuning sensors and verifying alarms.

The step of confirming an alarm is real, through video review, a second sensor, or a call to the site, before committing a response resource.

An alarm triggered by a non-security cause such as weather, animals, or equipment fault; excessive nuisance alarms erode confidence in the detection system.

The area a camera can see, determined by lens focal length, sensor size, and mounting position; it must match the identification or detection goal for that location.

The number of pixels covering a target, usually expressed in pixels per meter or foot, which determines whether an image supports detection, recognition, or identification.

Cameras, recording, transmission, and viewing equipment used to observe and document activity, supporting deterrence, detection, investigation, and evidentiary needs.

A documented, unbroken record of who handled evidence, when, and why, from collection through storage and presentation, supporting its reliability in proceedings.

The process of estimating likelihood and consequence for identified threat-vulnerability pairs, then comparing the result against defined tolerances to prioritize treatment.

Choosing how to handle an assessed risk: avoid the activity, reduce it with controls, transfer it through insurance or contracts, or accept it with documented justification.

The risk that remains after controls are applied; it must be documented and formally accepted by an accountable manager rather than assumed to be zero.

The amount of risk an organization is willing to accept in pursuit of its objectives, expressed as thresholds or criteria that guide treatment decisions.

A structured description of a likely adversary's motivation, resources, skills, and preferred methods, used to focus protection on realistic attack scenarios.

Risk arising from people with legitimate access, such as employees or contractors, who misuse it through theft, sabotage, fraud, or disclosure of sensitive information.

A written set of procedures describing how occupants respond to fire, severe weather, medical, or security emergencies, including evacuation routes, assembly points, and assigned roles.

A planned rehearsal of emergency evacuation procedures, used to test alarms, routes, accountability, and timing, followed by a critique that identifies improvements.

A pre-designated safe location outside a building where evacuees gather so that head counts and accountability checks can be performed after an evacuation.

A standardized, scalable management structure that assigns command, operations, planning, logistics, and finance roles so responders from different agencies can work together.

A factual written record of an event covering who, what, when, where, actions taken, witnesses, and evidence, completed promptly while memory is fresh.

A management-approved statement of intent and rules that defines what must be protected, who is accountable, and what conduct is required, without prescribing technical detail.

Step-by-step instructions describing how routine and recurring tasks are performed consistently, translating policy requirements into repeatable operational practice.

Site-specific instructions for a guard position, covering duties, patrol routes, response steps, reporting requirements, and limits of authority during a shift.

Recurring education that helps staff recognize threats such as tailgating, phishing, or suspicious behavior and know the correct reporting channel and response.