Fourth of July Supply Chain & Perimeter Security Protocols

Original content supplied by J.J. Coughlin and SC-ISAC.  
Additions made by Electric Guard Dog.

The Independence Day holiday is upon us. Beware: as many of us take time off to celebrate, cargo theives will be watching and waiting to strike warehouses and vehicles left unattended over the long, three-day weekend, July 1-4.

This holiday weekend is “notorious” for higher risk for cargo theft, according to CargoNet, which has provided trends on noteworthy thefts for previous July 4th weekends and reported an 11% increase in cargo thefts nationwide from March 1 to May 31, 2015, compared with the same period in 2014.

To prepare, we are urging the entire SC-ISAC membership to discuss perimeter security and review their security procedures and protocols. Below is a list of suggestions to help maintain the integrity.

For Facilities:

• Check security alarm and surveillance systems to ensure proper working order. 
• Test security systems — including Electric Guard Dog — to ensure that the entire system is functioning and that monitoring company(ies) are receiving signals. 
• If there is a fault in your Electric Guard Dog system, skilled technicians are available 24/7 for troubleshooting on the phone. In many situations, issues can be resolved within a day. 
• Ensure batteries are fresh in exit doors and in backup cellular phones (used to maintain alarm reporting, if phone lines are compromised). 
• Perform perimeter checks, look at your electric fence, non-electrified fence, and other types of barriers to ensure they are properly secured. 
• Check perimeter lighting to ensure lights are on and replace any non-working fixtures. Review timer so that lights come on while facility is closed. 
• Use a non-integrated alarm backup system with verified response capabilities. 
• Ensure company alarm call list is current and contains valid phone numbers. Require responsible persons to respond to all alarm calls even if the system is suspected of malfunctioning. 
• Contact law enforcement and ask for additional patrols in the area. 
• Remove keys from all warehouse equipment (forklifts) and place them in a secure location.

For Freight In-Transit: 

• If you have to leave your rig or loaded trailer unattended, look for a secure lot or authorized location to leave vehicles. 
• If forced to leave vehicles at a public facility (truck stop, etc.) pick one that is well lit and utilizes surveillance equipment. Park within view of the camera. 
• Secure the tractor and trailer with a steering wheel locking device, kingpin locks, glad-hand locks (or other security equipment).  Put industrial strength padlocks on trailer doors. 
• Do NOT leave keys inside tractor. 
• Check on the unattended vehicles as frequently as possible. 

Be smart, be safe, be secure.

Don’t leave your sites and employees vulnerable this holiday weekend — Contact Electric Guard Dog today for a free site security evaluation.