The internet has become a hunting ground for terrorists intent on seeking out CNI (critical national infrastructure) targets to attack. A great deal of preliminary reconnaissance can be gleaned from internet sources alone, and mere awareness that a target exists is enough to begin the reconnaissance process.Recently, a major European petrochemical storage site upgraded its CCTV system to a state-of-the-art IP CCTV system, installed by one of the world’s market leaders in this field.
The result – increased and more efficient physical security, no doubt, but the installers were so keen to make marketing capital out of the installation that there are now over 100 internet-based news reports of the story, with quotes from the customer’s engineering management and photographs of the site.
In a similar case, another world-famous security installation company revealed to a trade magazine the entire security systems infrastructure for an internationally-strategic oil pipeline. the reason - marketing capital. The security network, complete with diagrams, was subsequently published and remains available to this day.
Unless you have a very good reason to the contrary, ALWAYS, ensure that installers and suppliers of security equipment sign non-disclosure agreements that prevent them from making marketing capital at the expense of your security.
