Arguably, the oil and gas industry is one of the most complex sectors to protect. Numerous and unique risks threaten to disturb safety and operations and jeopardize critical resources. As these risks do not cease to evolve, decision-makers must ensure security resilience, even amidst an unpredictable future, and be able to adapt to new and changing crises quickly and efficiently.
These are the top challenges faced by the oil and gas industry:
- Hazardous working environments expose employees to dangers and organizations to fines.
- High volumes of traffic from employees, contractors, visitors, and vehicles.
- Remote and vast locations.
- Inadequate integration of obsolete physical security solutions.
- Poor perimeter security.
- Internal sabotage.
- Lack of awareness.
- Terrorist attacks, violent civil protests, theft, and vandalism, may lead to leakage and other environmental damages.
Providing robust physical security coverage can facilitate the protection of all internal and external areas, harden vulnerable zones, and support compliance with regulations and legislation.
There are several physical security technologies that can be utilized by O&G pipelines and associated above-ground infrastructure to increase their security levels and address the problematic challenges listed above. Nevertheless, it is essential to unify both physical and cyber security for optimal results.
Access control
To avoid disruption of services and serious consequences, it is important to take a proactive stance on security, which starts with mitigating the risk of insignificant issues, long before they become major incidents.
One efficacious technology to secure property in the oil and gas industry is access control. This is a physical security solution that can successfully enforce strict safety and security procedures, centralize control and remote management, offer opportune reports, support compliance, and easily integrate with other platforms for a comprehensive environment.
It is common that an organization in this industry has multiple locations, all with disparate access control systems and disconnected data. Modern solutions, however, offer the possibility to maximize the value and effectiveness of operations by protecting each site with the same standardized system, but with the ability for customization.
Moreover, a sophisticated access control system can handle intricate authorization profiles and an unlimited number of people. Only professionally integrated, state-of-the-art access control can minimize high levels of risk and manage large volumes of data.
Perimeter security
The oil and gas companies are also vulnerable to theft and sabotage. Therefore, integrating AI-powered solutions is key to having the ability to monitor the premises 24/7, and detect and track potential offenders around the perimeter in real-time.
In the event of an intrusion, security forces are automatically alerted to quickly respond before intruders enter the perimeter or damage the site.
Automation and effective detection can diminish the potential of human errors and false positives while offering security teams the insights they need to provide a timely and effective response that will certainly mitigate the consequence of an attack.
Industrial video monitoring
For oil and gas organizations, modern video surveillance, which can be installed at any location, is required to better protect employees, assets, and the natural environment.
Cameras should be able to endure intense climates and survive the harshest conditions. This includes the risks of explosion due to flammable liquids or gasses. Ideally, video surveillance is integrated with other systems, such as access control, video analytics, and intrusion detection to detect threats faster.
It is also important to deploy high-definition IP cameras and thermal imaging cameras to detect what can go unnoticed by regular surveillance.
The innate vulnerability to attacks demands the oil and gas industry get up to date with the latest physical security technologies and practices. It is recommended to implement advanced access control, intrusion detection, and video surveillance solutions and have them properly integrated by a security expert in all your locations.
Solutions for manufacturers
There can be a wide variety of specific security needs within any factory, warehouse, or industrial complex. In any scenario, Security 101 can recommend the best combinations of security systems using only the finest products from the world's leading manufacturers.