Review - ChemLock – Secure Your Chemicals – Detection

NOTE: On November 18^th, 2021, CISA announced their new voluntary chemical security program, ChemLock. This post is part of a deep dive into that program. Earlier posts in this series include:

CISA Announces ChemLock – Voluntary Chemical Facility Security (short version)

ChemLock and the Chemical Security Summit

ChemLock - On-Site Assessments and Assistance (short version)

ChemLock – Secure Your Chemicals – Overview (short version)

The first goal of any security program is ensuring that you can detect an attack as early as possible. Thus, Chapter 3 of the ChemLock Secure Your Chemicals manual discusses ‘detection’ as it relates to the physical security of the facility (detection of cyberattacks is discussed separately). This chapter provides a brief overview of:

• Intrusion detection systems (IDS),

• Camera systems,

• Employees or on-site security personnel,

• Security lighting, and

• Inventory controls

The chapter briefly discusses the importance of detecting an attack as early as possible to allow for appropriate response measures to prevent the attack or minimize the potential consequences of the attack. The discussion mentions that: “detection needs to occur prior to an attack (i.e., in the attack-planning stages)” {pg 16} but does not provide any information on what that entails. Back in 2008 I addressed the ‘Seven Signs of Terrorism’ video which is apparently no longer available, but the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security & Preparedness has a brief presentation available that covers the concept nicely.

The discussions about detection in this manual are brief looks at potential considerations and type listings. They are hardly going to make the facility security manager a subject matter expert on any of these topics. CISA’s Office of Chemical Security is offering the services of their chemical security inspectors to help facilities get a better handle on these topics, but it is going to come down to hiring physical security experts to really make these detection systems effective.

For more details about, and discussions on, the topics covered in this chapter, see my article at CFSN Detailed Analysis - https://patrickcoyle.substack.com/p/chemlock-secure-your-chemicals-4f6  - subscription required.