The physical security professional: Mapping a body of knowledge

Abstract

Physical security is a specific jurisdictional domain practice area for contemporary security professionals. However, currently there is limited academic understanding of this group of practitioners in terms of general and technical knowledge requisites and skill competencies. Yet they are instrumental in solving society’s built environment security concerns. Consequently, this study undertook a cultural domain analysis to uncover the knowledge system underpinning physical security. The study found that physical security’s body of knowledge comprises a broad matrix of task-related knowledge categories, ranging from understanding the contextual threat drivers, use of security theories and principles, to engineering knowledge of technical components braced by professional-enabling requisites. Furthermore, this knowledge domain has a hierarchical structure, organised on the professional tasks of diagnosing the security problem, inference to reach the optimal resolution among many options and, finally, treatment of the identified security problem.