security is crucial when it comes to any office or facility
Abstract
Physical security is highly recognized as the protection of personnel, networks, data, software as well as hardware from all physical actions, including events that could in one way or another cause serious loss or even damage to an enterprise, institution or agency. It is worth noting that physical security is most of the time overlooked, and its significance underestimated in favor of what is described as more technical threats, for instance, hacking and also malware. As far as this is concerned, it becomes of great significance to remember that breaches of physical security can to a great extent be conducted with brute force and with little or no technical knowledge on the part of an attacker. Therefore, it is always proper to place obstacles in the way of potential attackers and an organization ought to ensure that physical sites are hardened against accidents, attacks or even environmental disasters. For a long time, physical security has been deployed on Facebook with the sole intention of protecting data. It is to imply that canine units, as well as human guards, stereotypically keep individuals safe, but when correctly integrated, physical security plays a tremendous role in protecting information as well. Numerous strategies can be considered in ensuring that physical security is implemented in an organization; for instance, the use of rank mount servers or setting up surveillance. This paper revolves around the exploration of how Facebook embraces physical security.
Introduction
It is worth noting that security is crucial when it comes to any office or facility, but the most important thing is based on understanding how to implement it. This implies that deciding how to protect an organization, including its assets, can turn out to be a process that seems nearly impossible at the beginning. However, with the proper strategies, an organization can emerge successful in embracing physical security. As far as this is concerned, it becomes essential to note that physical security is identified as the protection of personnel, networks, data, software as well as hardware from various physical actions, including events that could greatly lead to loss or even damage to an enterprise, institution or agency. Embracing physical security is something that cannot be taken lightly. As such, the finest, most viable physical security approaches consider the use of both technology and what is identified as specialized hardware as the means to achieve its safety goals. Therefore, this paper is based on discussing physical security on Facebook.
Loopholes
It is worth noting that Facebook has embraced a couple of strategic plans in ensuring that physical security is implemented. Physical security happens to be a comprehensive approach that Facebook considers when it comes to securing data. Instead of just focusing on security as something that is mere tech, Facebook as an organization prefers to integrate or in other words, incorporate physical security also into the whole fabric. This is to say that data security in this platform attains new dimensions, and this is with a real integrated approach being granted what can best be described as due importance. However, there are various loopholes that Facebook ought to consider that tends to slow its strategic plans when it comes to embracing physical security.
For instance, the organization has, for a long time, been troubled with security threats such as malicious people stealing vital data hence messing with the operations of Facebook in one way or another. Such illegal access of data has in various cases resulted in harassment, identity theft, as well as theft of personal belongings (Külcü, & Henkoğlu, 2014). Additionally, Facebook has not been in the position to adequately address the issue of having great numbers of fake accounts that are created on a daily basis, including the spread of misinformation through the platform. Such loopholes continue to make it hard for Facebook to have a smooth operation, something that leaves many innocent users in great danger. As such, Facebook continues to put a lot of focus on ensuring that the platform stays ahead of immediate challenges, for example, making sure that accounts are protected from phishing as well as malware. Again, there is a big challenge/loophole when it comes to keeping an eye on all the guests that visit Facebook premises. This is primarily because most of these guests have led to an increased rate of a security breach.
Changes Made
There are various changes that Facebook made in its strategic plans for physical security to be enhanced. For example, the organization a few years ago introduced a very well-planned as well as well-executed buddy system as the means to ensure that it keeps an eye on the guests at all Facebook offices. With such an approach, it is highly required of every employee to make sure that when someone comes to visit them, they ought to stick with them every second. Equally, if one sees an outsider who is wandering around without a companion, they are expected to alert an organization safety bot. This ensures that the matter is carefully considered hence making sure that there is no chance of any security breach likely to take place with an individual just walking in and stealing/taking it all. Additionally, Facebook has worked on ensuring that it puts in place an enhanced security system, with what is described as the global security services department of the organization manning the reception desk at every location as the means to monitor as well as approve all guests (Fattal, 2012). Surveillance cameras track visitor movement at each office, not forgetting that identity management is stringent. All of this is executed with the sole intention of ensuring that Facebook stays proactive and that it monitors the health of all systems in offices.
Facebook has also recently embraced tactics such as blocking and removing fake accounts, identifying and doing away with bad actors and also working on limiting the spread of false news, including misinformation. The change has focused on ensuring that the platform is enhanced in such a way that it can identify and automatically block bad activity and also detecting what can best be termed as more sophisticated networks. Such efforts have seen millions of fake accounts being removed, something that plays a tremendous role in eliminating evil activities through the platform (Weedon, Nuland, & Stamos, 2017). Additionally, Facebook has transformed and made the step of ensuring that users feel safe by striving to keep harmful, hateful as well as exploitative materials off the organization. In order to realize this, Facebook has decided to seek effective regulation, something that has been made possible by working closely with lawmakers. It is to say that Facebook strives to ensure that the company does all it can in seeing that physical security is improved and protected through the laws of the land.
Methods Plans and Strategy Plans
It is proper to realize that a physical security strategy is not a document that can emerge straight off the shelf and then be utilized at Facebook in protecting the physical security of the organization. Methods and strategy plans ought to take into account the existing requirements of Facebook, including how it operates. As far as this is concerned, it becomes of great significance to realize that physical security strategy at Facebook comprises of the overall management of any type of physical security utilized here such as CCTV, including security staff. Facebook has embraced the technique of integrating systems. With such an integrated design, the corporation has ensured that systems are in the position to function cohesively so that one program to a great supports the next. An excellent step that Facebook has considered is connected access control and surveillance, something that has played a tremendous role in generating a solution for managing as well as monitoring in-building foot traffic. Facebook has also worked on making sure that there is the introduction of magnetic locks, including alarms at all its offices hence eliminating issues with tailgating, and this ensures that all doors of the office close quickly after one enters.
One method that has worked wonders at the firm is establishing a blueprint. Facebook has realized this by mapping out the entire security infrastructure prior to making any significant changes, something that has led to a better plan. Building a blueprint has also helped Facebook to design and support the integration step (Bodnar, & Cohen, 2011). Recently, the organization updated its policy against credible violence to consist or in other words, include misinformation that has, to a great extent, the potential to contribute to imminent violence or even physical harm. As far as this is concerned, it becomes imperative to note that Myanmar, including various other nations around the globe where some individuals are after weaponizing the platform, happens to be a huge area of concern for Facebook.
Implementation Strategies
Ensuring that there is physical security and that all users and employees are protected continues to be a top priority of Facebook. The organizations understand that lack of physical security can result in deadly results and there is no denying the trauma as well as negative legal outcomes that in most cases, present themselves when physical security is not protected. As such, Facebook has embraced employee training as well as upper management involvement as one of the implementation strategies to ensure that physical security is covered. In this case, it becomes proper to remember that worker involvement happens to be paramount when it comes to the triumph of any physical security effort. This means that at the company, both staff, as well as upper management, are required to highly develop a security mindset as the means to protect the facility hence taking ownership of their safety.
To accomplish this, Facebook always provides training, including coaching from experts or in other words, security professionals (Smith, et al., 2018). Such training teaches Facebook workers situational awareness as a way to aid them to develop what is described as a greater understanding of the potential physical threats that the organization may encounter, and this includes ways on how to deal with them. On the other hand, upper management ought to lead by example, especially throughout the implementation of physical security training as well as policies. It is worth noting that when upper management is actively involved in the process, it becomes easier for the rest of the staff to comprehend the significance of this strategy hence following through their training programs keenly.
Another implementation strategy that has worked wonders at Facebook is establishing and enforcing strong policies. The company has ensured that its employee guidelines consist of strict policies concerning common issues that play a tremendous role in supporting physical security. Prohibiting the sharing of credentials with unauthorized users, for instance, is clearly communicated to all workers. Facebook has come to discover that establishing and also enforcing strong policies is an excellent way to get the workers fully involved in protecting physical security.
Beneficial Ideas
Facebook has, in the past, benefitted from various ideas. For example, the idea of setting up surveillance, especially at all offices associated with Facebook has helped the organization in an amazing way. It is worth noting that locking the door to the server rooms happens to be a great first step, but a person can break-in, or at other times, those with authorized access could in one way or another misuse that authority. As such, setting up surveillance has helped Facebook to monitor everyone who goes in and out of their premises, and when this occurs (Goold, 2013). As far as this is concerned, Facebook has embraced an authentication system that is to a great extent incorporated into locking devices, so that a biometric scan or even a smart card is needed whenever someone needs to unlock the doors, and as a result, a record is created of the identity of every individual who enters the office. Additionally, the use of video surveillance cameras helps the organization to have a proper view of all individuals entering and leaving the premises. All these have worked in protecting physical security as far as Facebook is concerned.
The other idea that has benefited the company is backing up important data that Facebook is entrusted with. Because it is very easy for backup tapes or discs to be stolen, Facebook always ensures that a set of backups are stored off-site and secured as the means to ensure that such information can easily be retrieved if the need be. Being in the position to do this has for a long time given Facebook administrators peace of mind.
Organization’s Environment and Preparedness
The structure of Facebook Inc. is, to a great extent, adapted to suit the needs of operations that revolve around information technology and the internet. As far as this is concerned, it becomes proper to realize that an organization’s environment or structure highly defines the composition as well as the design of the firm as the means to meet its needs. In this case, it is imperative to note that Facebook is structured in such a way that it is in the position to respond to the dynamics of the global online social media market. Things such as nature as well as features of the organization’s social networking websites, including apps, as well as business objectives highly determine the corporate’s needs. As such, the needs are then translated to the characteristics of the organizational structure that is being considered and utilized by Facebook Company (Traud, Mucha, & Porter, 2012). It is worth noting that Facebook embraces an organizational structure that allows the social media business to expand as well as diversify. Additionally, this organizational structure also produces what can best be described as a competitive advantage as the means to make the organization’s online social network resilient against all forms of competition.
The fact that Facebook enjoys what can best be identified as organizational structure makes it even easier to work on ensuring that it is prepared in protecting physical security. The key feature of the matrix organizational structure is that Facebook is in a better position to address the firm’s organizational needs, which includes tackling physical security issues. This means that by embracing features such as corporate function-based teams, geographic divisions, as well as product-based divisions to a great extent, help the company to identify various ways on how to protect or in other words, support physical security. For instance, with the help of product-based divisions, it becomes possible for Facebook Inc. to consider the potential expansion, diversification or addition of new products or services that will ensure everything runs as expected in terms of physical security.
Change Management Processes
One may wonder why it is so significant for a company to consider change management in its operations. As far as this is concerned, it becomes of great significance to remember that companies ought to be in the position to adapt to various market conditions as well as consumer needs, and it appears that those forms of changes are taking place every day at Facebook Inc. It becomes of great importance to realize that Facebook happens to be a flexible organization, something that makes it hard for other emerging websites/markets to take away their clients, including profits (Jones, & Soltren, 2005). One type of change that has, for a long type, been embraced at the company is evolutionary change. With this change management process, Facebook has been in a better position to work on small changes to the extent that all those individuals that are affected do not even discover the shift hence allowing the organization to adjust its operations as well as processes a little at a time. Facebook strives to ensure that its evolutionary change is planned well as the means to make sure there are conscious actions focused on initiating the necessary changes.
It is proper to say that Facebook has a change management process primarily because it considers the various steps of Kotter’s change management technique in its undertaking. For instance, there is always what is identified as urgency creation whenever the company desires to initiate a change, such as protecting physical security (Pollack, & Pollack, 2015). It is to say that every time Facebook wants a specific change being initiated in the company, it ensures that everyone in the firm wants it. Such an approach makes it easier for an important idea to be well received by the staff whenever it arises. Additionally, the fact that Facebook focuses on building a team illustrates how the organization understands the importance of change management process. The company has learned the tactic of working with a team hence making it easy to implement significant changes.
Under the direction of its leader, Mark Zuckerberg, the organization has also generated a clear vision, something that makes it easier to implement a change. The vision has been communicated across all members of staff in the company, and they are always reminded of it in various significant forums. As far as Facebook is concerned, it is one of its cultures to remove any obstacles. It is worth noting that no change occurs without various obstacles presenting themselves. As such, Facebook is always prepared to deal with processes as well as procedures, and people who may resist change (JOHNSEN, 2012). This is something that has for a long-time forced Mark Zuckerberg and the team to go for quick wins hence making everyone to enjoy great satisfaction, and the organization immediately discovers the benefit of the change initiative. Because many change initiatives such as working on ensuring that there is the protection of physical security fail as a result of an early declaration of victory, Facebook has learnt to let change mature. Such an approach will ensure that physical security continues being embraced in the company. Lastly, Facebook has discovered ways of integrating mechanisms as the means to integrate the change into individuals’ daily life, including corporate culture. This ensures that the organization works on a continuous monitoring mechanism as a way to make sure that every facet of the change happening is properly monitored.
Conclusion
It is proper to realize that implementing completely physical security as well as continuing embracing change management will positively impact Facebook Company. Ensuring that confidential information, equipment as well as the organization’s assets are protected is what the topic of physical security is all about. As seen earlier, physical security is very significant, but various companies highly ignore it. Embracing it ensures that data is well-protected to the extent that no one can snatch it hence giving everyone who interacts with Facebook peace of mind. It is to say that if physical security is not ensured or in other words, maintained well, all safety measures considered at Facebook will end up being useless the moment the attacker gets through by having physical access. As such, ensuring that there is physical security and that change management process is embraced and maintained is the way to go if Facebook is to emerge successful in all its operations.