WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) released its new Venue Guide for Security Considerations on Tuesday to help venue operators enhance safety, protect assets, and create secure environments through effective security measures and best practices.
“Venues have increasingly become targets, yet many lack the resources to secure their day-to-day operations and special events effectively,” said Dr. David Mussington, CISA’s Executive Assistant Director for Infrastructure Security in a press release. “In response, and in collaboration with industry experts and security professionals, our agency has developed this guide to empower venue operators with the tools needed to identify and manage risk effectively.”
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According to CISA, the recommended security measures, which are voluntary, aim to help venue operators enhance safety, protect assets, and create secure environments through effective security measures and best practices by:
- Providing guidance for venues, such as evaluating security measures, complexity levels, costs, options, and threats mitigated by these measures. By balancing these factors, venues can create a secure environment for operators and guests.
- Recommending broadly applicable considerations for evaluating security practices, such as assessing measures and improving physical security compliance to ensure staff and visitor safety.
- Offering actionable guidance for prioritizing the most effective security practices and proactively reducing the risk of major threats.
- Providing venue operators with a tailored menu of security options, allowing them to select the most suitable and effective measures for their venue’s budget, size, location, and risk factors.
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Some of the security measures covered in the guidance include emergency communications plans, limiting vehicle access to restricted areas, weapons screening, traffic management, risk assessments, Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED), explosives detection, lighting, staff training, perimeter security, background checks for staff, access control, and credentialing.
The risks these measures can prevent or mitigate, or that the measures can help law enforcement, emergency management, and other first responders respond to include active shooters, vehicle incidents, improvised explosive devices, crowd control, hostile patrons, civil disturbance, natural disasters, and more.
