Inside the Security Mind: Making the Tough Decisions

Recommended Physical Auditing Tasks

Physical audits are usually the easiest, but the most neglected of the auditing tasks. Here are a couple of essential physical audit tasks every organization should perform:

• Power conditioning— One of the most common causes for failure in critical systems is inadequate power conditioning. Policies should dictate that objects of a high enough risk level be attached to an uninterruptible power supply (UPS). All other devices should, at a minimum, be attached to a surge suppressor. Organizations that place numerous critical objects in a single room should also consider purchasing a full-room UPS. Also be sure to look at details like whether or not someone would be alerted if a UPS failed, or if the batteries ...