aloa.org June 2024 Keynotes 39 N 2003, BRUCE SCHNEIER COINED the term “security theater” in his book Beyond Fear. It was used to describe the high-visibility security measures used by the Transportation Security Administra- tion in response to the public’s outcry for more security following the events of 9/11. The reason Schneier invented the term was the ineffective security measures, methodologies and policies used at airports around the country when compared to the “real” security needs to protect airline passengers. The methods that they used did succeed at instilling a sense of confidence in the traveling masses; in fact, they are still in use currently. Attempts to “tweak” the current procedures have been made. However, there are still many of these methods that remain ineffectual. On September 21, 2022, at 11:33 a.m., a lone gunman entered the Uvalde School in Texas through an unlocked door, kill- ing 19 children and two teachers — a tragedy that exemplifies the need to ensure that every exterior door is fully secured and locked. This is regrettably a tragic example of security theater; the door has a lock, and it looks like it’s locked; however, it was not. According to a U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) study, there were 318 shootings in K-12 public schools during the 2009- 2019 school years. As alarming as this is, there were an unpublished number of attempts that were successfully thwarted by implementing practical security and safety measures, according to the National Institute of Justice. Why are we discussing this topic? The answer is quite simple. Many sales representatives and technicians in the locksmithing and security industries forget about “K.I.S.S.” (Keep it simple, stupid.) There is a dogma that high tech is the most secure solution for most secu- rity applications when it actually is not. Additionally, high tech also drastically increases the number of vulnerabilities. Modern electronic technology is perception-driven security. Hollywood glamorizes electronic tech and incor- porates it into movies and television to the point that people believe that it is the only solution for everything. The need to have electronics do even the most basic of functions has handicapped us. We no longer do simple checks to ensure every- thing is in order; we forget to use our eyes instead of our smartphones. What happens when the phones don’t connect? This is a major disconnect with today’s society; common sense and intuition have been replaced by smartphones. People are overexposed to the bar- rage of media coverage of active shooter events. The result: People end up focus- ing on only that type of disaster. Any tragedy is far too many. However, a stu- dent is more likely to encounter an F-5 tornado then an active shooter event. This is when “fear versus need” driven purchases are heavily exploited. What Is Needed? The clients’ needs, proper planning and effective site surveys are crucial to the overall picture. All types of emergencies should be planned for, including system training and drills. This has led to com- prehensive studies by the National Insti- tute of Justice under the program called the Comprehensive School Safety Initia- tive (CSSI). CSSI reviews of school safety technology shared a major conclusion: “No one technology, school climate intervention, or other school safety strategy can guarantee school security or eliminate the underlying cause of school violence. An integrated approach that includes emergency response plans, drills, a positive school climate, and situational awareness is called for, and school secu- rity plans must be tailored to the needs of each individual school.” Unfortunately, there are plenty of security practitioners throughout the industry that prey on people’s fears, emphasizing a false belief that high tech is the only solution against this growing epidemic. There are situations where it is needed, such as: multi-facility busi- nesses, hospitals, schools, hotels or large corporations with huge budgets. How- ever, a well-thought-out emergency plan, proper training and a properly designed key system using Grade 1 hardware might just as easily be a viable solution at a fraction of the cost. Mechanical door hardware cannot fall victim to cyber attacks, port attacks or
