Physical and IT Security: The Case for Convergence.

Today's business environment increasingly relies on the continual availability of interconnected computer networks and the systems which support them. Whereas physical security efforts are concerned with the safeguarding of tangible corporate assets (buildings, equipment, paper-based documents, and persons), logical security initiatives focus on granting (or denying) access to computer network infrastructure, thereby controlling the flow of information across a network. Traditionally, in most corporate environments, physical and logical access systems have operated as two autonomous processes, each governed by different departments. The focus of this paper is to show that the convergence of physical and logical security processes provides considerable benefits. These benefits include increased efficiencies and a more unified security posture. This paper identifies points of convergence at which the two security processes can be integrated and also provides direction as to how this can be accomplished. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]