A tailored security risk assessment gave a state government department a clear risk register and prioritised recommendations to strengthen research facility security at a remote, operationally complex site.
THE CHALLENGE
A state government department operates a research facility that supports its primary industries work. The site holds sensitive research, valuable assets and live research stock, and its people work in a remote and operationally complex environment. The department, working with a partner agency, needed a tailored security risk assessment to address both existing and emerging risks. These included restricted site access, critical infrastructure on site and the protection of biological research. The assessment also had to account for the facility’s particular operating requirements, including overnight staffing and the protection of sensitive environmental areas nearby. Findings needed to be grounded in the facility’s context and operationally relevant so the department could act on them.
OUR APPROACH
Agilient applied a methodology aligned with AS ISO 31000:2018, SA HB 167 and the Protective Security Policy Framework (PSPF). The scope covered site inspections, stakeholder engagement and analysis of the physical, procedural and electronic security measures in place. Consultants examined how the facility’s operating pattern, including overnight work and access to outlying parts of the site, shaped its exposure to risk. The assessment considered emerging risks as well as those already evident at the site. Critical assets were identified and mapped, and a threat and vulnerability assessment considered the credible threats to people, research and assets at the site. Input from staff of both the department and its partner agency was built into the analysis, so that findings reflected how the facility actually operates. Risks were documented in a register, and recommendations were prioritised to support informed investment in protective measures.
THE OUTCOME
The department gained a practical, evidence-based basis for strengthening security governance and investment at the facility.
- A threat and vulnerability assessment and critical asset mapping for the facility
- A risk register with practical, prioritised recommendations to guide investment in protective measures
- Findings shaped by input from department and partner agency staff, grounded in the site’s operating conditions
Related services: security risk assessment consultants, protective security and PSPF consulting, physical security consultant. Sector experience: government security consultant. To discuss a similar project, contact Agilient.