by Jbs022409 g3 — March 2, 2009—ASIS International, the global security management organization, conducted a survey of its members in January 2009 in an effort to assess the impact of the current economic environment. The survey respondents were asked about the economic impact on the security functions of their organizations during the previous six months (June-December 2008).
Results indicate that the need for security has increased in the current economic climate. Indications are stronger among the chief security officers, with 78 percent reporting an increase, compared to 66 percent of the managers.
Reasons cited for the increased need differ by group, and ostensibly by size of company, since the security managers tend to work for smaller organizations. General increases in crime and theft, followed by employee lay-offs and furloughs, topped the CSOs’ list of reasons. Security managers, on the other hand, reported increases in theft of, and damage to, physical property, as their primary concerns.
CSOs, in general, are better prepared to manage security services if significant reductions in resources occur, with nearly three out of five reporting that they have formal contingency plans in place, according to survey results. On the other hand, less than half of the responding security managers were in a similar position.
For a more detailed summary of the survey results (.pdf file), visit the ASIS Web site.
