FSO Challenges and the Cost of Doing Nothing
The Federal contracting world is fraught with fierce competition. There are numerous governance and compliance hurdles unique to Federal contracts. Facility Security Officers (FSOs) need the right tools to meet the challenges of keeping facilities secure. Failure to provide these solutions may not only impact efficiency, but it may generate future expenses that could have been prevented with the right tool, right now.
FSO Challenges
Behind every classified contract, there is an FSO straining to stay ahead of their workload. FSOs must:
– Coordinate visitor requests and access, both incoming and outgoing – domestically and internationally.
– Ensure security training is completed on time, across the entire contract.
– Maintain a database full of personnel data and clearance information.
– Manage documents, inventory, and secured areas that fall under their purview.
– Track contract details to guarantee full compliance.
– Administer insider threat programs that satisfy the National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual (NISPOM), Change 2.
The security office is often understaffed, ill-equipped, and neglected. If it isn’t, it probably runs on an array of spreadsheets and paper files. When one FSO leaves and another steps in, everyone scrambles to figure out current procedures.
To standardize processes, monitor visitors, and collect data, cleared contractors need a NISPOM-compliant software platform that manages and organizes all their compliance requirements.
The Cost of Doing Nothing
Some companies fail to act when it comes to providing FSOs the tools they need to stay effective and efficient. They realize that something must be done to increase productivity, but they remain on the fence when it comes to taking action.
Failing to make a decision is actually a decision in itself. It is called the cost of doing nothing (CODN). When a decision is delayed in the business world – no matter the size of the organization – it impacts the bottom line.
In the security arena, the CODN could include:
– Wrestling with inefficient, antiquated tools. Many decision makers still view security as overhead – treating it as an expense instead of an investment. What will that ambivalence cost if security issues become a barrier to contract success?
– Burning out the FSO. Without the tools they need to do their job well, FSOs can get frustrated and leave. How much does it cost to find, hire, and train new talent?
– Failing a compliance audit. Cleared facilities know that inspections are a fact of life. If auditors come in and find issues, what will happen to your contract?
– Missing an insider threat. NISPOM Change 2 lays out an insider threat program for a reason. Does your company want to be known as the workplace of the next Edward Snowden?
– Losing critical personally identifiable information (PII). Employees count on you to safeguard their information. If you misplace PII, will your company’s reputation be able to recover?
– Forgetting significant dates. Every process has an important date behind it – from visit requests to clearance reinvestigations. What consequences will you face if you miss a critical due date?
– Misplacing classified documents or inventory. Keeping track of sensitive and classified information is fundamental as a cleared contractor. What happens if you lose track of a laptop or a top-secret document?
– Allowing uncleared visitors into your secure building. Secure facilities can only stay that way if every guest is examined. What kind of damage could a malicious visitor inflict at your facility?
– Being unable to scale operations. If you cannot handle what the customer needs, then there is a good chance that you will miss out on additional business. Are your security operations flexible enough to keep up with your ever-changing demands?
Indecision is Expensive
FSOs need robust strategies and tools in today’s classified contracting environment to carry out daily tasks. MathCraft Security Technologies leads the way with cutting-edge software programs built with the FSO in mind. Our enterprise-class platforms are offered on-premises or via the cloud, giving every organization’s security operations the opportunity to excel – no matter what their contract dictates.
Do not sit back and watch your competitors pass you by. Access Commander can help your organization fulfill compliance requirements while streamlining your ability to safeguard our nation’s most sensitive infrastructure and information. It can also support the establishment of your security infrastructure, showing the government that you are serious about security and compliance.
Indecision may not only cost you resources like time and money, but it may also cost you something much more valuable: your reputation.
MathCraft Security Technologies offers a robust product line of NISPOM-compliant security applications for cleared contracts and enterprises. Our solutions are carefully engineered to improve security processes, giving Facility Security Officers (FSOs) and employees the comprehensive tools that they need to manage data, monitor visitors, and automate workflows. For ultimate convenience, they are also available on-premises or via the cloud.