SECURITY
security operations plan is in place, it’s important
all stakeholders understand how they might
be called on to collaborate in the event of an
incident,” he says. “It’s vital to remember that
a venue doesn’t exist in isolation.”
The onion skin principle
Bluestone says the main technologies in use
include search wands, CCTV and video analytics.
In the control room, security officers have an
overview of everything that happens. Quick
response teams can rush to a troubled spot and
give assistance. “We operate the onion skin
principle of layered security,” says Bluestone.
“Even if the bad guys get through the second,
third or fourth layer, each one has slowed them
down. We have CCTV monitoring entrances,
then we have hand wands and search arches.
There are additional cameras monitoring the
internal areas and officers patrolling the building.
Certain areas have electronic access control.
Reliable radios are essential – communication
is the most important aspect of security.”
CYBER SECURITY
One issue that has grown in importance for a lot
of performing arts venues in recent years is cyber
security. Hackers have grown more sophisticated
in their strategies over the past decade, progressing
from cracking passwords to using machine learning
and ransomware.
Smart venues are reacting to the threat. For example,
the National Theatre in London, UK, has put in place
a programme to monitor everything that happens in
its IT office, minute by minute. The monitoring board
helps spot when data has gone missing, or a computer
is visiting a site that could be involved in a scam. It looks
out for the types of cyber threats that could be faced
by any business, such as drive-by and phishing attacks,
but it also scans for theatre-specific dangers, such as
touts trying to get hold of tickets for popular shows.
“We can’t ignore the cyber threats as there’s a lot of
equipment in auditoria driven by computers,” comments
Mike Bluestone of Corps Security. “If the hackers get
in they can cause chaos, just as they would with gas,
power, water and air traffic control. The cyber threats
to the entertainment industry are gradually becoming
as real as the physical ones.”
AUDITORIA 2020 VOLUME ONE 45
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