Page 15 - the SyI Quarterly 14 Booklet Format

Know your Institute
Know your Institute

The role of standards As security professionals, standards and ethics are both
key to enabling effective security risk management of
the organisations we work for. “The main aim of security
is to try and protect users from people who want to hurt
or rob them through our systems…this seems to imply
and ethics in business security is an aspect of ethics” Anne Currie, the Ethics
of Security 2018. At an individual level it might be about
defining our own roles and behaviours, an example
of which might be a code of ethics for security guards
focusing on values and principles.
- By Sarah Austerberry CSyP FSyI, Security Institute Director
The role of ethics is essentially about building
trust, again with our employees and members, our
What should public bodies, not for profit organisations and commercial business, whether sole traders or stakeholders and the public. Transparency in our
global corporations employing thousands, have in common? I would suggest it should be standards and decision making – which is not about taking the easy
ethics. option but taking the right option even though that may
raise some challenges.
Standards should be the definitions, the written guidance that set out how we run, or expect our businesses
to be run. In some cases, there will be international or national codes of practice recommended, or As members and prospective members of the Security
legally required, others might be more informal but equally important. Standards help shape the way our Institute, we are duty bound by a code of ethics, “It is a
businesses might be run, shaping the expectations of our customers, members, and stakeholders. Without condition of membership that all members, and those
standards we cannot effectively measure our success. applying for membership, observe the highest standards
of professional and ethical conduct”. As board directors
Security is full of standards, whether they be technical specifications for security equipment to meet a we are also bound by associated legal duties which are
specific standard, a code of practice for protective monitoring systems, or an agreed process such as the known as the seven duties: namely we must consider
government baseline personnel security standard (BPSS) for pre-employment screening of individuals the:
working with government assets and widely adopted in the private sector.

Essentially, the role of standards should be about building confidence – for both employees, members, • Consequences of decisions, including the long-term
stakeholders, the public who interact with us that we are doing our jobs in the right way, following due interests of its employees
process and procedures. Operating in a safe and secure way. • need to support business relationships with
suppliers, customers and others
Standards provide the framework or mechanism for business delivery, but equally important is ethics, which • impact of its operations on the community and
is far less tangible as its about our decision making and behaviours, to be compliant or not, to take short cuts environment
or not, to withhold pertinent information that may negatively influence a business decision or not. It’s the • company’s reputation for high standards of business
moral code of practice that enhances the de facto rules and regulations of a business. conduct
• need to act fairly to all members of the company

We recognise the importance of standards and ethics as
being central to good business. This is why the Security
Institute and its Board of Directors have been reviewing
our own standards in terms of governance and ethics
to ensure that as an organisation we are match fit for
now and the future. That we have the right policies
and processes in place to respond to new risks and
new opportunities, and that our code of ethics remains
relevant.

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