- Security Technologies Associates - A player company in the AlertForce Campaign

Thursday, April 13, 2006

Commerce Bank of Beverly Hills

To: Mr. Drysedale
Re: Bank Security
Date: 4/14/13

We at SeTec associates have completed our survey of your current security needs and are pleased to present our findings.

Your bank is at a high risk of security breach. Let us begin with your security plans: they may be acquired through security flaws in the computer system of the contractor who installed the system. Complete schematics, locations of sensors and cameras, diagrams of wiring junctions, floor plans and actual security codes can be acquired by a competent hacker. While this is not a fault of your own security system it does have a direct impact on how secure your own system is. We strongly advise you to contact your security installation contractor to resolve this matter.

As for the physical security of your building - there is much left to be desired. Your roof access is not adequately monitored; there are areas of the roof with no camera monitoring. Your HVAC vents and ductwork have no internal monitors, either passive or active. One of the access points for your security system is actually within the vents. (Also enclosed find one wire, red, 6".) Your cameras may be locally disabled by cutting of power cables within the vent system. We found that your stairwell doors do not have secondary, independent monitors and that cameras on all floors were controlled by a single system. Door locks were simply key locks, offices are not monitored, and your security guards are somewhat lax in their duties, not to mention unobservant. (The bank vault was not inspected as we have found that the best way to protect the vault is to simply make getting to it highly difficult.) The operative assigned your case asked that we pass along a message to you:
"Dear Mr. Drysdale. You have a lovely bank. Thanks for letting us visit. -Setec Associates"
Presumably you know what this means.

We recommend the following upgrades to your security system:
  • increased number of roof cameras
  • a variety of passive and active sensors on all vent grates
  • monitoring (laser, IR, motion, etc...) within the vent system
  • camera power monitoring
  • relocation of system access points to a secured room
  • independent floor based camera systems
  • redundant independent alarms on stairwell doors
  • numeric keypad or RFID locks on all office doors
  • increased presence of security guards in the hallways
  • increased security guard training
If you would like to set up an appointment with one of our select contractors and vendors, please do not hesitate to call. We are ready to help you build a more secure facility for both you and the clients of your bank.

Jurgen von Dietz
Security Technologies associates