Security is everywhere (even on my key ring)

I recently left my keys dangling in the lock of our office door for several hours, an instance of absentmindedness that Editor Cory Harris pointed out was an access control failure.

Every day at this strange new job provides an educational opportunity because, as I’ve quickly become aware, security is e-v-e-r-y-w-h-e-r-e. I’m seeing it in TV shows. To be fair, cop shows are among my personal favorite, so yeah, Benson & Stabler are always looking for security video footage. I’m reading about it in the news and fighting with the newly installed locking keypads at my apartment (at least I can’t leave my keys there).

Speaking of the news, which I read avidly daily and often multiple times daily, my attention was caught by an article in which Supreme Court Justices Elena Kagan and Amy Coney Barrett testified before Congress on July 14 – the first time that justices have appeared before lawmakers for testimony since 2019, according to the article.

The court has requested a roughly 10% budget increase, totaling about $14 million to $15 million more for judiciary security with plans to, among other things, hire six new security agents dedicated to each of the nine justices.

Justice Kagan said the Supreme Court police saw a 25% increase in threats last year and expect another 38% increase this year.

That’s hardly surprising given the state of our polarized country and, frankly, some of the court’s wildly unpopular decisions.

Relatedly, politicians – and candidates – are also pretty unpopular these days (OK, that’s nothing new, let’s be honest), but as we continue along in the never-ending run-up to the midterm elections, it’s easy to assume that threats of political violence will increase.

I recently wrote an article about Rhode Island and Arizona in June becoming the two most recent states to enact the Safeguarding Election Candidates Using Reasonable Expenditures (SECURE) Act. The bill would provide a clear framework that allows candidates and elected officials to use campaign funds for professional security services.

Jake Braunger, director of government affairs, home services, at NRG, who helped draft the bill’s language, told me that while the high-profile incidents make the news, elected officials often receive daily threats. Threats we never hear about.

Given my own remarkable ability to create my own access control vulnerabilities, I’m obviously grateful that I’m hardly a high-profile target. But beyond the headlines and high-profile cases, all of these issues are a reminder that security isn't just about protecting buildings, networks or public officials. It's about protecting people. And in a world where threats seem to be increasing from every direction, that's a lesson worth paying attention to.

Stay safe out there, folks!