Critical Infrastructure Bill: A Catalyst for Progress
23 June 2023
Every business is subject to industry legislation and regulatory obligations, often to ensure safety and security.
The introduction of new obligations and bills should be regarded as a catalyst for change – a great opportunity for a business to transform, innovate and enhance its risk assessment structure to reduce risks.
New variations of technology such as artificial intelligence (AI) systems may have impacts on stability and risk of conflict. It is therefore important for business and operations leaders to be aware of such evolutions in the landscape, the potential of these solutions, and the benefits they offer. While technology can be extremely helpful in the innovation of a business, they do not come without risks, which makes choosing the right partner integral to successful transformation.
A change to the rules
But first, a look at how legislation and regulations have changed. In July 2021, the Australian Border Force (ABF) shared new obligations for customs depot and warehouse licenses with the aim of improving efficiencies, transparency and security.
These changes impacted the broader supply chain to strengthen existing controls by placing timings on the notification of matters to the ABF and additional controls on persons accessing customs licensed sites, clarifying definitions for additional conditions related to specific licence types, and aligning compliance controls for licence holders.
The introduction of the Critical Infrastructure Bill, developed in April 2022, marked changes to the framework of the supply chain obligations.
The Security of Critical Infrastructure (SOCI) legislation, and critical infrastructure organisations, outline the new requirements. These include submitting a risk assessment to the government which details aspects of operations that need to be adopted, maintained, and complied with.
Specifically, the bill outlines a risk management program to manage the ‘four pillars of security’ to meet the principles-based outcomes that are focused on effective governance while minimising risks from hazards. The four pillars include cyber and information, personnel security, physical security and supply chain, and business continuity security.
Certis as a third-party security partner
As a third-party security partner, Certis can assist organisations in integrating the SOCI Act into their risk assessment and management strategy. The need to integrate the CI bill’s requirements into a business’ operation opens up windows of opportunity.
At Certis Security Australia, we recognise the need to find a balance between making changes to reduce risk exposure, such as the management of access controls without being overly restrictive such that it compromises efficiency.
Among our differentiating qualities are the close relationships we foster with customers and partners to support them throughout the journey of creating more secure strategies.
This reassures our clients that the solutions employed have been designed and introduced to specification. We cater to our customers’ exact needs and personalise the experience by leveraging technology and the data technology gives us access to, and use that to support the understanding of situations and support decision making, both reactively and pro-actively.
From the analytics of CCTV footage to direct access controls and physical man guarding, we are adept at identifying risks, addressing issues and proactively preventing them from even arising in the first place. Our teams within Certis have the skills to put into place reviews and assessments to find solutions to vulnerabilities and address them before they even become an issue.
Operations-Design First
Our clients’ interests are at the heart of our approach.
In adopting an Operations-Design First method, we seek to first understand our customers’ needs, objectives and on-ground challenges before working out a suitable means to address them. Technology, through the installation of sensors and CCTVs, may help gather information for analysis to help understand a business. Such insights play a pivotal role in making control of daily operations more efficient, but data is only as useful if we know how to make of it. The success of our solutions doesn’t just lie in the quality of the hardware but in the experience and technical know-how of our operators in using data to better support a business’ needs.
It is vital for businesses to apply solutions that address risks with vigilance, adequate situational awareness and simply being smart about risk assessments to achieve better operational results. We offer such an approach, with a tailored Operations-Design First approach that blends manpower and technology into efficient solutions that bring business advantages to customers.
More than just security
As an integrated solutions provider with a background in security, Certis Australia can partner with organisations to help achieve combined success.
Beyond physical man-guarding operations, Certis Australia has successfully designed, specified, installed, and maintained a range of programs as part of a bespoke offering to help address individual challenges faced by clients across Australia. We understand that there are complexities of business operations which are unique, and single-sized solutions never fit all. Certis Australia is proactive in tweaking existing solutions so they can be utilised more efficiently in times of both physical and digital threats to enhance a customer’s experience.
As technology evolves with greater complexity, so do the regulations and obligations organisations are held to. Therefore, the integration of more efficient solutions, both in security and operations, should involve and impact the entire business operations so there is visibility across the whole company, not just the leaders.
Statutory requirements aside, it makes practical sense to actively consider and manage regulatory obligations and business continuity by managing security risks to ensure their ongoing ability to meet the requirements and provide sufficient engagement service to customers.
At Certis Australia, our proactive culture is a fundamental aspect of our service offering, with an ability to deliver real value to a client’s operation. This introduction of new obligations and bills will change the shape of the regulatory obligations landscape, but rather than view it as an inevitable fact, it offers clients an opportunity for transformation. As partners, we look towards helping them achieve safer, smarter, and better outcomes.
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