I found an interesting story on the BBC website, via Bruce Schneier, about the impact of building security considerations into design.
The Design and Technology Alliance is a UK Government initiative designed to promote the idea that incorporating security considerations into the design process can have a profound impact in reducing crime.
The photo to the left offers one example of what they are talking about. It is a chair with a cut-out designed to hold a purse. As the designer points out in the article, if someone were to try and steal your purse while you are sitting, you would notice. It is a simple solution to a big problem.
I am often called to help people make changes to their home, office or store, to suggest ways to increase the level of security. 99% of these meetings happen immediately following a burglary or robbery… which is when most people are ready to seriously consider what needs to be done to prevent a recurrence.
In most cases, modifications that would have been inexpensive in the design & build phases are anything but as a retrofit. Not only are security upgrades to an existing structure less effective than if they were built in from day one, they also tend to be ugly.
In contrast, building some simple security considerations into the design before the house, store or anything else is built, can ensure that the end result is both aesthetically pleasing and secure.
Unfortunately, that combination is rarely achieved when security is an afterthought.