The Port Security Plan - Management of Tasks and Responsibilities Our week three lesson will explore the maritime port security environment and the resultant security demands inherently placed on the port security management team. More specifically, the security management team is charged with the responsibility for ensuring all port security elements are successfully planned, developed, and executed in order to execute vital security tasks and responsibilities associated with a safe and secure maritime port.  No doubt the security management team is one of the most important components when trying to protect against terrorists, criminal activities, and other commercial, industrial and natural disasters that can impact a maritime port.  Further, failure to properly assess, plan and execute the fundamental port security tasks and responsibilities required would be disastrous to port security operations in general. As a result, the focus for lesson three will identify and assess key policy and procedures necessary for successfully executing maritime security management operations. Moreover, the importance in building a solid port security posture must start right at the top of the organization, to include the port security leadership staff and the guard force.         As many already know, it all starts at the top.  Poor leadership will result in poor decisions and substandard performance from the staff, which will ultimately flow down and impact the entire security workforce. An inept and incompetent security staff will thoroughly corrupt the ability of the organization to adequately guard and protect the port as a whole.  Poor leadership will cripple a port, and potentially jeopardize the national security of the U.S.  Also, inexperienced and poorly trained managers will set the stage for major security gaps in the port to emerge rapidly, leading to possible exploitation of these gaps by nefarious individuals…who likely have designs centered on terrorism or criminal acts.  This is further complicated by the fact that all U.S port’s security funding for current and future budget years will be substantially cut.  Understanding this, it is essential that the port security teams have continuous education and skills training to maintain force competencies.   Just as important, the security team must be knowledgeable of the critical organizational components within the port that tie into port security.  Christopher identified these components as the communication systems and information sharing capability; building and maintaining a qualified professional staff; conducting basic and advance security training; fostering teamwork, camaraderie, and mission planning. Parallel to these operational components, it is also important that the port security team effectively respond to and interface effectively with incident management systems, attention to communications interoperability, public/media relations, written plans, policies, procedures, and la ...

1. The Port Security Plan - Management of Tasks and
Responsibilities
Our week three lesson will explore the maritime port security
environment and the resultant security demands inherently
placed on the port security management team. More
specifically, the security management team is charged with the
responsibility for ensuring all port security elements are
successfully planned, developed, and executed in order to
execute vital security tasks and responsibilities associated with
a safe and secure maritime port.
No doubt the security management team is one of the most
important components when trying to protect against terrorists,
criminal activities, and other commercial, industrial and natural
disasters that can impact a maritime port. Further, failure to
properly assess, plan and execute the fundamental port security
tasks and responsibilities required would be disastrous to port
security operations in general. As a result, the focus for lesson
three will identify and assess key policy and procedures
necessary for successfully executing maritime security
management operations. Moreover, the importance in building a
solid port security posture must start right at the top of the
organization, to include the port security leadership staff and
the guard force.
As many already know, it all starts at the top. Poor leadership
will result in poor decisions and substandard performance from
the staff, which will ultimately flow down and impact the entire
security workforce. An inept and incompetent security staff will
thoroughly corrupt the ability of the organization to adequately
guard and protect the port as a whole. Poor leadership will
cripple a port, and potentially jeopardize the national security
of the U.S. Also, inexperienced and poorly trained managers
will set the stage for major security gaps in the port to emerge
rapidly, leading to possible exploitation of these gaps by
nefarious individuals…who likely have designs centered on

2. terrorism or criminal acts. This is further complicated by the
fact that all U.S port’s security funding for current and future
budget years will be substantially cut. Understanding this, it is
essential that the port security teams have continuous education
and skills training to maintain force competencies.
Just as important, the security team must be knowledgeable of
the critical organizational components within the port that tie
into port security. Christopher identified these components as
the communication systems and information sharing capability;
building and maintaining a qualified professional staff;
conducting basic and advance security training; fostering
teamwork, camaraderie, and mission planning. Parallel to these
operational components, it is also important that the port
security team effectively respond to and interface effectively
with incident management systems, attention to communications
interoperability, public/media relations, written plans, policies,
procedures, and last, but not least, mutual aid agreements
(Christopher, 2009, p. 96).
Understanding the depth of the required tasks and
responsibilities require that the port security manager and the
security team be cognizant of how they can best meet the
operational and security needs of the port and its private sector
clients. Bottom line, security managers need to use a layered
approach to security which means using a variety of tools that
provide a strong defense against terrorism, crime, and other
identified risks we have already discussed.
Integrating Technology
In regards to the components of security planning, one of the
biggest that contributes directly to port security planning is the
inclusion of advanced security systems that can be incorporated
into the actual design phase of any new port facility. With new
and improved technologies being developed and introduced each
day, new methods of building an entire security systems must be
assessed and evaluated to make sure they are constructed in the
most cost effective and efficient manner. The ability to
mitigate security risks and gaps through advanced technology

3. application integration for all new facilities is most important.
It is essential that security infrastructure needs are planned for
during the phase known as the design and architecture stage.
This will ensure that security managers won’t need to request
for security infrastructure changes at a later time, which will
likely result in costly retrofitting of port facilities.
Additionally, budgets cuts will not allow for these post design
phase changes, so it is imperative that security managers get it
right the first time. The days of excessive cost overruns due to
poor planning or design efforts are no longer acceptable in
today’s constrained resource environment.
The Private Sector
Much has been said of the maritime private sector security
connection and the critical role they play in port security
planning. First and foremost, the private sector stakeholder
input is vital to proper port security planning. Knowing what
the internal and external customers’ needs are and how to meet
them is essential to security planning for port operations.
Additionally, a proven and tangible method of identifying ways
to mitigate attacks and other events is having hypothetical
exercise scenarios developed for operational testing and
validation. Conducting these operational tests and
organizational exercises enhances security systems knowledge
and understanding, and results in workable solutions for
comprehensive port security operations. Knowing the security
components and the various approaches available to
management in order to mitigate and remove security gaps with
the private sector working within the port environment is
extremely important. Lastly, including the private sector while
developing and executing a robust test and exercise program is
a best practice for enhanced port security.
In addition, having private sector input during the design and
architecture stage is vital. Rebuttals, views and opinions from
differing parties should be encouraged and welcomed in order to
ensure one party isn’t “angling” their advice or recommendation
to achieve an underlying motive. If one party were the only one

4. engaging with the development team, then effective security
components could possibly get overlooked or dumped. The
desired end-state is that everyone must work together to achieve
the same goal….a safe and viable port.
Fortress Mentality
No discussion on port security is complete without
understanding the issue of “fortress mentality” within the port
environment. Simply explained, engineers and architects
specialize on how to build things effectively and efficiently.
This is why we commission them in the first place. However,
that doesn’t mean they know how precisely the security systems
must work or even understand how the port security systems are
properly integrated into the larger security system that protect
the port. Therefore, the port security manager must ensure there
isn’t too much security, where it becomes a detriment to
production as opposed to a contribution to the overall port
production. The goal is to find the right balance between port
production verses a state of excessive security policies and
procedures that bottleneck port operations. The author is not
suggesting we spin the dice and sacrifice security for
production, but slowing down port production to the point it is
no longer viable to conduct business operations due to excessive
security procedures, is fortress mentality. Fortress mentality
will stifle operational processes and procedures that pay the
bills. Too much security is counterproductive when it prevents
the operational component from reaching max production
efficiency.
Finding Balance
One way to find balance is through the “The Secure Freight
Initiative” (SFI). The SFI is a Department of Homeland Security
(DHS) program and part of the SAFE Port Act of 2006. The SFI
uses nuclear detection technology in foreign ports. The
equipment used to support the SFI scans containers for threats
and automatically notify the host country authorities and the
DHS.
This allows both countries to take action and prevent any major

5. incidents from occurring, such as a WMD placed in a container.
Another important initiative is the implementation of the
Container Security Initiative (CSI) managed through the
Customs and Boarder Protection (CBP) Agency. With the
detection equipment and other cyber centric systems in place,
CBP will have near real-time information such as manifest
submissions to help with risk assessments of shipments coming
to American ports. This is supportive and a derivative of the
Secure Freight Initiative. According to Homeland Security in
the Secure Freight Initiative, 2012, “The Secure Freight
Initiative builds upon a risk-based approach to securing the
international supply chain by leveraging programs like the
Megaports Initiative, Container Security Initiative, and the
Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TAPT)
program.” Each of the initiatives reduces a massive risk burden
on the port security management team, as all high risk
containers are inspected before even arriving in any U.S. Port.
In summary, one of the key goals of the initiatives is to scan as
many containers as possible without disruption of business. Is
that possible in a business such as shipping when time frames
and schedules must be adhered to? We shall see.
In an article written by Douglas Frantz for the Washington
Post, in July 2015; Port Security; U.S. fails to meet deadline for
scanning of cargo containers; he indicates that the U.S. did not
meet a legal deadline for scanning all shipping containers for
radioactive materials. Frantz is highlighting the Secure Freight
Initiative. Even though the requirement is 100% screening at
foreign ports, the cost at that time, according to DHS Director
Napolitano, would be $16 Billion to implement (Frantz 2015).
Instead, the screening is being accomplished on “high-risk”
containers based on intelligence. Even though it may be a good
idea to screen every container, again it is not cost
effective.
As in any business that moves commerce, either goods, products
or people, as in the airline industry or shipping industry, if you

6. are not moving you are not making money. And of course the
business mission is to turn a profit. For example, on time
departures at airports are the driving force of many decisions
that are made, to include security and the equipment to screen
passengers. As already discussed above, if every shipping
container or bulk cargo item was screened, the time it would
take to accomplish that screening process would be excessive,
thereby causing a bottleneck of all cargo movements and
severely impacting commerce in general. Even though it would
be possible to do that, in a business sense it would not be
practical, or better put in the language of the stakeholders, not
cost effective. Moreover, the cost is not only the cost in time or
shipment delays, but the cost in procuring and sustaining the
equipment necessary to conduct cargo and container
screenings.
To achieve full compliance with government security
regulations, the port security manager must combine security
planning with all aspects of port operations. The port must be
able to interface with national and international port facility
security, and understand clearly what requirements are
mandated by compliance of government regulations. Port
management leaders must have a working knowledge and
understanding of the major pieces of legislation such as the
Homeland Security Act of 2002, Homeland Security Presidential
Directives, MTSA of 2002, SAFE Port Act and others. We will
discuss these policies and regulations in more detail during the
week.
Facility and Personnel Security
A key and very important position in planning and managing the
security function in the port facility is the Facility Security
Officer (FSO). The FSO is basically responsible for the
development, implementation, revision and maintenance of the
port facility security plan. One of the most important
responsibilities is to instill an awareness of overall port security
for all facility employees and visitors. This awareness
philosophy will provide employees and customers with an

7. understanding of the importance of security in the port. It goes
without saying that security is everyone’s responsibility.
In this lesson we discussed the port security management
function and briefly highlighted three important tasks and
responsibilities required of the maritime port security manager
and his team. Failure in leadership resulting in poor
management can severely impact the security sector, and would
likely result in disastrous consequences for the port, and to a
larger degree, the U.S. economy. It was also noted that a
critical task and responsibility carried out by the security
management team is to ensure that any new facility design and
architecture is developed and constructed with the necessary
security systems infrastructure enhancements that will
incorporate and support new and emerging technologies. And
lastly, we reviewed the current legislation and government
policies that are currently in-place to protect and safeguard U.S.
ports against terrorist and criminal threats and activities.
Course Objective - Explain the specific security challenges in
the Port Maritime Environment, Risk-based Management,
Megaports Initiative, and the Secure Freight Initiative.
Instructions: Your initial post should be at least 350 words.