Thursday, February 11, 2016

A View of the World's Infrastructure -- PBS Video "Humanity from Space"

I have been a student of global infrastructure for many years and even completed my Masters in Infrastructure Planning and Management from the University of Washington, Seattle, USA this past year.  This week I happened to view an absolutely fascinating video on the US Public Broadcasting System (PBS) called Humanity from Space.

http://www.pbs.org/program/humanity-from-space/ 
This video offers a terrific view of global infrastructure expansion and development from the early days of mankind up to the future views of expanded renewable energy, communications networks, highways, transportation, etc.

From the PBS page, here is a broader description of the video:



You can view the entire video at:  http://www.pbs.org/video/2365530573/

You may also be able to locate it on other alternative options such as Roku, Netflix, Amazon Prime.

Anyway, take time to view this phenomenal film....the graphics are thought provoking and the music is from one of my favorite composers, Thomas Bergersen/Two Steps from Hell.

Cheers!

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Monday, February 8, 2016

ONE OF FEW IN THE WORLD – MASTERS IN INFRASTRUCTURE PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT


As I began writing this blog post the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland is in progress.  In conjunction with this major meeting the WEF also produces its Global Risks Report.  One section of the report – shown below – is entitled “Global Risks of Highest Concern for Doing Business.”





As you look at this list, the eighth most important risk of concern is “Failure of Critical Infrastructure.” 

Wow, that is very disconcerting and it is important that critical infrastructure issues be addressed to help mitigate and alleviate these risks.  But even as you think about it, global infrastructure is strained even with issues #1 through #7 (and #9, of course).

But how?

Masters of Infrastructure Planning and Management


In August 2015 I successfully completed the Master’s Degree in Infrastructure Planning and Management at the University of Washington, Seattle, Washington USA.  This program – entirely online, so you can take classes literally around the globe in various time zones – provided fantastic exposure to me as an infrastructure security professional on ways to manage and protect vital infrastructure systems from natural and man made threats.  The program curriculum is included below.



Figure 2 http://www.infrastructure-management.uw.edu/overview/courses/

And as you can observe, the courses train the students on such fundamental topics as risk management, geographic information systems (GIS), and strategic planning.  The core courses include “soup to nuts” reviews of different infrastructure sectors such as energy, water, food, transportation, emergency management and public health.

At the end of the two-year program I believe you can be an adept contributor to critical infrastructure planning and management at the local, regional, national or international level.

By the way, the instructors are also accomplished, practical professionals in their areas.  For instance the infrastructure finance professor studied under Nobel Laureates at the University of California.  The instructors teaching the energy courses work for the regional utility in Seattle, and the public health professor is a physician with almost 40 year’s experience in international public health management.

Overall, the instructors “…really know their stuff…” from a practical, hand-on perspective and after a quarter with each one of them you have not only learned the details of the sector but you also know where to look for more information – a key value to me as a critical infrastructure protection professional.

Graduates and their Stories


Some of my fellow classmates have done very well with their MIPM credentials.  One grad continued in the Business Continuity/Planning space for a major health insurance provider and is now the Global Emergency Preparedness manager for a major, US West Coast university.  Another classmate continues as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Army with expanded awareness of global infrastructure issues.  A third classmate is in a local city public utility doing planning work.

How Can I Get More Information?  Where Do I Sign Up?

If you want more details I’d first suggest you visit the University of Washington Master in Infrastructure Planning and Management web page.

Be sure to review the Admissions requirements and the Costs/Financial Aid page.  Overall, you’ll see that the entrance requirements are certainly those of a Top Tier University but within reason for the working professional.  Some of my classmates had their tuition covered by the GI Bill and my company reimbursed me for my courses.

Of note, each cohort starts at the end of September each year and the Application Deadline is June 1st.

Unique Training – Unique Opportunity


As the faculty and students can attest, this is one of the very few programs in the world offering Masters-level training on infrastructure planning and management.  And, it is ONLINE so you don’t need to attend classes and – as a working professional – I can tell you that class assignments can be completed even if you are on the road multiple time zones away from Seattle.

So, here are the key Links…..and remember, the Application Deadline is June 1st.

·         PROGRAM OVERVIEW: http://www.infrastructure-management.uw.edu/

·         CURRICULUM:                  http://www.infrastructure-management.uw.edu/overview/courses/

·         FACULTY:                            http://www.infrastructure-management.uw.edu/overview/faculty/

·         ADMISSIONS:                    http://www.infrastructure-management.uw.edu/admissions/

·         FINANCES:                          http://www.infrastructure-management.uw.edu/costs/

·         ONLINE LEARNING:         http://www.infrastructure-management.uw.edu/overview/onlinelearning/

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Tuesday, February 2, 2016

Plan of Attack: Studying for the ASIS Physical Security Professional (PSP) Certification Test

I recently sat for the ASIS Physical Security Professional (PSP) certification exam.  The test is about 125 questions and you are allotted about three hours to complete the test at a testing facility (e.g., Prometrics).

This Blog is intended to offer a Plan of Attack on how to study for the exam; however, according to the rules of engagement, I am not permitted to offer example/actual questions, answers, etc.  Instead, this Blog is really a "How To" prepare for the test using a process I developed after searching the Internet and reviewing any ASIS resources that could offer ideas.

Be sure you take a look at the ASIS Board Certification Handbook as you prepare for this journey.

STEP 1: ASSEMBLE ALL RESOURCES


Collect/assemble all your resources to study for the test.  The first set of resources is listed on the ASIS site here.

These documents include:

* One book not listed but is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED is the ASIS book, Protection of Assets - Physical Security.  Yes, the PSP Reference does contain some repetitive information from the actual POA -- and you need the PSP Reference due to the chapter on high rise security -- the actual POA is and imperative read as you prepare for the test.

STEP 2: OUTLINE THE ASIS GUIDELINES


This first step will help you to gain a broad view of where your studying will take you.  By simply reading the Guidelines and outlining the various sections -- even just handwriting down the different sections/subsections in order -- you'll get a chance to see the flow of the organization of what is included in Physical Security.

In my case I did my outline in Microsoft PowerPoint with the slides highlighting the key concepts for each section/subsection.  (NOTE:  These outline PPT decks will be useful for review).

From these Guidelines I'd suggest you memorize the Business Continuity process flow first shown on page 10 of the ASIS Business Continuity Guideline and shown below:

BCP Process flow

STEP 3: START READING, OUTLINING, REVIEWING


This is now where the real work starts.  But, with the background you already have with the above outlining efforts and your own professional experience, this will be time-consuming but not daunting.

There is no right/wrong way to proceed but I essentially did the following steps on my reading:

NOTE:  
If you have little or no practical field experience in the Physical Security space, take time to read and outline Introduction to Security,  This is the first thing you'll need to do to get a solid foundation for your studying.  Otherwise, if you have considerable physical and cyber security experience you can "jump into the pool" and start with the reading/studying list below:

Page 4, Design and Evaluation of Physical Protection Systems

  • Fourth:  Read and study Implementing Physical Protection Systems: A Practical Guide,  Be sure you understand the six phases of PPS life cycle planning and what goes into each one of the phases.  Overall this is a very helpful book in your future life as a security project manager and the words of wisdom offered by David Peterson are very helpful.
  • Fifth:  Read and study Effective Physical Security,  Each chapter offers a wealth of information on various technical topics you've already learned in the POA above and in Mary Lynn Garcia's work.  This book is also great for quick reference when you need a few more details when studying on such topics as locks, lighting, etc.
  • Sixth:  Read the remaining references in any order.  

STEP 4:  START STUDYING, MEMORIZING, LEARNING, REINFORCING


Now comes the truly hard work.  Each of us have our own way of learning, but below I'll offer my own approach.

Each one of the books above I outlined the chapters using PowerPoint -- the same way I outlined the Guidelines.

Some people prefer to use Flash Cards; however, a wonderful and FREE system you can use is an online application called Quizlet.  Be sure to set up a FREE account and then conduct a search for any Quizes prepared for the PSP.  I located about four and also built a few myself -- which is great! 

 

You can use Quizlet to display Flashcards, develop tests (multiple choice, fill in the blank, match) and even play games using "Scatter" and "Gravity."  

Quizlet really helped me with Flashcard preparation (yes, you can print them) and took the boredom out of the review process.

WHAT ABOUT OTHER PSP TEST PREPARATION OPPORTUNITIES?


Be sure to check the ASIS website and your own local chapter to see if they are offering any PSP study groups.  Unfortunately, I was not able to participate in any.

GENERAL GUIDELINES


Here are some general guidelines to consider when preparing for the test:

1) Don't CRAM and expect to pass the test.  There is too much information.

2) Draw every diagram you see at least once.
3) Prepare a plan (like the above) and build upon what you are learning.  For instance, when reading a specific topic in the Protection of Assets - Physical Security -- e.g., Lighting -- then also read the section on Lighting in the Effective Physical Security, to complement and augment what you just learned.

4) Know your terms but also know the contents of the practical discussions in Garcia's and Fennelly's books -- as well as both POA references.

5) Get a good night's rest the night before the exam.  Review your outlines the day of the test and go for it!

GOOD LUCK!!