What is Threat-Oriented Person Screening Integrated System (TOPSIS)?

Introduction

Security programs commonly focus on integrating people, processes and technologies (collectively known as the Physical Protection System) to protect organisation’s assets against identified threats.?While we can implement security technologies like CCTV cameras, video analytics, card access systems, patrol robots etc and deploy many security personnel, it is very difficult to provide 100% security coverage and protection.?Security personnel cannot be everywhere all the time.?It is not possible to install cameras and sensors at every single spot within the building.??

Many companies implement security awareness program to raise the security alertness of their employees, contractors, and stakeholders.?These security awareness programs have measurable success and contribute to the effectiveness of the organisation’s security programme.?Most security awareness programmes are implemented using basic strategies like communicating security messages using posters, email reminders, e-Learning modules etc.?It is a good programme, but more can be done.

Security Enhancement Programme

How to improve the organisation’s security programme??The Centre for Protective Security (a department under the Singapore Police Force) designed a protective security framework that includes the components of the PPS and a TOPSIS programme to enhance the organisation’s security programme.

What is TOPSIS?

The TOPSIS programme was originally conceptualised in 2007 and progressively rolled out at the Singapore’s border checkpoints since 2009, with the aim of providing a more structured and comprehensive framework for traveler (passenger) screening.

As security personnel at these checkpoints cannot be everywhere all the time,?it is important for non-security community to add to the sense of vigilance.?The non-security community provides additional ‘eyes and ears’ on the ground which in turn improves the chances of detection of threats.

Both security and non-security communities are trained to detect Tell-Tale Indicators (TTI) of suspicious behaviors.

Non-security personnel report suspicious persons to the security personnel for follow-up investigation.??

From TOPSIS 1.0 to TOPSIS 2.0

TOPSIS was reportedly a successful security enhancement program at the checkpoints.?In 2018, the government extended the outreach to implement TOPSIS to inland locations, including critical infrastructure and buildings with high human traffic.?The initial TOPSIS (also known as TOPSIS 1.0) programme was renamed to Threat-Oriented Person Screening Integrated System (also known as TOPSIS 2.0), replacing the word Passenger with Person to reflect the widen scope of the programme.

TOPSIS Components

There are 3 key TOPSIS components:

1.??????Tell-Tale Indicators (TTI) Detection

Detection of suspicious behaviors by non-security staff.?The tacit knowledge (familiarity of their work area) these non-security staff have enables them to detect behaviors that are suspicious, irregular, abnormal or unusual. ?

2.??????Involve all communities at multiple layers

Both security and non-security communities are involved. The non-security community provides additional ‘eyes and ears’ on the ground which in turn improves the chances of detecting threats.

3.??????Effective use of existing technology

Non-security personnel report suspicious person to the security personnel who will conduct security questioning and / or use security technologies to aid them in the investigation.?The approach is to subject suspicious person, rather than all persons to enhanced security screening.

3 Roots of building a TOPSIS culture

To ensure the TOPSIS programme is Built to Last, the organisation should plant the 3 Roots to cultivate the TOPSIS culture.?The 3 Roots are:

·??????Recognise – Train security and non-security community on how to recognise TTIs on an on-going basis. All new personnel should be trained, and existing personnel should be re-trained.?There are 2 key steps in recognising TTIs: Establish baseline and Scan for TTIs.

·??????Report – Establish a reporting system.?All personnel should know who and how to report suspicious behavior.?

·??????Resolve – Establish the process for the responding security team to resolve the suspicion.?Train the security personnel on security questioning techniques and also use of security screening equipment (if required).

Implementing TOPSIS

TOPSIS is more than a security awareness program.?It requires careful and detailed planning to implement an effective TOPSIS programme at the workplace.?Every organisation has different work environment and are faced with different threats, hence a customised TOPSIS framework should be developed for the organisation.?

If you require further information about the TOPSIS programme, please send your queries to [email protected]