What hazards are security and protection systems designed to guard against?

Security and protection systems are designed to safeguard individuals and property against a wide array of hazards. These systems employ passive and preventive measures to mitigate risks, which can be categorized as follows:

Physical and Human-Related Hazards

• Crime: Protection against theft, including shoplifting, internal employee dishonesty (such as embezzlement and fraud), and burglary.12
• Violence and Civil Unrest: Guarding against attacks, bombings, hijackings, and violent demonstrations.13
• Espionage, Sabotage, and Subversion: Protecting sensitive national-security information and proprietary business data, such as trade secrets.123

Environmental and Safety Hazards

• Fire and Accidents: Systems are designed to detect and suppress fires and prevent accidents. This includes the use of firefighting equipment and life-safety systems that manage smoke, heat, and building evacuations during emergencies.134
• Natural Disasters: Protection against events such as floods and earthquakes.43
• Operational Failures: Managing risks like power failures.4

Digital and Information Hazards

In the context of computer security, systems protect against unauthorized access, malware, and cyber threats like phishing or denial-of-service attacks. These measures also address risks associated with careless data sharing and the exploitation of digital footprints.5