Security Clearance

Back in the day, anyone could walk through the door and get to work or buy a book or try on some clothing or enjoy a meal without being watched.

My first job gave me a key to unlock a backroom where the stores and the bags of money were kept. Once the door was unlocked, it was open to anyone.

My next job didn’t have any security. It did have a cage with a lock for ancient volumes that no one ever asked to see, but the rest of the building was wide open, hoping refined patrons would obey the signs that said, “Staff Only”.

The next job started showing security. There was a strike with folks with placards walking around the building and one security guard in the lobby. The first thing I did was getting my picture taken and given a identification card to show to the security guard to pass through to work. Maybe after memory of facial recondition or just laziness the guard would wave you through with only a quick flash without close examination. Once inside the building there was another guard table to pass from the administration building to the production building. Again it was a speed bump and not true security. No metal detectors. No patting down.

Security cameras were installed in doorways for the few now uniformed security personnel to watch on black and white monitors. There was even a guard who was scheduled to walk through the offices, especially after hours, to check out everything was tidy. They even wore side arms as if they might find a terrorist before 9/11.

After the buildings were refurbished a new technology was introduced. The identification card now had a barcode that could be swiped to open doors. The different barcodes were assigned for access to different security rooms. Even the copiers need to use a secret code to make copies.

To get entrance needed to swipe the identification card. Of course if six people were following you and being polite, the door was open and others didn’t need to be checked.

As technology grew, who had the privilege to access different fileservers or store secure files like budgets or wages or supervisor reviews that were formally kept in a locked file cabinet? Still a fairly simple hack to get on the “secure” network from remote was easy to do.

Cameras started showing up in everything from TSA to grocery stores.  Anyone wearing a yellow vest or a blue shirt or a badge was the authorities who watched you and made the rules. Some could tie your hands behind your back and cart you off to a cage while others could only scold you.

In some position, what security clearance is a status symbol? Like the secret handshake or the key to the executive washroom, whether you could access regular security or for-you-eyes-only security or top secret security or super double firewall security requiring code words and retinal identification and possibly passwords changed everyday security keeps growing.

Signs in front of houses and triple locks and security cameras and private firms who will roam around the neighborhood with uniforms, flashlights and weapons make you feel secure.

Have you changed your bank account password recently?