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Home > About USPS & News > Forms & Publications > Postal Periodicals and Publications > Handbooks > Handbook AS-805 - Information Security > 7 Physical and Environmental Security > 7-2 Roles and Responsibilities
7-2 Roles and Responsibilities
Specific Postal Service roles and responsibilities for physical and environmental
security are defined in the sections below and are depicted in Exhibit 7.2.
The chief inspector is responsible for the following:
a. Establishing policy and criteria for overall Postal Service physical and
environmental security.
b. Providing physical protection assistance and investigating information
security incidents involving the physical loss, theft, or destruction of
Postal Service information resources.
c. Conducting periodic site security reviews, surveys, and investigations of
Postal Service activities and sites to evaluate all aspects of physical
and environmental security.
d. Providing technical guidance on physical security needs, such as
controlled areas, access lists, physical access control systems, and
identification badges.
e. Providing technical guidance on physical and environmental security
that supports information resources, including the protection of
workstations, portable devices, and sensitive, critical, and
business-controlled media.
f. Providing guidance on the use of the Postal Service Security Force.
g. Investigating reported violations of security regulations.
The manager, Corporate Information Security Office (CISO), is responsible
for the following:
a. Providing overall consultation and advice on Postal Service physical,
environmental, and administrative security controls.
b. Assessing the adequacy of physical, environmental, and administrative
security controls in a changing information infrastructure.
c. Assessing and ensuring compliance with physical security policies
related to information security through inspections, reviews, and
evaluations.

Installation heads are responsible for the following:
a. Designating a security control officer (SCO) who will be responsible for
both personnel and physical security at that facility, including the
physical protection of computer systems, equipment, and information
located therein.
b. Implementing physical and environmental security, including support for
information security, such as the protection of workstations, portable
devices, and sensitive, critical, and business-controlled media.
c. Controlling physical access to the facility, including the establishment
and implementation of controlled areas, access lists, physical access
control systems, and identification badges.
d. Funding security equipment and building modifications.
e. Maintaining an accurate inventory of Postal Service information
resources at their facility and implementing appropriate hardware
security and configuration management.
f. Maintaining and upgrading as necessary all security investigative
equipment.
g. Ensuring completion of a site security review, providing assistance to
the Inspection Service and ISSO, as required, and accepting site
residual risk.
h. Ensuring that the Postal Service security policy, guidelines, and
procedures are followed in all activities related to information resources
at their facility, including procurement, development, and operation.
i. Taking appropriate action in response to employees who violate
established security policy or procedures.
j. Developing facility continuity of operations (COOP) plans.
Security control officers (SCO) are responsible for the following:
a. Establishing and maintaining overall physical and environmental
security at the facility, with technical guidance from the Inspection
Service.
b. Establishing controlled areas within the facility where required to protect
sensitive or critical information resources.
c. Establishing and maintaining access control lists of people who have
authorized access to specific controlled areas within the facility.
d. Ensuring positive identification and control of all personnel and visitors
in the facility.
e. Ensuring the protection of workstations and portable devices and
sensitive, critical, and business-controlled media.
f. Responding to physical security incidents.
g. Reporting physical security incidents to the Inspection Service.
h. Consulting on the facility continuity of operations (COOP) plans.

Contracting officers are responsible for the following:
a. Ensuring appropriate security requirements are addressed in contracts
requiring access to Postal Service information resources and facilities.
b. Ensuring that the security provisions of the contract are met.
c. Ensuring that building access and other privileges are removed for
contractor personnel when they are transferred or terminated.
All personnel are responsible for the following:
a. Displaying proper identification while in any facility that provides access
to Postal Service information resources.
b. Always using their physical and technology electromechanical access
control identification badge or device to gain entrance to a controlled
area.
c. Ensuring no one tailgates into a controlled area on their badge.
d. Protecting information resources, including workstations, portable
devices, information, and media.
e. Being aware of their physical surroundings, including weaknesses in
physical security and the presence of any authorized or unauthorized
visitor.
f. Promptly reporting suspicious or potentially dangerous activities or
conditions (see Chapter 13, Incident Management).
g. Taking immediate action to protect the information resources at risk
upon discovering a security deficiency or violation.
The inspector general, Office of the Inspector General (OIG), is responsible for
audits, evaluations, and reviews of Postal Service programs and operations.
Exhibit 7.2
Physical and Environmental Security Responsibilities
|
Activity
|
Chief
Inspector
|
CISO
|
InstallationHeads
|
Contracting
Officers
|
SCOs
|
All
Personnel
|
OIG
|
|
Establish controlled areas & access
control lists.
|
C/R
|
C
|
X/F
|
K
|
X
|
blank |
A
|
|
Install physical access control devices &
implement identification badges.
|
C/R
|
C
|
X/F
|
K
|
C
|
blank |
A
|
|
Protect network equipment, servers, &
mainframes.
|
C/R
|
C
|
X/F
|
K
|
X
|
|
A
|
|
Protect workstations, portable devices,
information, & media.
|
C/R
|
C
|
X/F
|
K
|
C/R
|
X
|
A
|
|
Implement environmental security &
support continuity of operations planning.
|
C/R
|
C
|
X/F
|
K
|
C
|
blank |
A
|
X = Responsible for accomplishment
F = Responsible for funding
C = Consulting support as required
K = Include requirements in contracts
R = Reviewing as required
A = Independent audits, evaluations, and reviews
(See Appendix A for a consolidated list of roles and responsibilities.)
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