SCIFs, or Sensitive Compartmented Information Facilities, are constructed with one purpose, and one purpose alone – to keep classified data under wraps. But the steps to build one are numerous, and the technology, craftsmanship, complexities, and sheer effort that accompany it – staggering. For that reason, it is crucial that you hire a SCIF and closed room specialist. Here are just three of the biggest criteria they should meet:
- Accountability: Shoddy installs are, by far, the biggest reason that SCIFs fail to pass accreditation. That is why it is imperative to enlist the services of a professional SCIF and closed room specialist. These unique contractors have undergone rigorous training and racked up subsequent experience that makes them experts in their field. Secom’s team, for example, has more than 50 years of experience designing SCIFs, secure containers, and closed rooms, and has Top Secret and Secret cleared personnel on staff.
- Efficiency: Ask any FSO that has ever been faced with an 11th-hour system malfunction, and they’ll tell you: time is of the essence. When it’s a quarter ’til 5 and that door just won’t arm, you’re either rescued by the SCIF and closed room specialist you just dialed, or you’re in for a long night of tossing and turning on an uncomfortable cot. Classified data is too important to trust with glorified “door shakers.” Instead, search for an expert team that will respond, inspect, and report all findings at your closed room or secured facility. Secom meets all sponsoring agency requirements, including 15, 20, and 30-minute mandatory response times.
- Transparency: The best SCIF and closed room specialists offer 100% clarity. Look for a vendor that believes in an open architecture approach to doing business and who can service your existing systems with low annual fees. What sets Secom apart from the rest is that we are one of a select few UL 2050 security providers authorized to install, monitor, and service SCIFs, secured containers, and closed areas throughout the country. We regularly provide UL 2050 and DoD monitoring services on existing SCIF security systems, typically with no associated upfront costs.
If you have Top Secrets in need of safeguards, we’re just a phone call away. Secom’s specialists can service any government system within a 4-hour radius of our Columbia, Md. headquarters. Reach out to us today to learn more and ask about our in-house financing.