The Federal Government owns or leases 3.4 billion square feet of space in 491,465 buildings which may be vulnerable to acts of terrorism and other forms of violence. The Interagency Security Committee (ISC) was created by Executive Order 12977 in 1995, following the domestic terrorist bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, OK, to address the quality and effectiveness of physical security requirements for federal facilities. The September 2001 terrorist attacks on the Pentagon and the World Trade Center renewed concerns about the vulnerability of federal buildings to bombing or other forms of attack. On February 28, 2003, the chairmanship of the ISC was transferred to the Secretary of Homeland Security from the Administrator of General Services by Executive Order 13286. In July 2004, based on Homeland Security Presidential Directive/HSPD-7, the ISC began reviewing federal agencies' physical security plans to better protect the nation's critical infrastructure and key resources. The ISC issued its updated Security Design Criteria on September 29, 2004, which set forth enhanced physical security requirements for the construction of new federal buildings as well as for major renovations of existing buildings. This report will be updated to reflect any policy changes in security standards for federal facilities.

The federal government owns or leases 3.7 billion square feet of office space, which may be vulnerable to acts of terrorism and other forms of violence. The Interagency Security Committee (ISC) was created by E.O. 12977 in 1995, following the domestic terrorist bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, OK, to address the quality and effectiveness of physical security requirements for federal facilities. The September 2001 terrorist attacks on the Pentagon and the World Trade Center renewed concerned about the vulnerability of federal buildings to bombing or other forms of attack. On February 28, 2003, the chairman of the ISC was transferred to the Secretary of Homeland Security from the Administrator of General Services by E.O. 13286. In July 2004, based on Homeland Security Presidential Directive/HSPD-7, the ISC began reviewing federal agencies' physical security plans to better protect the nation's critical infrastructure and key resources. On December 13, 2006, the ISC issued its 2007-2008 Action Plan, which sets forth revised policy recommendations for enhancing the quality and effectiveness of security in federal facilities.

One of the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) priorities is the protection of Federal employees and private citizens who work within and visit U.S. Government-owned or leased facilities. The Interagency Security Committee (ISC), chaired by DHS, consists of 53 Federal departments and agencies, has as its mission the development of security standards and best practices for nonmilitary Federal facilities in the United States. As Chair of the ISC, I am pleased to introduce the new ISC document titled The Risk Management Process: An Interagency Security Committee Standard (Standard). This ISC Standard defines the criteria and processes that those responsible for the security of a facility should use to determine its facility security level and provides an integrated, single source of physical security countermeasures for all nonmilitary Federal facilities. The Standard also provides guidance for customization of the countermeasures for Federal facilities.

In November 1999, GSA and the U.S. Department of State convened a symposium to discuss the apparently conflicting objectives of security from terrorist attack and the design of public buildings in an open society. The symposium sponsors rejected the notion of rigid, prescriptive design approaches. The symposium concluded with a challenge to the design and security professions to craft aesthetically appealing architectural solutions that achieve balanced, performance-based approaches to both openness and security. In response to a request from the Office of the Chief Architect of the Public Buildings Service, the National Research Council (NRC) assembled a panel of independent experts, the Committee to Review the Security Design Criteria of the Interagency Security Committee. This committee was tasked to evaluate the ISC Security Design Criteria to determine whether particular provisions might be too prescriptive to allow a design professional "reasonable flexibility" in achieving desired security and physical protection objectives.

The fed. government's reliance on leased space underscores the need to physically secure this space and help safeguard employees, visitors, and gov¿t. assets. In April 2010 the Interagency Security Comm., comprised of 47 fed. agencies and departments, issued Physical Security Criteria for Fed. Facilities (the 2010 standards) which supersede previous ISC standards. This report: (1) identifies challenges that exist in protecting leased space; and (2) examines how the 2010 standards address these challenges. To conduct this work, the auditor interviewed fed. officials, four fed. departments selected as case studies based on their large square footage of leased space, and the Fed. Protective Service. Illustrations. This is a print on demand report.

The war on terrorism has made physical security for federal facilities a governmentwide concern. The Interagency Security Committee (ISC), which is chaired by the Dept. of Homeland Security (DHS), is tasked with coordinating federal agencies' facility protection efforts, developing protection standards, & overseeing implementation. This report: (1) assesses ISC's progress in fulfilling its responsibilities & (2) identifies key practices in protecting federal facilities & any related implementation obstacles. Includes recommendations. Charts & tables.

"The federal government's reliance on leased space underscores the need to physically secure this space and help safeguard employees, visitors, and government assets. In April 2010 the Interagency Security Committee (ISC), comprised of 47 federal agencies and departments and chaired by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), issued Physical Security Criteria for Federal Facilities (the 2010 standards) which supersede previous ISC standards. In response to Congress' direction to review ISC standards for leased space, this report (1) identifies challenges that exist in protecting leased space and (2) examines how the 2010 standards address these challenges.To conduct this work, GAO analyzed agency documents and interviewed federal officials from ISC, four federal departments selected as case studies based on their large square footage of leased space, and the Federal Protective Service (FPS). GAO also consulted prior work on federal real property and physical security, including key practices in facility protection."