Reducing Security Risk for Transportation Management Centers

Abstract

Transportation management centers (TMCs) make an important difference in the lives of commuters around the country every day. Various types of threats could damage or destroy a TMC's ability to operate. These threats range from rare but devastating terrorist attacks to the more frequent and troublesome utility failures and severe weather conditions. The TMC risk assessment methodology (RAM) introduced in this paper is based on the best practices of several proven RAMs. Its components include asset identification, threat assessment, consequence assessment, vulnerability assessment, and countermeasure development. The research team selected 10 TMCs as a basis for gathering best practices and common challenges. As initial data were developed for the 10 centers, three sites were chosen to participate in more comprehensive on-site vulnerability assessments. This paper provides general recommendations that can be readily applied to all TMCs. These recommendations include taking the time to conduct a comprehensive risk assessment; reviewing, updating, and revising the risk assessment on a regular basis; correcting simple physical vulnerabilities; and training employees in security awareness.