Product Overview

Summary: This Security Assessment Standard Operating Procedure provides a clear, repeatable method for evaluating physical, digital, and procedural security across your Australian workplace. It helps organisations identify vulnerabilities before they become incidents, supporting compliance, business continuity, and stakeholder confidence.

The Security Assessment Standard Operating Procedure sets out a structured, end‑to‑end process for assessing security risks across your organisation’s people, property, and information. It guides users through planning and scoping an assessment, identifying critical assets, reviewing existing controls, and systematically testing the effectiveness of those controls. This SOP is designed for Australian workplaces of all sizes, from single‑site operations to multi‑site enterprises, and can be applied to both physical premises and digital environments.

By implementing this SOP, businesses gain a consistent, evidence‑based approach to uncovering vulnerabilities such as poor access control, gaps in CCTV coverage, weak password practices, inadequate visitor management, or insufficient incident logging. The procedure supports due diligence obligations, strengthens resilience against theft, fraud, cyber incidents, and unauthorised access, and provides a defensible record of your security risk management activities. It also integrates naturally with broader WHS and risk management systems, helping organisations align with Australian legislation, standards, and best‑practice governance expectations.

Key Benefits

• Identify security vulnerabilities systematically before they result in loss, disruption, or reputational damage.
• Standardise how security assessments are planned, conducted, documented, and reviewed across all sites.
• Support compliance with Australian legal and regulatory expectations for risk management, privacy, and information security.
• Improve coordination between WHS, IT, facilities, and management through a shared, documented assessment framework.
• Provide clear, auditable evidence of proactive security risk management for insurers, regulators, and senior leadership.

Who is this for?

• WHS Managers
• Security Managers
• IT Managers
• Risk and Compliance Managers
• Operations Managers
• Facilities Managers
• Business Owners and Directors
• Information Security Officers
• Site Supervisors
• Internal Auditors

Included Sections

• 1.0 Purpose, Scope and Objectives
• 2.0 Definitions and Key Terms
• 3.0 Roles and Responsibilities
• 4.0 Applicable Legislation, Standards and Organisational Policies
• 5.0 Security Assessment Planning and Scope Definition
• 6.0 Identification of Critical Assets and Information
• 7.0 Risk Criteria, Likelihood and Consequence Ratings
• 8.0 Physical Security Assessment Methodology
• 9.0 Information and Cyber Security Assessment Methodology
• 10.0 Personnel, Visitor and Contractor Security Controls Review
• 11.0 Access Control, Surveillance and Alarm Systems Review
• 12.0 Data Protection, Privacy and Records Management Checks
• 13.0 Incident History Review and Trend Analysis
• 14.0 Assessment Tools, Checklists and Evidence Collection
• 15.0 Risk Evaluation and Prioritisation of Findings
• 16.0 Corrective Actions, Recommendations and Treatment Plans
• 17.0 Reporting Format and Approval Requirements
• 18.0 Communication of Outcomes and Stakeholder Engagement
• 19.0 Monitoring, Follow‑up and Re‑assessment Frequency
• 20.0 Document Control, Version History and Continuous Improvement

Legislation & References

• AS ISO 31000:2018 Risk management – Guidelines
• AS ISO/IEC 27001:2015 Information technology – Security techniques – Information security management systems – Requirements
• AS 3745:2010 Planning for emergencies in facilities
• Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and Australian Privacy Principles (APPs)
• Security of Critical Infrastructure Act 2018 (Cth), where applicable
• Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Cth model) and corresponding state and territory WHS legislation