Physical Security Assignment

Christophe Bassono

Walmart- Physical Security report

4/20/19

Walmart, a major retailer, quickly understood the vulnerability of its global supply chain and wanted to ensure the integrity of their goods in transit as well as the safety of their staff. To improve its overall logistics flow, the company has implemented a global supply chain security program to identify and enable rapid responses to physical threats and detected information problems. In this report we are going to state some of the physical security I saw at the Walmart store in L street.

While going inside the Walmart store, we have that Entrance door. It is an automatic door that operates with the help of sensors. When a client approaches, the door will open automatically in both ways the Entrance and the Exit. automatic doors operate on optical or motion sensors. These sensors can be mounted above a set of automatic doors or built on the top or sides of the frame of the automatic doors.

When these optical or motion sensors detect movement in the vicinity, they trigger the opening and closing of the automatic doors. That's why, when you approach a set of automatic doors, they open as soon as you get close enough to activate the sensors

Figure 1:Walmart Entrance Door

Going forward inside the store, we have a scanner that is able to scan Walmart’s merchandise to check if the customers have paid the product or not. Essentially, all the products at Walmart have magnetic labels or magnetic tapes. It is a small white thing that contains a magnet. The sensors at the doors can detect them and they turn off when a customer pass. The magnets are disabled when you slide them into the register near the warning labels to protect the cards. Some magnetic locks have needles to attach to clothing or threads to wrap electronic components.

Figure 2- Walmart Entrance Scanner

As part of their risk control strategies, they have combined physical, digital and manual security for complete security. The use of technologies such as RFID, LPT, and video analysis, combined with human resources in the form of on-site security services, has enabled Walmart to implement its advanced security concept that provides staff with important information about where, when and what is happening, providing the company with complete security coverage.

Figure 3- Walmart Cameras

Those surveillance cameras are outside and inside the store and are working to watch customers and workers. This is the best way for Walmart to catch shoplifters all over the places in the store.

Wal-Mart's decision to abandon its zero-tolerance policy on shoplifting may have been influenced by scrutiny from outside sources. However, bad press is only an unfortunate side effect of superpower status. Rather than preventing high-profile theft, Wal-Mart's new strategy has opened the door to more risk by virtually eliminating the risks associated with everyday shoplifting incidents.

As part of the monitoring, in one of the busiest Super Center at L Street, high-resolution cameras suspended from the ceiling point to a banana table. They can tell how ripe the bananas are in their color. When a banana starts to bruise, the cameras send an alert to a worker. Normally, this task is based on the subjective evaluation of a human who probably does not have the time to inspect each fruit.

Walmart has patented new technology to monitor employee productivity through audio monitoring of checkout counters. Called front listening", this technology has been designed to improve employee efficiency through sound monitoring. The purpose of the technology is to indicate the length of the lines, the number of bags used and the conversations between employees and customers.

Figure 4- Walmart shelf cashiers’ cameras

Walmart's monitoring system would use a series of sensors in the cash register area to collect audio data - from beeps to noises to conversations between a customer and an employee at the terminal. He would then analyze this information and use it to calculate various performance measures for the employee. Self-checkout is great. But some people can get away with the system. They can get out $80 worth of things and pay only $25 This is something Walmart needs to improve by creating just one label for every product scannable at the cashier. On type of these primary physical security stated above, we find at Walmart the use of Locks such key, keypad, card access, biometric, some combination, fences, Inner door security, computers, lighting , Sensors and fire suppression

concrete posts intended to protect the entrance from vehicles

https://corporate.walmart.com/2016grr/enhancing-sustainability/supporting-worker-safety-and-dignity

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/walmart-technology-drive-ai-and-cameras-can-now-mind-the-store/

https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2016-walmart-crime/

http://fortune.com/2015/11/09/wal-mart-facial-recognition/