Security is not just a state of protection, it is also a feeling. Security theater is a term sometimes used to dismiss some highly visible security procedures as countermeasures that improve the image or feeling of security, without actually achieving it. While security cannot be completely effective without being prepared to counter a threat, the need to announce that your business is not vulnerable should not be overlooked.

Employees work better when they feel safe. But security theater is not just an act for the benefit of the peace of mind of employees and customers. The same acts of security presenting itself are also seen by potential criminals. While copying down someone’s ID information will not be of much help in identification if it is a fake, but will implant the knowledge that some form of security monitoring is in place, along with the possibility that any number of other measures of defense have been taken.
 
The most valuable contribution that security makes is not defense, but deterrence. Although preparation for responding to an actual intrusion should never be neglected, the end result will always be better if an incident is stopped before it happens. The best way to do that is to make sure the presence of some security measures is broadcast to those who may see the location as a target.
 

​Essential to the success of a protection operation is a clear understanding of what actually threatens a property.  A retail store, off-shift factory, and a high security facility will all have vastly different, but equally valid security needs. They have different assets that need protection, and different means of intrusion would be used to get to them.  Implementing a security plan designed for a different type of property can be highly ineffective.

To ensure that the security plan is both reliable and flexible, and also practical enough to be effective, the property itself should be visited and explored during the plan’s creation. Consultation can be done with officers who have protected that or similar sites, and previous break-ins or incidents at similar environments reviewed. The plan should be a living document that both the security provider and client requesting the service are open to the possibility of modifying if the operational situation changes.

When there is a full comprehension of the environment and risks that it faces, a complete operation can be realized. Putting together deterrent factors, depth defenses with delay barriers, and reaction protocols help to make a property as secure as possible.