Designing Access Control for Failure, Not Perfection

Security systems rarely fail because of a single dramatic breach. More often, they fail quietly — through assumptions, edge cases, and human behavior under stress.

In this episode of Vigilant By Design, host Benjamin Johnson, CPP, PSP, PMP, explores what it means to design access control systems for the world we actually live in, not the one we wish existed.

Rather than chasing the illusion of perfect prevention, this episode focuses on resilience, containment, and recovery — the principles that protect people and property when controls degrade or fail.

We discuss:

• Why mature security design starts by assuming compromise

• The difference between prevention-focused and containment-focused access control

• How layered technologies, procedures, and protocols work together to limit impact

• Fail-secure vs fail-safe decisions and why defaults are dangerous

• How access control, alarms, surveillance, and policy must operate as a system

• The role of procedures and training when technology alone is not enough

• Why recovery planning is a core security function, not an afterthought

• How human behavior under stress influences security outcomes

• What “controlled failure” looks like in real-world environments

This episode is designed for security leaders, facility managers, and decision-makers who understand that security is not about perfection — it’s about designing systems that fail gracefully.

When access control is built to detect failure, contain movement, support response, and recover quickly, it protects lives even when things go wrong.

Security isn’t about fear.
It’s about design.

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OSDP: Making Weigand Look Like Magstripe

Access control systems don’t fail because technology stops working. They fail because outdated assumptions quietly persist.

In this episode of Vigilant By Design, host Benjamin Johnson, CPP, PSP, PMP, takes a deep dive into the evolution of access control reader communication protocols — Clock & Data, Wiegand, and OSDP — and explains why this often-overlooked layer is one of the most important trust boundaries in physical security.

We explore:

• How Clock & Data originated in early magnetic stripe systems and why simplicity came at the cost of security

• How Wiegand became the industry standard, what the Wiegand effect actually is, and why compatibility outlived protection

• Exactly how these protocols work at the signal level, including wiring, voltages, and communication models

• The fundamental security limitations of one-way, unencrypted reader communication

• Why credential data, device trust, and supervision matter in modern threat environments

• How OSDP was designed to replace assumption-based trust with verification through bi-directional communication, encryption, and supervision

• When legacy protocols may still be acceptable — and when they represent unnecessary risk

This episode connects access control technology history to modern realities, including insider threat, credential cloning, AI-enabled impersonation, and long-term system design.

Clock & Data trusted the wire.
Wiegand trusted the reader.
OSDP verifies both.

If you are responsible for security decisions, system design, or long-term infrastructure planning, this episode will help you understand not just what works — but what deserves trust.

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Pre-Incident Indicators: What People Do Before Violence or Breach

Most violent acts and serious security breaches don’t come out of nowhere. They are often preceded by behaviors, signals, and patterns that go unnoticed—or are dismissed as “probably nothing.”

In this episode of Vigilant By Design, host Benjamin Johnson, CPP, PSP, PMP, explores pre-incident indicators: the observable behaviors and changes that frequently appear before acts of violence, insider threats, or major security failures.

This episode is not about profiling, labels, or fear. It’s about understanding behavior, recognizing escalation, and building systems that allow people to speak up without punishment.

Topics include:

• What pre-incident indicators are—and what they are not

• Leakage: how intent often escapes before an incident

• Common behavioral and digital warning signs

• Why people miss signals due to normalcy bias and social discomfort

• Observation without profiling—focusing on behavior, not identity

• Digital breadcrumbs and online escalation

• What to do when something feels “off”

• Creating reporting paths that encourage evaluation, not overreaction

Rather than asking “Who would do this?”, this episode reframes the question to:
“What happens when risk is increasing—and no one knows how to act?”Preparedness is not about predicting who will act.
It’s about recognizing patterns early and responding with clarity, calm, and responsibility.#VigilantSecurity #VSC #SaferSpaces #SecurityConsulting #HardenYourSite #CrimeIsComing #VigilantByDesign

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How AI Is Being Used to Defeat SecurityArtificial intelligence is changing security faster than most organizations realize, and not always in their favor.

In this episode of Vigilant By Design, host Benjamin Johnson, CPP, PSP, PMP, examines how AI is actively being used to defeat traditional security controls by exploiting trust, authority, and human behavior rather than breaking systems directly.

We explore real-world threats including:

• AI-generated fake ID cards and credentials

• Voice cloning used to impersonate executives, employees, or trusted contacts

• AI-written emails and messages that look authentic, timely, and convincing

• Deepfake audio and video used to support social engineering attacks

• Why visual and verbal verification alone can no longer be trusted

This episode explains why these attacks work: they don’t defeat technology, they defeat people operating within systems built on outdated assumptions.

More importantly, we focus on what still works, including:

• Multi-factor and out-of-band verification

• Process-driven decision making over personality or authority

• Training the human layer to recognize manipulation without fear

• Designing systems that assume deception and limit blast radius when mistakes happen

• Building a culture where slowing down to verify is encouraged, not punished

AI didn’t invent deception, it scaled it. Organizations that rely on trust without verification are increasingly vulnerable, while those that design for human behavior remain resilient.

This episode is essential listening for security leaders, executives, facility managers, and anyone responsible for protecting people, property, or information in an age where authenticity can be convincingly faked.

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When Violence Believes It Is Right: Protecting People in an Age of Moral Justification

We are living in a time when violence is increasingly framed by perpetrators as justified, righteous, or necessary. Attacks against religious groups, political figures, government institutions, businesses, scientists, and everyday citizens are often carried out by individuals who believe they are morally correct in their actions.

In this episode of Vigilant By Design, host Benjamin Johnson, CPP, PSP, PMP, explores how moral justification changes the security landscape — and why traditional deterrents often fail when violence is believed to be “right.”

When someone believes they must act, shame doesn’t work. Legal consequences may be accepted. Public condemnation can even become fuel. That belief makes incidents harder to predict, harder to deter, and more dangerous to dismiss.

This episode covers:

• How ideologically and morally motivated violence reshapes risk

• Why targets expand from individuals to symbols, roles, and institutions

• Situational awareness without paranoia — focusing on behavior, not profiling

• The role of digital exposure and how unmanaged visibility creates vulnerability

• Physical and procedural defenses that prioritize life safety and de-escalation

• Why training the human element matters more than equipment alone

• The importance of community, communication, and shared responsibility

Rather than focusing on fear or political narratives, this conversation centers on preparedness, design, and responsibility. Protecting people today requires acknowledging that belief itself can be as dangerous as intent — and building layered defenses that address behavior, environment, information, and response.

Preparedness is not about predicting who will act.
It is about ensuring fewer people are harmed when someone does.

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Episode 7 – Security Theater: The Difference Between Looking Safe and Being Safe

Not all security measures actually make people safer.

In this episode of Vigilant By Design, host Benjamin Johnson, CPP, PSP, PMP, examines Security Theater — the practice of implementing highly visible security measures that create the appearance of safety without meaningfully reducing risk. We also explore where virtue signaling can enter security decisions, and why optics-driven choices often replace effectiveness.

This episode is not about criticizing intent. Most organizations genuinely want to protect people. But when security decisions are driven by perception, pressure, or talking points instead of risk reduction, the result is often a false sense of safety.

Topics include:

• What Security Theater is — and why it happens

• Common examples of optics-based security measures

• The difference between reassurance and protection

• How virtue signaling can influence security decisions in certain environments

• The operational, legal, and reputational risks of performative security

• Why real security is often quieter, less visible, and more deliberate

• The leadership courage required to say no to ineffective solutions

We reframe the conversation around better questions security leaders should be asking:

• Does this reduce risk?

• Does this change behavior?

• Does this improve response?

• Can we defend this decision after an incident?

Looking safe is not the same as being safe. Effective security is layered, intentional, measurable, and accountable — even when it isn’t flashy.

If you’re responsible for security decisions, budgeting, or risk ownership, this episode will challenge assumptions and help you focus on what truly protects people and places.

#VigilantSecurity #VSC #SaferSpaces #SecurityConsulting #HardenYourSite #CrimeIsComing #VigilantByDesign

Episode 6 – Why a 5-Year Parts and Labor Warranty Should Be the Standard

In the security industry, warranties are often treated as an afterthought — but they shouldn’t be. In this episode of Vigilant By Design, host Benjamin Johnson, CPP, PSP, PMP, makes a clear, direct case for why a five-year parts and labor warranty should be the baseline standard for modern security systems.

We break down an industry reality that every experienced manufacturer and integrator understands: if security equipment is going to fail, it almost always fails early. Most defects and installation issues surface during the first six months of operation — a phase known as infant mortality. That’s why, with very few exceptions, manufacturers already offer five-year material warranties.

So the real question becomes:
If manufacturers are confident enough to cover parts for five years, why shouldn’t integrators be confident enough to cover labor?

This episode explores:

• Why short labor warranties signal misaligned risk — not savings

• The difference between parts-only warranties and true end-to-end protection

• How five-year labor coverage reflects confidence in installation quality and long-term business stability

• Why service calls aren’t losses, but relationship-building touchpoints

• How short warranties lead to deferred repairs, budget surprises, downtime, and increased risk

• The dangers of DIY installs, gray-market equipment, and voided warranties

Security systems are not consumer electronics — they are long-term infrastructure designed to protect people, property, and operations.

If you’re responsible for security decisions, budgeting, or risk management, this episode will fundamentally change how you evaluate proposals and vendors.

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