Post Office seeks hi-tech security

Johannesburg, 26 May 2009

The South African Post Office (SAPO) will spend more than R54 million this year in its drive to improve security features across the organisation.

In addition to spending R30 million on access and surveillance systems, SAPO says it will spend R15 million on anti-laundering systems for the Post Bank and R9 million per year on vehicle tracking systems.

SAPO says the initiatives follow the incidents of violent crime at branches. Over 179 cases have been reported and, as a result, security measures have been reinforced and plans are under way to improve security features in the financial year.

“We believe this will really build capacity and make sure that not only are we going to be preventing crime, but we are also going to be deterring it. If people know that our systems are there and they are working, they are going to be deterred from participating in any criminal activities,” says SAPO GM for security and investigations Patrick Ngomane.

SAPO recently began with the roll-out of access control and CCTV systems, which is scheduled to cost R30 million. The Tshwane mail centre was the first area to receive the system, which will also be installed at six processing centres across the country, and 61 remote server rooms, which house the organisation's IT infrastructure.

Cost considerations

Ngomane explains that SAPO is automating its processes, reducing its reliance on physical security.

“Now we are depending on the system. With this you are going to have about 120 cameras in one mail centre, covering every centimetre of the floor. And we are going to need to monitor them. Previously we employed 15 security guards at one mail centre to monitor the entire environment. Now we are not going to need an army of security officers,” Ngomane explains.

He adds that the organisation would employ about three control room operators who monitor the premises. Server rooms would be guarded by a biometric system, which would restrict access and serve as an additional security feature.

“We're going to be operating the systems ourselves. We're building control rooms at the various premises where it is going to be installed. A three-year maintenance contract came with all those systems, so the suppliers will continue to do the maintenance. But they will also transfer the knowledge to our own officers. Training of one week is scheduled for each and every premise so there is a proper transfer of knowledge.”

Threat profile

Ngomane says SAPO has invested R15 million on an anti-money laundering and fraud detection system for the Post Bank. He says this system is a part of the organisation's overall crime prevention strategy. The system would alert the bank to any large withdrawals and deposits, and provide a detailed assessment of transactions.

“We have a profile of various security threats that the various businesses of the Post Office are exposed to. And next to these are corresponding countermeasures, which either eliminate or prevent them. This is not to say there are no cases of money laundering, but the environment is stable and this system will simply make sure that depositors' funds are secured.”

The system will only be implemented once several adjustments have been made. Ngomane says the Post Office still has to ensure the system integrates with the architecture of the Post Bank's current system and other applications. He adds that a user acceptance test has been completed and the system is due for production at the end of the month.

The corporatisation process, which gives the bank licence to provide the same offerings as any other commercial bank, also highlights issues of risk management. Ngomane notes the organisation is learning from the example of banks, and securing processes would not be an easy or short process.