We explain what security is, its importance and what types exist. Also, what does risk, threat and vulnerability mean?
What is security?
The term security comes from Latin securitaswhich translates “to be without care”, that is, to feel safe, and we commonly use it in a very similar sense: that of the absence of risks or dangers. It is a concept closely linked to trust and prevention, whose strict meaning may vary depending on the field of human knowledge from which it is approached.
In a general sense, security It is the object of study of security sciencesan interdisciplinary field of study focused on the evaluation, management or prevention of risks in human, environmental or other matters.
According to this approach, the security consists of containing risks within levels considered normal or acceptablegiven that risk can never be completely eliminated in any context.
In some national legislations, security is defined in legal terms, in order to have public elements that allow it to be guaranteed. In the case of the Argentine constitution, for example, it is defined as a condition based on law that protects freedom, life and property, as well as democratic institutions.
Importance of security
The security It is considered a fundamental human conditionwhich is understood as not being under imminent risk of persecution, illness or death. It is among the “deficit needs” at the base of Maslow's Pyramid, and according to Malinowski's theories, it is one of the seven basic needs of human beings.
This is because, To make the most of human capabilities, a minimum of security must be taken for granted.which has to do with physical protection, that is, the continuity of its existence. No one who is in danger of death can worry about anything other than getting to safety.
Types of security
There are very different types of security, depending on the aspect of life to which they refer. For example:
- National security. When it comes to the defense of the strategic interests of a nation, inside and outside its territory, as well as the safeguarding of its sovereignty and political stability.
- Legal security. When we talk about the principle of law, based on the “certainty of the law”, and which consists of the public possibility of knowing or knowing what is considered prohibited or permitted by public powers. In other words, it is the certainty that the State offers to citizens that the law, as it is known to all, will be complied with correctly in their case.
- Citizen security. When it refers to the action of the State and the citizens themselves to guarantee the prevalence of social peace, the eradication of violence and fundamental guarantees. It generally refers to a set of democratic actions aimed at protecting citizens.
- Social security. Also called “social welfare”, when it comes to covering the health, old age and disability needs of the population, which are considered to be of social interest, that is, common to all and therefore merit collective protection.
- Job security. Also known as “occupational health”, when it concerns the conditions and risks inherent to a professional occupation or job, and which normally arise from the work agreement itself between the employer and the employee.
- Road safety. When they have to do with the mechanisms and procedures designed to guarantee the good circulation of traffic, thus avoiding accidents and situations in which vehicles become a danger to their occupants and to others.
- Computer security. Also called “cybersecurity”, when it has to do with the protection of data and the computing infrastructure of a specific computer system, defending it from malicious software and hacker attacks.
- Biosecurity. When it comes to the set of protocols, measures and mechanisms designed to protect the public from the contagion and transmission of diseases, or from contact with toxic or allergic substances that put health at risk.
Risk, threat and vulnerability
Close to the concept of security and the interests of security sciences, these three concepts deserve a separate definition:
- Risk. Risk can be defined as the probability that, in a given situation and involving certain elements, damage will occur. In other words, “risk” means the feasibility of a danger resulting in damage. Thus, there are high and low risks, and risks linked to work, economics, health, etc.
- Threat. A threat is, for its part, an actor or a set of conditions in which a risk becomes manifest. That is, the elements that cause the appearance of risks, due to their own natures, or to a role they play within a certain context. A car can be a threat, for example, if the driver is drunk.
- Vulnerability. Finally, vulnerability is used to refer to a condition or situation of greater or lesser propensity or defenselessness in the face of risks and threats. The more vulnerable you are to a risk, the greater the chances of suffering damage, and/or the greater the damage that can be suffered. It is precisely the opposite of security.
Continue with: Industrial safety
References
- “Security” on Wikipedia.
- “Security concepts” at the National Penitentiary School (Colombia).
- “Definition of the concept of security” at the Institut National de Santé Publique Quebec (Canada).
- “Security Studies. What is Safety and Security” (video) on Coursera.
