The ISC’s mandate is to enhance the quality and effectiveness of physical security in, and the protection of buildings and nonmilitary Federal facilities in the U.S. The ISC standards apply to all nonmilitary Federal facilities in the U.S.—whether government-owned, leased or managed; to be constructed or modernized; or to be purchased.

Government users with a need to know may access the Interagency Security Committee standards that are For Official Use Only (FOUO). To request access, please send an e-mail to ISCAccess@DHS.gov with your full name and contact information including email, the name of your agency, and the reason you need access.

The ISC reviews and updates its products on a regular basis. Please make sure you are using the most updated version as some of our older documents have been superseded.

Standards

March 2013/7th Edition - Design-Basis Threat (FOUO): This report creates a profile of the type, composition, and capabilities of adversaries. It is designed to correlate with the countermeasures contained in the Physical Security Criteria for Federal Facilities. In order to keep pace with the changing nature of the threat to Federal facilities, updates to the Design-Basis Threat are made every six months, and a full membership review of the document is conducted annually.

February 2013/1st Edition – Items Prohibited from Federal Facilities – An ISC Standard: (PDF, 15 pages – 344.29 KB) A standard that establishes a guideline process for detailing control of prohibited items into Federal facilities and identifies responsibilities for denying entry to those individuals who attempt to enter with such items.

January 2012/1st Edition – Security Specialist Competencies: (PDF, 19 pages – 1.27 MB) Provides the range of core competencies federal security specialists can possess to perform their basic duties and responsibilities.

January 2012/2nd Edition – Facility Security Committees: (PDF, 37 pages – 1.27 MB) Establishes procedures for a Facility Security Committee (FSC) to use when presented with security issues that affect the entire facility. It is intended to be used in conjunction with the ISC documents Facility Security Level Determinations for Federal Facilities, Physical Security Criteria for Federal Facilities, Design-Basis Threat, and the Use of Physical Security Performance Measures.

May 2010/1st Edition – Child-Care Centers Level of Protection Template (FOUO): Specifies the customized Level of Protection (LOP) to be incorporated as the basis for security planning for a Child-Care Center (CCC) and is an annex to the Physical Security Criteria for Federal Facilities.

April 2010/1st Edition – Physical Security Criteria for Federal Facilities (FOUO): Establishes a baseline set of physical security measures to be applied to all Federal facilities and provides a framework for the customization of security measures to address unique risks at a facility. These baseline measures provide comprehensive solutions in all five areas of physical security, including site, structural, facility entrance, interior, security systems, and security operations and administration.

June 2009/1st Edition – Use of Physical Security Performance Measures: (PDF, 16 pages – 631 KB) Requires all Federal agencies to assess and document the effectiveness of their physical security programs through performance measurement and testing. This standard provides guidance on how to establish and implement a comprehensive measurement and testing program.

March 2008/1st Edition – Facility Security Level Determinations (FOUO): Defines the criteria and process to be used in determining the facility security level of a Federal facility, a categorization that then serves as the basis for implementing ISC standards.

Best Practices

April 2013/ 1st Edition - Violence in the Federal Workplace: A guide for Prevention and Response: (PDF, 80 pages - 823 KB) This guide provides important information to assist department and agency security planners as they address a growing issue becoming increasingly present throughout both the public and private sector: acts of violence in the workplace.

March 2013/1st Edition – ISC - Occupant Emergency Programs: An Interagency Security Committee Guide: (PDF, 39 pages – 500.21 KB) A guide to provide important information to assist department and agency security planners as they develop and review Occupant Emergency Programs for the safety and security of employees and visitors at non-military Federal facilities.

February 2013/1st Edition – ISC – Best Practices for Armed Security Officers in Federal Facilities: (PDF, 26 pages – 539.70 KB) This ISC best practices document recommends a set of minimum standards to be applied to all contract armed security officers working at buildings and facilities in the United States occupied by Federal employees for non-military activities. 

September 2012/1st Edition – CTTSO TSWG/ISC - Best Practices for Managing Mail Screening and Handling Processes: A Guide for the Public and Private Sectors (NON-FOUO): (PDF, 62 pages - 714 KB) A guide to provide mail center managers, their supervisors, and agency security personnel with a framework for understanding and mitigating risks posed to an organization by the mail and packages it receives and delivers on a daily basis.

September 2011/1st Edition – Combating Terrorism Technical Support Office, Technical Support Working Group (CTTSO TSWG)/ISC - Best Practices for Mail Screening and Handling (FOUO): A guide to provide mail center managers, their supervisors, and agency security personnel with a framework for understanding and mitigating risks posed to an organization by the mail and packages it receives and delivers on a daily basis. 

ISC Training Courses

The ISC has developed a series of online training courses to provide Federal facility security professionals, engineers, building owners, construction contractors, architects, and the general public with basic information pertaining to the ISC and its facility security standards, processes, and practices.

IS-890a – Introduction to the Interagency Security Committee: Introduction to the Interagency Security Committee is an introduction to the Interagency Security Committee's (ISC) history, its mission and organization, and a basic outline of the ISC risk management process.

IS-891 – Interagency Security Committee: Facility Security Level Determinations for Federal Facilities (FOUO): The purpose of this course is to provide Interagency Security Committee-authorized Federal personnel an overview of the process to determine the facility security level (FSL) for a Federal facility.

IS-892 – Physical Security Criteria for Federal Facilities (FOUO): The purpose of this course is to provide Interagency Security Committee-authorized Federal personnel an overview of the process to determine the baseline physical security criteria and develop a list of customized countermeasures needed to protect U.S. Federal nonmilitary facilities, their employees, contractors, and visitors.

IS-893 – Facility Security Committees:The purpose of this course is to provide Federal personnel with an overview of Facility Security Committees (FSCs), including: their members, their roles and responsibilities, and policies and procedures for FSC operations and decision making.

Superseded Products

• November 2012/6th Edition - Design-Basis Threat (FOUO). Superseded/March 2013.
• April 2012/5th Edition - Design-Basis Threat (FOUO). Superseded/November 2012.
• November 2011/4th Edition – Design-Basis Threat (FOUO). Superseded/April 2012.
• July 2011/1st Edition – Facility Security Committees. Superseded/January 2012.
• April 2011/3rd Edition – Design-Basis Threat (FOUO). Superseded/November 2011.
• November 2010/2nd Edition – Design-Basis Threat (FOUO). Superseded/April 2011.
• April 2010/1st Edition – Design-Basis Threat (FOUO). Superseded/November 2010.
• Augusts 2007/ISC Best Practices for Safe Mail Handling. Superseded/September 2011.
• February 2005/Security Standards for Leased Spaces (FOUO). Superseded/April 2010.
• September 2004/Security Design Criteria for New Federal Office Buildings and Major Modernization Projects (FOUO). Superseded/April 2010.
• June 2003/ISC Guidance on Escape Hoods. Superseded/May 2009.

Additional Resources

Executive Order

• Executive Order 12977, Interagency Security Committee, October 19, 1995
• Executive Order 13286, Amendment of Executive Orders, and Other Actions, in Connection With the Transfer of Certain Functions to the Secretary of Homeland Security, February 28, 2003

Delegations

• Department of Homeland Security, Delegation Number: 7035.1, 02/01/2005, Delegation of the Chair of the Interagency Security Committee to the Chief Security Officer (PDF, 5 pages – 75 KB)
• Department of Homeland Security, Delegation Number: 7035.2, 08/15/2007, Delegation of the Chair of the Interagency Security Committee to the Assistant Secretary of Infrastructure Protection (PDF, 2 pages – 35 KB)

Homeland Security Presidential Directives

• Homeland Security Presidential Directive 7, Critical Infrastructure Identification, Prioritization, and Protection, December 17, 2003
• Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12, Policy for a Common Identification Standard for Federal Employees and Contractors, August 27, 2004
• Homeland Security Presidential Directive 20, National Continuity Policy, May 4, 2007

Reports

• DOJ 1995 Vulnerability Assessment Report: Superseded/April 2010 (Updated in the 2008 Facility Security Level Determinations and the 2010 Physical Security Criteria).