XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX engaged Archer Knox following internal concern over fragmentation between physical security operations and technical security controls.
Physical security (CPSO) and technical security (CTSO) functions operated independently, with limited shared protocol, inconsistent escalation paths, and no unified operational reference.
A senior vice president was functioning as acting CSO in an attempt to bridge both domains. This arrangement proved unsustainable: time constraints prevented consistent oversight, and decision latency increased as complexity grew.
- Eliminate functional fragmentation between physical and technical security.
- Remove single-person dependency without diminishing role authority.
- Establish documented start/stop, escalation, and handoff points.
- Enable executive-level governance independent of individual operators.
Fragmented authority paths.
Physical and technical security teams maintained parallel procedures with no shared escalation model. Decisions crossing domains required ad-hoc coordination rather than defined triggers.
Opaque technical control.
Technical security controls relied on internal procedures and tooling that were not intelligible to non-technical leadership. This created perceived dependency on the CTSO role and inhibited executive confidence.
Governance compression at the executive layer.
The acting CSO role absorbed operational detail rather than governing the system. This resulted in decision bottlenecks and reduced strategic oversight.
The organization did not lack capability. It lacked a documented system that allowed capability to be governed rather than mediated.
Risk was not technical or physical in isolation. It was structural—arising from undocumented authority boundaries and person-dependent control.
Archer Knox designed and implemented a unified security governance framework treating physical and technical security as a single operational system.
Role-specific operational manuals were created, defining responsibilities, escalation thresholds, and handoff points in language accessible to any credentialed operator. Authority was documented without diminishing subject-matter ownership.
Executive leadership regained system-level oversight. No single role retained undocumented control, and continuity no longer depended on individual presence.
Archer Knox remained engaged until protocol execution became self-sustaining, then transitioned to advisory status.