Safety vs Security
Though the two words safety and security are always used together, there is a distinct difference between safety and security that needs to be understood clearly. You must have heard them most often in terms of threats to the safety and security of a nation, organization or a system. On a more personal level, you secure yourself with arms to feel safe. This clearly means that the two words, though closely interrelated, are different, and this article will highlight the differences between safety and security to remove doubts from the minds of readers who think they are synonyms or interchangeable.
What does Security mean?
Have you seen the security cordon around a VVIP? When an important person moves around, there is a cavalcade of vehicles surrounding him full of commandos and other security personnel who are armed with guns and other firearms to ensure the safety of the person from any mishap or intentional attack on the person. Moreover, you also encounter security personnel inside a factory who are there to prevent any mishap that is intentional and comes from outside people or miscreants. This makes one thing clear. Security is the protection against deliberate accidents (such as attacks from miscreants). Security is the state of being free from danger or threat. For example, you install anti-virus software in your computer system to feel safe from all threats from the internet to your computer. Differences between safety and security are not huge though, and both refer to a state when one feels safe and without risks.
Though the basic underlying idea of both safety and security is to protect the assets (whether a person or an organization) by creating safe, secure, risk-free conditions, security pertains more to protection against criminal activities, and employing a guard or installing CCTV in your premises are provisions under security. This distinction between safety and security assumes that the security is against deliberate human (criminal) acts. In other words, security is the protection against threats (real and perceived). In modern times, security is mainly external as an individual, organization or a country has perceived threats for which it safeguards against. For example, a person safeguards against robbery and burglary by installing surveillance equipment at home or office while an organization utilizes the services of armed guards to safeguard its assets. The concept of armed forces in a country is mainly to tackle threats to its security from external forces.
What does Safety mean?
In a factory, there are safety measures that are adopted to safeguard people working on different machines. Safety is protection against mishaps that are unintended (such as accidents). Someone is safe when he is protected against danger or risk, and he is not likely to be harmed or lost. The basic underlying idea of both safety and security is to protect the assets (whether a person or an organization) by creating safe, secure, risk-free conditions. However, safety is just concerned with the protection of human lives and assets. Safety is protection against hazards (mishaps and accidents).
What is the difference between Safety and Security?
• Safety and security are closely interrelated concepts that pertain to protection of lives and assets.
• While safety is protection against hazards (accidents that are unintentional), security is a state of feeling protected against threats that are deliberate and intentional.