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Related Experiment Videos

How a system backfires: dynamics of redundancy problems in security.

Navid Ghaffarzadegan¹

¹Rockefeller College, University at Albany, State University of New York, Milne Hall 300, 135 Western Avenue, Albany, NY 12222, USA. navidg@gmail.com

Risk Analysis : an Official Publication of the Society for Risk Analysis

|October 2, 2008

Summary

Adding more security personnel to social systems can paradoxically decrease security. This study simulates how common-mode errors and social shirking lead to system failures, even with increased guards.

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Area of Science:

Social systems analysis
Security studies
Risk management

Background:

Growing concerns regarding reliability, safety, and security in social systems.
Scott Sagan's work highlights how increased security forces (redundancy) can paradoxically reduce security.
Sagan identified common-mode error, social shirking, and overcompensation as key issues.

Purpose of the Study:

To simulate and analyze a generic security system's response to increasing numbers of security personnel.
To test Sagan's hypotheses regarding the counterintuitive effects of redundancy in security systems.
To investigate the impact of common-mode error, social shirking, and overcompensation on system security.

Main Methods:

Agent-based simulation of a generic security system.
Systematic variation of the number of security guards (redundancy).
Analysis of system performance under different security levels and adversary powers.

Main Results:

Simulation results support Sagan's hypotheses on common-mode error and social shirking.
"Common-mode error" was shown to cause system backfire.
"Social shirking" led to system inefficiency and exacerbated common-mode errors.
"Overcompensation" did not cause backfiring but created a critical state vulnerable to common-mode errors.
System overcompensation occurred regardless of initial adversary power, increasing susceptibility to attacks.

Conclusions:

Redundancy in security systems, while intended to enhance safety, can lead to unintended negative consequences.
Common-mode errors and social shirking are significant factors in security system failures.
Overcompensation can create vulnerabilities, making systems paradoxically less secure.
The effectiveness of security measures needs careful consideration beyond simple increases in personnel.