Corporate campus security is often considered a no-brainer. Some access control, some cameras, maybe some CPTED and a guard force. Some CSOs delegate it entirely to their directors and managers and focus instead on more complicated business issues. But corporate campus security is not one-size-fits-all. Campus size, location and demographics, as well as business sector, facility type and risk factors of nearby businesses and landmarks, are all integral parts of an effective and appropriate corporate campus security plan. And security executives should also inject into its design their in-depth understanding of the company and its culture.

Two members of the Security Executive Council recently discussed with us their corporate campus security plans and goals. In some ways, their campuses are similar, and in others vastly different. But where they share some goals, each has chosen a unique path to enable the best protection of corporate executives, assets, personnel and intellectual property.

Microsoft: Security Under the Radar

It’s fitting that one of the world’s largest software companies would make its home base one of the world’s largest corporate campuses. With more than 130 buildings spread over more than 15 million square feet centered around Highway 520 in Redmond, Wash., Microsoft’s headquarters campus looks imposing on paper. But Redmond’s natural beauty — the Cascade Mountains on one side and the Puget Sound on the other — is enhanced on campus by long, tree-lined walks, garden landscaping, a lake, open lawns and sports fields.

This park-like ambiance is, of course, all by design. Microsoft prides itself on maintaining a creative, relaxed atmosphere to energize its employees. While in some ways the campus acts as its own small garden city, with its own museum, filming studios, dry cleaning, convenience store and more, it is also woven into the fabric of Redmond and surrounding businesses. Public streets run through and across campus, and at least one other large business has a facility on Microsoft grounds.

In all this openness, Mike Howard, General Manager of Global Security, has carved out a role for security that honors the company’s creative, casual culture while protecting the people and assets that make up one of the most recognized brands in the world.