SIA Membership Code of Ethics

Updated June 7, 2023

Security solutions are deployed to enhance individual well-being by increasing the safety and security of public and private places. By providing protective devices and services for critical infrastructure sites; schools, hospitals and other institutions; government facilities; residences; mass gatherings; and additional locations, security manufacturers, integrators and service providers enable people to live more securely and better enjoy the benefits of their communities. Security industry professionals, then, serve not only their customers but society, as a whole. Being so entrusted is a privilege, and industry professionals, bearing a responsibility to both their customers and all people who encounter their systems, must always act with the utmost professionalism, care, respect and good faith.

Required Principles of Conduct

The SIA Member Ethics Principles are binding on all members of the Security Industry Association.  As a condition of membership, any organization that qualifies for membership in SIA must affirm that they have read and understand the SIA Member Ethics Principles, and by virtue of membership, comply with the Principles. Every member organization shall provide its acknowledgement of this requirement upon joining as a member or renewing its SIA membership. SIA will also publicize the existence of its Principles on its website and encourage its members to promote its compliance with these requirements.

In furtherance of the foregoing purposes, the Security Industry Association (SIA) has adopted the following principles of ethical behavior for its members. SIA member organizations and their employees shall:

  • Act with honesty, integrity and transparency, eschewing fraudulent or misleading business practices and avoiding conflicts of interest.
  • Provide accurate branding, use and cost information in marketing materials, advertisements and interactions with customers and potential customers.
  • Conduct business with appropriate consideration of sustainability and the environmental impact of products and services.
  • Oppose prejudice, harassment and abuse in the workplace as well as uses of their solutions that assist or abet prejudice, harassment or abuse.
  • Work with law enforcement in an appropriate manner that enhances public safety while respecting the reasonable expectations of privacy held by customers and individuals whose images or information are captured by security devices.
  • Protect all sensitive personal information that they acquire in accordance with industry best practices.
  • Monitor and mitigate relevant risks as much as reasonably possible, including by securing and hardening networked solutions against cyber threats in accordance with industry best practices.
  • Ensure that their products, services and solutions are not designed or manufactured in such a manner as to surreptitiously transmit information to third parties for purposes outside the normal and expected scope of security and business operations.
  • Refuse to knowingly design, manufacture, sell or deploy products, services or solutions that have been finally determined by any supranational, national, federal, state or local governmental authority or any self-regulatory entity, whether foreign or domestic, having competent jurisdiction over the applicable member organization to support the infliction of human rights abuses, the restriction of civil liberties, and/or the implementation of other oppressive measures.
  • Members must comply with all applicable laws, rules and regulations related to the operation of their business and/or the manufacturing, advertising, promotion and sale of their goods, products or services. Members must not knowingly participate or assist in any violation of such laws, rules or regulations, as determined by a final non-appealable order of a court or administrative agency of competent jurisdiction.

These principles are not intended to be exhaustive. They are written broadly so that they may be applied in a variety of contexts.

Administration and Action for Noncompliance

Under the SIA Bylaws, the SIA Board of Directors may vote to take action toward a member for non-compliance by the member or its employees with the SIA Member Ethics Principles, consistent with the processes found through the California Corporations Code and following a recommendation submitted by the SIA Executive Committee.  The SIA Board of Directors may accept, reject, or modify the Executive Committee’s recommendation.  The decision of the SIA Board is final and non-appealable.

The SIA Board of Directors may consider one or more of the following sanctions of the Member for violation of SIA’s Member Ethics Principles:

  1. Written warning by SIA to the Member;
  2. Suspension of the Member from membership in the SIA; or
  3. Expulsion of the Member from membership in the SIA.