Michael Khairallah is a native of New Orleans and has served in the United States Navy as an Electronic Countermeasures Specialist. He was educated at the Louisiana State University at New Orleans where he earned a bachelor’s degree in business. He entered the security industry in 1980 as a Manufacturer’s Sales Representative and then founded Card Access Systems in 1981 where he served as the president and CEO for 17 years. In 1998 he sold the company and became an Independent Physical Security Systems Consultant, forming a firm called Security Design Solutions LLC which manages all the elements of risk assessment and mitigation for clients. Michael has been a member of ASIS International since 1980 and helped write the Professional Service Exam, Physical Security Professional (PSP). He is now a qualified ""Lifetime"" member of ASIS International based on his service to the security community. He is also a member of the International Association of Professional Security Consultants since September 2003 and a member of the National InfraGard Program since July 2004. In his security career Khairallah has sat in every chair at the table. He has been the seller, the buyer, and the consultant at different times in his work. He is a Board- Certified PSP and the author of the original work, Physical Security Systems Handbook. He is also a court- approved expert witness.