ICD 705 Construction Security Requirements: What’s Changing and How to Prepare

If you’re in the business of building secure government facilities, you’ve probably heard a lot of buzz about the Intelligence Community Directive (ICD) 705 lately. 

For the first time in over a decade, the federal government is preparing to upgrade the standards for ICD 705 area construction standards and security requirements. With major updates expected in 2025, both government agencies and the defense industry are identifying and assessing their ICD 705 areas and trying to determine how many will require construction projects to bring their areas into compliance. 

In this article, we’ll break down what ICD 705 is, what changes are on the horizon, and how mobile security and surveillance systems give security professionals in the federal space an opportunity to optimize budgets, strengthen Construction Security Plans (CSPs), and standardize physical security strategies across multiple projects as they work to bring their organizations ICD 705 into full compliance. 

What is ICD 705?

Issued by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) in 2010, ICD 705 sets the baseline security standards for the design, construction, and accreditation of sensitive compartmented information facilities (SCIFs). 

The directive defines how to control access to ICD 705 area construction sites, monitor for unauthorized activity, and ensure that sites remain protected from criminal activity, espionage, and other potential threats throughout every phase of the build.

Key Shifts in the Revision

The directive is undergoing its first major overhaul in 15 years. While the revised directive hasn’t been released on the ODNI’s website yet, several sources highlight changes like: 

• Enhanced TEMPEST and radio frequency (RF) shielding requirements
• Reinforced standardization across modular, fixed, and portable SCIFs to reduce ambiguity and streamline compliance
• The new standards may make it difficult to upgrade older SCIFs without extensive rebuilds 

Leveraging Technology For ICD 705 Construction Security

Since the time the directive was first issued, the construction site security and risk landscape has shifted dramatically.

While ICD 705 focuses on protecting classified materials, it’s impossible to ignore the broader security challenges that occur on construction sites. Construction site theft alone costs the industry up to $1 billion annually. Valuable equipment like generators, tools, and vehicles are frequent targets, especially on remote or under-monitored sites. And it’s estimated that only 7% of stolen materials are ever recovered.

Beyond theft, suspicious activity, unauthorized access, and other forms of criminal activity have become increasingly common on federal and commercial job sites. With sensitive data and national security on the line, traditional security solutions aren't enough to deal with the modern threat landscape.

Standardize, Secure, and Scale With Mobile Security Units

Mobile security systems offer security professionals in the federal sector a chance to optimize budgets and resources, enhance construction site security plan effectiveness, and standardize physical security strategies across multiple projects.

Deter Threats Instantly With Automated Speaker Announcements

Built-in loudspeakers can issue pre-recorded or live voice messages when an intrusion, loitering, or other suspicious activity is detected. Whether it's a warning to halt criminal behavior or an alert notifying someone that they’ve accidentally crossed into a restricted zone, these messages make it clear that your site is being watched, and usually send wrongdoers running. By automating crime deterrence, you free up security teams to focus on other important tasks. 

Monitor Multiple Sites From One Dashboard

Thanks to live-streaming and remote access capabilities, security teams don’t need to be everywhere at once. Whether you're overseeing a single SCIF build or juggling multiple secure projects across the country, your team can monitor multiple sites from a single security dashboard. This minimizes the need for dedicated on-site personnel at each location, which means lower staffing costs without sacrificing coverage.

Increase Efficiency With Agentic AI 

Agentic AI gives your surveillance system a brain instead of just eyes. It watches for patterns, verifies threats before notifying teams, and automatically triggers the appropriate response. When incidents do happen, you can use AI-powered forensic search to filter and find footage fast, instead of manually sifting through hours of footage. 

Adapt Quickly With Flexible, Solar-Powered Deployment

LVT’s mobile units were built to be flexible. Because they’re solar-powered and wireless, they don’t require any trenching or wiring to be set up, and they don’t rely on permanent infrastructure. That means you can deploy them quickly, relocate them as the build progresses, and reuse them in future projects. This flexibility helps standardize your security approach, contain costs, and stay operational—no matter the environment, and even when the grid goes down. 

→ Learn how LVT’s solar-powered surveillance units keep working, come rain or shine. 

Stay Ahead of Evolving Threats and Compliance Requirements With LVT

As both the government and industry adapt to a new set of security requirements, implementing a proactive security strategy to strengthen ICD 705 construction security plans (CSP) is more important than ever. Want to learn how mobile surveillance could fit into your construction security strategy? Ask our team how LVT’s construction site security solutions can help you reduce risk and stay ready for whatever comes next.