SECURITY BUS INES S LEADERS ’ VIEWS CONTINUED.
Dave Mundell Managing Director Axis Security
Security threats to organisations continuously evolve and develop. They reflect changes in the way
business is transacted, as well as wider changes in the global, political and criminological landscapes. The private security industry is evolving in response to these developments, and while the significant threats posed by terrorism and cybercrime may appear beyond the remit of ‘traditional’ private security services, there is much that it can do to support and assist the authorities.
The key is partnership. When organisations work in silos, they are potentially more at risk and have only a very narrow view. Working closely with other similar organisations and sharing information is essential if we are to understand what is actually happening and develop best practice in reducing risk. Support for Projects Griffin and Argus, for example, as well as engaging with local crime reduction strategies, provides information that can be packaged into a format that has meaning and relevance to the organisation before being cascaded to the relevant stakeholders.
The targeted training of security officers that results from this collaborative approach is also essential to ensuring that best practice is realised and supported in day-to-day security operations. It means teams can be updated on current and future threats, such as social engineering that is steadily becoming a feature of certain terrorist and cybercrimes.
Paul Harvey Director Ultimate Security Services
The police, other public law enforcement agencies and the private security sector must continue to act
collaboratively in 2016. Private security companies must continue to develop trust with the police and other public stakeholders. I do not believe that this journey is complete. An aligned approach to skills and resources is the ultimate solution.
In addition, private security companies need to target familiarity and complacency in end- users. The UK threat level has been classed as ‘Severe’ for prolonged periods given global and domestic events, and people have become desensitised as to what ‘Severe’ actually means in practice.
Complacency and familiarity are a risk management challenge. With ever increasing
10 © CI TY S ECURI TY MAGAZ INE – WINT E R 2015/16
pressure to drive down cost/investment in risk based solutions, there is a temptation for organisations to reduce security provision and often prioritise customer service elements over security. While the two are not mutually exclusive, you would be amazed at the lack of security specific focus that some high risk targets have. It should not take a significant near miss, or worse case, a major incident, to remind organisations and individuals alike of the threats that we face.
David Clark, CPP, PCI, PSP Head of Security The Francis Crick Institute and Chair Security Commonwealth on behalf of ASIS UK
The major threat to security
in 2016 will come from inside the organisation, whether these threats are cyber, terrorism or crime related and whether these are realised through negligence, malice or coercion. These insiders could be our own staff, contractors, temps or anyone else who has access to our buildings, data or systems.
One of the best ways to defend against these threats, and one that can be led by the private security industry, is through an insider threat education programme. Educating our senior executives so that they buy into the programme, educating our staff, our supply chain and our partners, along with ensuring that the education is relevant and proportionate, is the first and arguably the most important step in protecting ourselves.
As part of the programme, it is equally important to test and validate the effectiveness of the education and to take steps to strengthen areas where necessary. A strong internal working partnership between key departments, including, HR, IT and the Security Department, will ensure that the education programme is effective. Open and communicative relationship between these three departments can only enhance the ability to detect and prevent any nefarious insider activity.
Dan Ling Associate Director QCIC
Partnerships in counter- terrorism context are traditionally focused on improving information
sharing and collaboration between public and private sector entities. However, equally critical in the face of modern threats are the strength of partnerships between corporate security managers and their support network
www. c i t y s e cur i t yma ga z ine . com
of technology-focused service providers and internal stakeholders.
Security managers have made great strides to adapt to the significant changes that technology now demands of them. Throw in the additional pressures of financial services regulations, growing trends in the use of security systems as a compliance tool, and expectations that security adds value to a business over above providing a safe and secure environment, and it’s easy to see why eyes might be drawn away from the prize. Recruitment from a more diverse market and a shift in the skill set within a corporate security team are reflective of this adaptation. However, the pace of technological change, breadth of sophistication and level of integration with IT departments point to the need for trusted and effective partnerships to complete the capability set.
By engaging a varied and specialised portfolio of both in-house and outsourced experts, corporate security managers give themselves a fighting chance to stay ahead of inexorable developments in technology systems that now provide the backbone of risk management strategies. Get the partnership balance wrong and technology becomes an expensive and time consuming distraction, get it right and appropriate levels of time and effort can be given to the primary security function of protecting people, assets and corporate reputations from emerging threats.
Dawn Holmes, BA (Hons), MSc, CPP, FSyl Company Director ASIS and Women in Security lead
Terrorism will certainly be high on the agenda in
2016. Lone actors and random, low tech attacks are expected to become more frequent: testing the intelligence and security services as they try to anticipate and prevent such events. More emphasis will be placed on protecting reception areas: target hardening, lock down potential and protecting the glazed areas of buildings. Staff training and education will also be high on most security managers’ ‘to do’ lists. The challenge will be to meet objectives and protect from these threats without creating building lobbies as inviting as Fort Knox and to educate without frightening people.
Whilst the attacks suffered in 2015 (both virtual and physical) have been tragic and wide ranging, it has brought security to the forefront and Boards are now interested in how their organisations are being protected.
Continued on page 12.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36