fire-bombings against synagogues and Jewish community ambulance services, and knife attacks on members of the Jewish community.


Whilst these violent tactics have been relatively ‘low-tech’, in contrast we are also seeing no end to sophisticated cyber- crime and attacks.


In 2025 we witnessed cyber attacks against Jaguar Land Rover, widely described as one of the most expensive security breaches in British history. That incident alone cost the UK economy an estimated £1.9 billion, and over 5000 organisations in the automotive supply chain were affected.


Other cyber attacks were perpetrated against Marks & Spencer, The Co-op, Southern Water, and the Legal Aid Agency, where that Agency suffered a severe data compromise, exposing the sensitive personal data of up to 2.1 million individuals.


In UK shopping centres and on our high streets, retailers and shoppers are being worn down by the rise in shop theft and violence against shoppers and security personnel, a situation exacerbated by the lack of prompt and effective police responses.


The burden here falls on the shoulders of security officers who are bereft of adequate powers of enforcement, whilst 'shrinkage' levels rocket for retailers. Surely, change on this issue is required? What will it take for government to pass appropriate legislation? What does it say about societal values when uniformed security officers are having to stand and watch the theft of goods in front of their eyes, and cannot intervene for fear of being prosecuted themselves for assault or facing civil legal claims along with their employers?


This evolving threat landscape requires security professionals and service providers to stay alert to emerging risks and deliver effective measures to deter, prevent, and mitigate them. This includes adopting modern technologies such as autonomous drones and robotic patrols, AI-powered surveillance, biometric access control, cloud-integrated smart alarms, and encrypted remote monitoring.


However, technology alone is not enough; it must be supported by strong leadership and management and well-trained personnel to provide truly effective security. That, in turn, depends on regular security awareness and refresher training for all staff, not just security teams.


© CITY SECURITY MAGAZINE – SUMMER 2026


Regular tabletop scenario-based exercises will help keep teams alert, maintain operational readiness, and reduce the impact of hostile incidents, whatever their scale.


The introduction of the Terrorism (Prevention of Premises) Act 2025 – ‘Martyn’s Law’ – has injected much- needed mandatory requirements for event security and will hopefully mitigate against the impact of threats to events of varying categories and scale.


The key to effective event security and, indeed, to security measures across the corporate and business sectors is in the planning, and when that planning is thorough and fully integrated solutions are delivered, it is possible to not only meet clients’ expectations, but to also exceed them.


Mike Bluestone MA CSyP FSyI RISC Executive Director, Corps Security


www.corpssecurity.co.uk


www.citysecuritymagazine.com


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