Layering contacts: What does it mean and why should you consider doing it? When traveling overseas, particularly to higher risk locations or locations where cultural and business practices are significantly different, it can make sense to not put all your eggs in the same basket. To set the stage and make it easier to understand…
At about 9pm on April 11, 2013 a group of 5 men forced their way into an apartment in Meriden, Connecticut in the Northeastern US and overpowered and restrained four people inside. The apartment was reportedly company-rented and used by employees of Lenox Jewelers in Fairfield who frequently transited between that store and another store…
Most of us raised in the US and other democracies have been taught from an early age to seek out a police officer for assistance when they have a problem. Unfortunately this is not always the best course of action in the developing world. In these locations police and other security forces are often best…
A good point was brought up in a comment after the last post about dressing down and trying to blend in when abroad. Its an important topic that deserves a little attention. For Westerners and Americans in particular our ability to blend in will be very dependent on the society we are in. In many…
When evaluating threat information, especially information received from subscription security intelligence services which are produced for a broad audience, it is essential to view them in the context of your company’s operations. Many, if not most providers, use a color and/or numerical rating to designate the risk level of a particular city or country. …
Local sources of information can be immensely valuable when assessing the threat level at a location. These local sources may include host country national employees, expatriate employees or expatriates affiliated with another organization, employees of vendors or others. They are often able to provide excellent insight as they are there on the ground in the…
How does management identify and monitor these threats in different locations around the world? Many companies subscribe to one or more of the private security intelligence providers that are available. While some of these firms use the term intelligence to describe their products and services, others use terms like risk reporting, assessment & analysis and…
Intelligence needs related to security will largely be determined by the type of operation a company has in a particular location, the size of the footprint, number of personnel, amount of infrastructure and assets, etc. As an example, a company involved in oil, gas or mining operations with extensive and costly infrastructure will typically need…
If your company is expanding into new markets overseas how do you evaluate the physical security risk to your employees and assets? If you are working in the developing world how do you monitor events and assess the potential threat to your personnel and operations? Looking at year 2012 so far we have seen two…