Sunday, August 16, 2015

    

SECURITY DIRECTIONS Magazine
The security practitioner's best friend.....
Reaching thousands of your colleagues with innovative ideas
Summer 2015 Vol 1 - Issue 16
In This Issue

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Dear ERICA,
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Depending on your location, it's been a wonderful summer weather wise... or fires are raging, or it's been too dry... or it's been flooding. You name it, someone is dealing with it.

Potential Republican presidential candidates are talking up storms and we begin to realize it's a long, complex time between now and the next election.

 
Please feel free to share your copy of Security Directions with colleagues and with members of other associations where you think there will be interest. If they then wish copies of their own, invite them to join the e-mailing list.

This year, I rejoined the local volunteer fire department and it's been an interesting re-introduction to all the issues that come to light in a community. You can expect more about this in the fall. And, BTW, if any of you have been working on Fire Prevention projects or on other projects such as Explorers, with school students, I'd appreciate your input on what you've found successful and what's not so much.

As things in Greece continue to be messy for the EU, as well as for Greece, there's a question about what this experience will bode for Europe during the rest of this decade. Between the Russian power grabs and the unprecedented waves of tourists that call China home, what's next?  

Since our last issue, there have been more, bigger security breaches... United Airlines was kept out of the skies by "glitches" in their network... The NYSE came to a grinding halt in terms of certain trading operations.... Shall we speak differently about security? 
     
Whether an organization produces hard goods or develops software or provides services - we all define acceptable levels of "security" differently. How are we defining what's a reasonable risk level where you work now? What are you planning to write about?
  
Below, find some unusual contributions for this issue:
  • In the RED zone ... maybe not as good as you thought... 
  • Active Shooter Issues... not the same old same old 
  • Bad Stories.... Worse endings...
  • Culture Shock...
  • ID NO IDEA...
  • A different set of Travel Tips
  • and room for your article!
I hope that what you read encourages you to write.
What's on your mind? Submit articles, opinions; news about your career, whatever is of concern to you that will be relevant to your colleagues. Keep submissions to 400-700 words whenever possible -so we keep readers' attention!

Now is the time to prepare your work so it will be seen, read and acknowledged. Consider this your personal invitation to GET INK -that's digital ink of course!
 -if you are thinking about it, please write about it!
Erica
by phone at: 631 565-7122 or 631-331-6001.


That Article You Have Been Meaning to WRITE: How to Get Started Today: 
Give yourself 10 minutes today to identify one or more things that you'd like to share with other security professionals this fall. Then for the next 4 days, give it 10 minutes of your thoughts on each of those top priorities and write them down. By the end of a week, you'll have the basis of an article for the next 2015 issue of SECURITY DIRECTIONS. 

If you get stuck -just give me a call - 631-565-7122. We'll iron out the specifics together. But don't miss your opportunity to get published and share material with security professionals from around the globe who read every issue of this e-Magazine. 

Reach thousands of your closest friends & associates! 

  
Description: Leather ClipboardRisk and Football: Avoiding the Red Zone
By Stephen J. Brown



The 2015 NFL season is upon us. Fans and spectators alike are looking forward to enjoying the games. We can all benefit from knowing some safety tips that apply even in box seats. 

Check the playbook: there are actual risks associated with everything from getting into the football stadium, through the game, and then making your way home! Depending on what game you are attending, you may be contending with thousands of angry drunk fans; the stadium may be in a high crime area to start with -it can be a powder keg. And, it may be a recipe for disaster if you aren't adequately prepared. When it comes to football, being in the red zone is not always a good thing!

The intensity of football rivalries in America parallel soccer rivalries in the rest of the world. Fans love their teams and 'who roots for what team' can even be a point of contention among family members. It's not an exaggeration to say that at an NFL football game, fans of opposing teams literally hate each other just because of the team they support. It's a level of intense emotion that we rarely see in ordinary interactions. There's a culture of connection and bonding, down to the clothing people wear and the names they'll have plastered on the backs of their shirts. You don't see that even in intense political campaigns. Check the newspapers on a Monday after a hotly contested game. It may have photos or more than the quarterback's best passes.

But it isn't just unruly or truly angry fans or gangs that create the risks. Today there is also a greater risk often discussed by politicians and intelligence offices: the threat of a terrorist attack.

Remember the American thriller films Black Sunday (1977) and The Sum of All Fears (2002)? They gave a fairly good rendition of threats terrorists pose during these mass gatherings of American civilians. Typically, we all put aside our situational awareness for those several hours of game time.

In the two movies mentioned, nuclear and explosive attacks focus on an American football game; casualties could number in the thousands. Security professionals who protect football stadiums and attendees have these potential threats in mind on a regular basis. Pat-downs, explosive-sniffing dogs, bag checks... it's not only to find people carrying drugs, alcohol and weapons. Football is a 'let your hair down'event for a vast cross-section of America -from the tailgate party on. We're counting on someone else to watch out for us.

In the east, we've been seeing the Jets at training on the nightly news during the sports section. A couple of weeks from now, perhaps by the time you read this, you possibly will have attended a game or two. Wherever you are, football teams have been a focus of the local sports networks for a while. So, let's use football odds to assess the risks.  

The Golden Super Bowl 50 is in 2016. Las Vegas odds makers project that the Green Bay Packers, given last year's stellar performance, are 6:1 favorites to win it all on February 7, 2016 in Santa Clara, CA. Given their poor performance on the field last year, the Tennessee Titans are the surefire underdogs at 175:1. Knowledgeable Vegas odds makers 'get' foreseeability. The odds favor the Patriots over the Titans by almost thirty-fold.

Consider the foreseeable risk of serious crime at your favorite NFL football stadium. Fans of the Philadelphia Eagles, who once infamously pelted Santa Claus with Snowballs, attend home games at Lincoln Financial Field, in Philadelphia, PA. The "Linc," (its nickname to fans,) is the country's most dangerous NFL stadium. Spectators risk victimization rates of approximately twenty-one-fold or more than 2,100% higher than the fans of the New England Patriots at the safest field of play, Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA!!!

These great variances in actual foreseeable risk mean that from a management perspective, the reasonable level of security required to protect lawful business, customers and fans attending the games is huge.

If you were running the stadium, owned the grounds, owned a team or had anything to do with the business end of football, you would have a legal duty and owe your customers and employees a reasonable standard of care for their personal safety in the face of the foreseeable risks.

We borrow crime and risk information from federal, state, and local sources and already know that the data is used by companies such as: Cabela's, Bank of America, Lowe's, and major security firms going after work at sports stadiums.

The compiled data verifies that there is some statistical risk associated with attending an NFL game, even though as fans, it rarely keeps us from a game. What the data does do is help risk managers establish the basis for providing reasonable security measures and security resources to protect the public.

Just to use another football analogy, the safest stadiums have a green rating, while the most dangerous ones are rated red. Want more information on how to avoid the red zone? Contact us at Sutor & Associates, LLC. and we'll provide the information to you gratis.

Stephen J. Brown is an Investigative Research Analyst at Sutor & Associates, LLC,  Sutor provides security consulting and expert witness services for attorneys in premises liability and negligent security cases. Reach Stephen at: jerseysteve@comcast.net or: 609.289.2406.www.SutorSecurityExperts.com

  
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ID-NO IDEA
By Mark V. Murphy

 
Many times security and/or life safety personnel are required to verify people's identities through the use of identification documents presented by the person in question. While individual security officers may be familiar with the identification used at the facility where employed, and possibly the state's driver's license, how familiar are they with technical, professional licenses, or other government-issued identification? Often the security officer handles or sees the document in question for only a few seconds. How much time and effort is actually invested in training personnel in the myriad of identifications out there?

Case in point, we recently had an incident involving a fraudulent identification, a Certificate of Fitness.  A Certificate of Fitness (C of F) is a plastic identification card issued by the Fire Department, City of New York to verify that an individual is qualified to perform a certain task or tasks. An individual presented a Certificate of Fitness to operate a welding torch in an area of our building that was undergoing construction.
         
The individual signed in at the building fire command and presented the credential to the Deputy Fire Safety Director (DFSD) on duty.  Our policy is to retain contractors' certificates or license while they work on property, returning the documents when the work is completed.

The DFSD was occupied with other duties and put the card aside.  Shortly thereafter, the DFSD was making log entries concerning the individual and looked more closely at the credential.  He noticed that something did not look correct with ID. He notified his supervisor, who investigated further and elevated the incident to me after comparing it to his own valid C of F. 

We noticed that the printing was askew in relation to the card, spacing was not uniform and there were two misspelled words on the card.  We contacted the Fire Department. They verified that the C of F number was real but had expired.  We then compared the C of F with a valid, current document and noticed that the font, abbreviations and punctuation were wrong.

We'd also been informed by FDNY, that the Fire Department was willing to press charges. I contacted the local precinct of the Police Department, City of New York.

 
When the police responded, we visited the construction area and the individual was identified, interviewed, and arrested.  He admitted to creating the fraudulent ID card because the Fire Department had changed the qualifications and he was unable to meet those new requirements. However, without the C of F he was unable to work in his trade.

Interestingly, the forged C of F was several years old; the man had been working for at least 2 years, performing welding services while not qualified to do so at current standards. The danger this individual presented in an occupied high rise building using a super-hot flame to accomplish work adjacent to flammable materials was immeasurable. He was lucky that he only was charged with the forged instrument and no one was hurt or worse because of his deception.

In the end our personnel need to be able to spot phony ID'S, or at the very least have a method to verify the authenticity or documents presented to them.    Luckily, our employee did not ignore his gut feeling, even if he could not articulate the issues.

While it is impossible to be aware of the specific details for the plethora of identifications that might be presented to us, we have to know how to verify their legitimacy or illegitimacy. In this case, we were familiar with the document and knew how to contact the issuing agency. We've also begun a program where someone on our team researches the characteristics of all typical licenses and certificates that get presented at your facility. We have samples of the "real McCoys" and the contact information for the agencies that can assure authentication.

Mark V. Murphy is the Director of Security & Life Safety at Worldwide Plaza, George Comfort & Sons, Inc., 825 Eighth Avenue, New York, NY 10019.  He holds FDNY Certificates of Fitness Fire Safety and Emergency Action Plan Director, as well as a CPM from NYU and a MSOL from Mercy College.
Mark can be contacted at: mmurphy@gcomfort.comand by phone at: 212.258.3765 


Better Shelter
Description: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEidQEqHSjRQQ2kua36rSlNMA88ks8ih2K8O3bDyNWyU4bHw9RpKogzAvLh_D__SLbYiVN2-UW16NcomR88UP1MHEl_UhVc25mhZUCEK3PYP9aWsxmMnwQj7SWbGmP25mtaYE8dtXMQG4UVyd8mEyh_I22rU2PnJISFHUf-MkJvXbyiGyG4t0RC80TO3r47liktgbVIw54tnjdVj=s0-d-e1-ftBy Robert J. Donnelly

We've talked about constructing future schools with safe rooms to protect against tornadoes and active shooters. We have also assumed that in problematic situations, students and teachers can all get to these places without putting themselves further in harm's way... unlikely.  Even when we speak about safe rooms in office buildings, generally they would not accommodate everyone on premises -especially if everyone decided to avail themselves of the space at once.

In considering public schools or colleges, we can be fairly certain that there will never be funding to retrofit all of them or replace them with new, better-designed construction that might offer disaster protection, natural and man-made. We've discussed in previous articles, the limitations of lockdowns and sheltering in place outside of a true 'safe room'.

We've even added ideas about sheltering in the school's bathrooms and updating these areas with electronic locks that can be set from the inside and then later overridden as required for rescue, etc. Further, given the push towards keeping within HIPPA regulations, there is little chance that information on potentially problematic people right on campus or in the vicinity is going to be circulated.

So is that all there is? Recently light weight bullet-resistant materials that can take the form of wall artwork are coming into focus. Imagine the advantage of these 'artwork sheets' for protecting anyone in classrooms where the accessible corridors are currently pressboard, sheet rock or something equally vulnerable.

I took some samples of this new fabric with me to the shooting range to test. It meets Life Safety Code 101 so it doesn't require a permit to use and reminds me of the flexible fire-proof suits that race drivers wear. Impressive ability to block bullets from penetrating it -and it looked good!

Certainly this may not be the only development that will help better protect people in confined spaces in the near future, but it offers a new approach and actually looks more attractive than barricades. (Note: the photo above in this article is one of the prints currently available.)
  
Robert J. Donnelly is retired from FDNY and consults on fire safety matters. Bob can be reached at: bobby.donnelly4@gmail.com.


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CULTURE SHOCK
By Mario J. Doyle, CPP
  
At first it may not seem like a security issue... 
but the bravest people didn't give the same attention to safety as they did the dangerous work for which they'd signed up -the same work for which they'd developed intense skills. But preventable accidents laid more of them low than exposure to all the risks inherent in firefighting.
  
Safety isn't glamorous. It isn't dramatic. But getting a change in organizational culture to focus on safety can be forceful in terms of having the people you count on staying well and ready -in addition to cutting costs and improving insurance ratings.
  
Just sending out a memo or dictum on safety has little effect on changing behavior. The organization's internal culture may not support it. Fire Engineering University's Ronald J. Siranicki and Richard Gist suggested that we might review the famous behavioral psychologist B.F. Skinners' work on teaching pigeons to bowl if we wanted a better handle on the subject.
Everyone laughed about teaching pigeons to bowl -and it wasn't easy because each step in the process had to be broken down into single tasks. It wasn't the "norm" by any means. It took patience, consistency and channeling normal behavior in totally new directions.
  
The couple of paragraphs below bring out related points about organizational culture with a chuckle:
"If culture is an amalgamation of values, beliefs, and behaviors that become ingrained in people, communities, and organizations, how do these things arise, how are they transmitted from one generation to the next, and-most importantly-how can we change the parts that work against us? To get to that point, we must first understand how it is that people come to do the things they do.
The most tenacious aspects of culture are those driven by conformity. They are seen in behaviors and beliefs that are often described as norms. Norms are so fundamental that we don't think about them; we don't know how or when we learned them because they seem to have always been a part of our world and our movement within it.
Since social norms are so deeply engrained, they're typically quite difficult to change. For example, the odds are that nobody ever told you exactly how to behave in an elevator. There aren't written rules
about it. Still, you know exactly what to do-walk in; turn to face the door; look up, down, or forward. If you know someone, you will probably say hello, but any conversation that follows is usually kept to short, quiet, low-key exchanges. Let's now try an experiment: Step into the elevator and wait for the doors to close. This time, though, don't turn around. Instead, stand facing the crowd and ask how everyone is doing. Tell them a little bit about yourself; maybe share a few things about your views on current events and politics. You could even follow up with a brief display of talent such as singing, dancing, or telling a few jokes. Security will be waiting for you somewhere before you get to the top floor."
     
When Doyle Security Services Inc. (DSS) started the internal initiative -having SAFETY PLUS and overall safety training become part of our officers' ongoing programs, some people rolled their eyes. However, in much the same way that Siranicki and Gist focused on changing the culture of safety in the fire service, we've enhanced our programs to take a general concept and bring it into specific tasks. We work with our teams on processes and accountability that make a difference.
  
Here is a quick overview of our SAFETY PLUS program: first, each employee receives awareness training in Safety Plus prior to assignment. It includes:
Classroom instruction, digital video, written guidelines and On-site safety orientation.
   
We study the location and atmosphere for each client's facility because these factors are diverse and pose a variety of potential safety issues. the findings inform our basic Safety Plus design for particular facilities and we incorporate input from clients so the programs meet necessary standards.
   
Each job site is assigned a safety coach who meets regularly with his/her employees to:
* Promote safety and hygiene awareness
* Provide coordination and direction of all loss prevention activities
* Maintain both our and our clients' safety and health policies
* Conduct ongoing evaluation of the program; and
* Ensure legal compliance with regulations and add any updates in client guidelines
   
If you have questions about implementing this initiative, let us know. How you approach it can take the shock out of improving safety in most environments.
Mario J. Doyle, CPP is COO of Doyle Security Services, Inc. a regional contract security and consulting firm in NY. Mario is a former Chapter Chairman for ASIS International's Long Island Chapter, a former ASIS Regional VP, and past president of ALDONYS (Associated Licensed Detectives of New York State). Reach Mario at: mdoyle@dss-securitysolutions.com.
   


Who Else is in the Living Room?
By: Fara Afshar PhD, CCNA-Security, CCDA
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Each night, most of us feel safe and secure sitting in our living rooms, watching a movie and discussing the day's affairs with family. We would not surmise that there could be uninvited guests eavesdropping on our conversations. However, today's technology has invited 'new guests' into our homes and we may want to be aware of their presence. 
Look around that cozy living room: you can spot one or two of our new guests; an internet-enabled TV, a notebook or tablet, a security camera, a cell phone and even something as harmless as a thermostat on the wall. These devices are all connected to the internet and, potentially, connecting you to intruders.
The new term for this connectivity is The Internet of Things (IoT). It includes embedded computing devices such as digital home thermostats, smart TVs, car systems (navigation, entertainment, and engine management computers), networking devices, smart watches, and activity trackers including some internet-enabled bathroom scales!
The diversity of threats mirrors the diversity of devices. In the past year, there have been growing numbers of probing and experimental attacks on a range of these devices, including few serious attacks (Symantec, 2015). 
Due to the increasing number of computing gadgets and our connectivity to the Internet, we are more vulnerable to cyber-attacks than even a few years ago. Can we secure ourselves?
In this article series, we'll discuss our vulnerabilities and threats, the ways that we can protect ourselves through our own efforts, and the ways in which other private and governmental entities are trying to stop cyber-attacks. 
Vulnerabilities and Threats
Most cyber security professionals advise you that the question is not if you will be hacked, the question is when you will be hacked. Have you heard the insurance industry professionals using almost the same statement? The question is not if you will be hit by disaster, the question is when you will be hit by disaster. More people are aware of cyber threats and attacks as they have become widespread. You or someone you know has probably been hacked! Fortunately, the perception of "it will not happen to me" is changing. It helps make the situation more understandable and encourages all of us to mitigate against common threats. 
To understand what the threats are, we need to learn more about vulnerabilities. According to software security professionals, vulnerabilities are flaws in computer software/hardware that create weaknesses in the overall security of a computer or network. They can also be created by improper computer or security configurations. Threats exploit these weaknesses. Results: potential damage to the computers and/or stored personal data (Norton, 2015). 
For an overview on the currently acknowledged vulnerabilities and threats, check the information from some of the reputable security software vendors and experts in the field. Here are few links to browse: 
According to Cisco Corporation (2015), the primary threats for end devices such as our laptops and computers are viruses, worms, and Trojan horses. Here are Cisco's brief definitions of these threats: 
* A virus is malicious software that executes a specific unwanted, often harmful, function on a computer.
* A worm executes arbitrary code and installs copies of itself in the memory of the infected computer. The main purpose of a worm is to automatically replicate itself and spread across the network from system to system. 
* A Trojan horse is a non-self-replicating type of malware, often containing malicious code, designed to look like something else, such as a legitimate application or file. When an infected application or file is downloaded and opened, the Trojan horse can attack the end device from within.
The above and more can enter your network through downloading infected programs or even simply using the Internet at unsafe sites. Other vulnerabilities come from using infected flash drives, weak passwords, unpatched operating systems, malware, and a lack of a firewall or security software on your devices. Moreover, unsecured network devices, unsecured end devices, disgruntled employees, poor or no security policies, and the most important one, unaware and uneducated users! 
The threats are real and more widespread than we wish. In Part 2, we will discuss ways to protect you and mitigate those threats. For now, your assignment is to find out more about vulnerabilities and threats in your network and in your living room.
Fara Afshar PhD, CCNA-Security, CCDA is a Professor of Engineering at Suffolk Community College and an Industry Security Professional. If you get a chance to take one of her courses, or a presentation, you will find her down-to-earth and attention-getting. Look for Part 2 in the next Security Directions.

Description: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEiuSIiOIGgcvyfTtSgkkN-4N7sSRNI_MhJKGPOOXssnWf3N3YIKy8WOmORfzv7oZQLt5cg5Vmz7sJyuErHNn8G7l7sHqa3ZHuiMIQoGg2l8qIKrLhirToLgBGmOBbSVRhkgCTgpYDQeWElK0klovAETDM1uMMH2neaW_T8umtN6H-leBC9K=s0-d-e1-ftBAD Stories with WORSE Endings...  

After some twenty years of thinking about it, I am getting serious about producing: "The Security Director's OTHER Manual." Some "bad" stories come back to mind while considering all the areas to cover.

Here are two stories that I hope will prove useful reminders that digging deeper may not always produce pleasant results. At least you as the reader 'KNOW' what the potentials are going into these situations. That might be enough to let you stop short of orchestrating an unwelcome job exit.
Perhaps you have some of your own Bad Stories that you'd like to share. We can always camouflage the details so you won't be identified -or we can include them and attribute them to you, the source. It's your choice but there's nothing if you don't write 'em and send 'em in....

Dan's Story
Some years ago and we are in a graduate class in Security Management and Dan and I are in the same row in the auditorium, along with my husband who, as a favor to me, comes into Manhattan on Monday evenings from Suffolk County.

Dan is a youthful NYPD detective who is retiring after military and police service. He has secured a job as security director at a lighting distributor in New Jersey and plenty of his colleagues are jealous.
The lighting company is run by members of an extended family and they have been suffering significant losses. They've chosen Dan, based on his investigative expertise, as the right man to figure out what's going wrong.

Sure enough, within a few weeks Dan identifies the employees who are stealing. He knows how they are getting the goods through security procedures and even determines some of the outfits where they are selling the stolen materials.

Dan is fairly happy with his progress and during the next several weeks he shares with us how he is putting the case together.

Next, he asks for a meeting with the top executives to present his findings. He delivers his report and asks whether they want to prosecute the thieves; get restitution or simply fire the wrong-doers. Instead, the executives tell him they want a sit-down meeting with the thieves. They plan to use them and their "customers" to expand their business via other channels.

Dan is dumbfounded. He is also terminated, given a nice severance package and is out of work, all in less than 4 months. When we see him in class the next Monday, he's angry and frustrated.

The take-away: find out why they are hiring you. Do this by putting forward questions during the interviews about what management envisions doing at the conclusion of this investigation (if that's their motivation for hiring you) -or perhaps what they've done in the past at the conclusion any investigations. 

The executives might not have any good answers. They may look off to the sky to avoid confronting you on the subject. They may get annoyed at your impertinence. Whatever the response is, it tells you what you need to know. It tells you what not to assume and how to avoid tripping yourself up going forward.

You can then decide if this is the job or assignment for you. It may not be smooth going over time; no one may be congratulating you for the great job you do. And, no one may care about your feelings.
It sounds so simple, but sometimes the anticipation of having a title, a good salary and benefits and a certain prestige, gets in the way of the fundamentals. Plus if you decide that you are willing to take on this risk, you aren't going to present information in a way that interferes with your continuing beyond that particular couple of months work.
  
George's Story:
Late in the afternoon I get a call from George. He's a robust security professional with years of law enforcement experience and manages a decent-sized security force at the east-coast plant where he works... worked.

On the phone he doesn't have his regular powerful presentation and everything about the conversation sounds tentative.
George wants to know what security director jobs are available in his general area...

Mostly, I listen, interjecting a short comment when appropriate. Here's what George told me:
Perhaps six months ago he was called into a conference with the 'C-Level' management. They wanted his help to stem shrinkage, losses that were on the rise in only one of the company's other divisions. The losses were now well above the 2% that their accounting firm determined was the break-even point below which investing resources in solving the issue would cost more than the shortage itself.

George, who had worked for the company for almost seven years, was up for the challenge. It meant learning more about other parts of the conglomerate and he hoped that a successful resolution might put him in line for a divisional promotion and a significant raise.

It was a complicated scenario. One worker was in cahoots with suppliers so they were shorting the company on products. The employee was signing off that he'd gotten a full shipment, and then the supplier would give "gifts" to that employee to thank him for the business... It wasn't easy to spot: for instance management didn't usually measure the lengths of hydraulic tubing they received or analyze what was actually in supply shipments going to maintenance/repair since the items didn't go into the manufacturing process.

Even their accounting firm, when doing audits, didn't open pallets of finished goods to see if they were missing items in the middle. Their major focus was counting the numbers of shrink-wrapped pallets ready to ship and the pallets of raw materials remaining in stock. The company was issuing more credits for short shipments but not enough to become a focus.

George put the case together. He identified three major problems that were responsible for many of the shortages and lost revenue. The CHB and CEO were thrilled with his work though the other officers were more neutral. Had George left it there, life would not have gotten so complex.

But George was good. He didn't stop investigating at that point. Eventually his sleuthing had him asking for another meeting with the CEO. The trail of some of the misdeeds led back to the CFO, something he hadn't prepared the leadership to address and certainly something they didn't want to deal with, at least not at that time. They were in confidential negotiations, on the verge of a merger... So George was sworn to secrecy; handed a big check for his silence and shown the door. 

Now, not only was George looking for a new position, he was going to have to come up with a plausible explanation for why he was looking for a new job without telling the truth....
Of course, you may have better stories. Send them in.

Below are several issues to consider:
  • Major financial crimes if they are well-thought-out, seem to slide by. Ask anyone on Wall Street.
  • In most cases there isn't even restitution when thieves are identified.
  • As the drug laws loosen up, no one is going to be interested in prosecuting employees unless their marijuana or other distribution is mind-boggling.
  • If the company's EAP group tends to "rehabilitate" everyone over and over, then focus on performance issues that put the company in jeopardy. Document it. You may also want to connect with risk management rather than reminding others that their bad choices are keeping 'problems' employed.      
More for the future... 
Erica

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By Juval Aviv 

As a frequent traveler and a terrorism and security consultant, I am often asked by clients for tips on travel safety. This short piece includes suggestions that may help you have safer business travels as well.

Some of my recommendations:
  • Pack lightly and try to sort out any issues with your flight prior to arriving. Airport security is primarily focused on preventing terrorists from attacking planes. There is very little to prevent an attack in the front of the terminal itself where potentially hundreds of people are lined up during the busy holiday travel season. The less time you spend in this part of the airport, checking bags or dealing with ticketing agents, the better.
  • Make copies of your passport and other forms of identification and leave it with a trusted friend or relative. If you lose your passport, having copies faxed or emailed to you can make replacement much easier.
  • When traveling to a foreign country, find out where your country's nearest embassy or consulate is located. You may need their services in the event of a lost passport or other travel related emergency. 
  • Check with the State Department prior to departure for the most recent travel warnings.
  • Consider purchasing travel medical insurance, particularly if you are traveling to a country where the medical facilities might not be up to Western standards. Policies that include medical evacuation are relatively inexpensive. 
  • If you take prescription medications divide them up and keep them in two places, perhaps keep half in your carry on and half in your luggage. If one of your bags is lost or stolen you have another supply. It may not be easy or even possible to fill a prescription in a local pharmacy. 
  • If you take prescription pain relievers or sedatives, check with the State Department before traveling to a foreign country about that country's laws regarding drug possession. In some countries, possessing pain relievers and other types of medications without proper documentation, can be considered a criminal offense and can land travelers in a lot of trouble.  
  • Wearing expensive clothes and jewelry can make a traveler a more visible target for muggers or kidnappers. Avoid wearing labels or logos that easily identify you as an American.
We recommend that our clients choose chain hotels in areas that have a decent amount of nightlife. Hotels in business districts may be more convenient for meetings or work, but these areas can be deserted at night, making walking around more dangerous. We've found that chain hotels are generally more dependable in terms of cleanliness and security.
  
Travelers also face cyber security issues and as more and more of our clients are doing business in countries like China and Russia where hacking is a prevalent threat, we are strongly recommending that they take precautions with smart phones and laptops. Smart phone and laptop hacking has become commonplace in recent years. With new technologies business travelers can more easily access sensitive information remotely. They've been known to store information on unsecured devices.
  
We recommend that our clients leave their smart phones and laptops at home and take loaner laptops and phones or pay-as-you-go phones when traveling.  If there is no information stored on the device, then there is nothing for the hacker to steal.
  
Additionally, we tell our clients to disable the WIFI and Bluetooth options on their phones. Generally, hackers can access smart phones especially through the newer devices. In Europe, American smart phone users can rent a device that literally lets you create a WIFI point where you are -but you probably won't be the only one using it...
  
As we all seem to know but don't always do: remove the battery from the phone when in meetings. That way the phones cannot be turned on remotely and used as listening devices.
  
You may also consider not accessing company networks while traveling. Laptops can be infected with keystroke-recording software. If you have to access a password-protected or encrypted site or network, copy and paste the password from a USB thumb drive to at least avoid the keystroke issues.
  
I hope these tips help keep you safe on your travels and avoid disruptions. Please feel free to contact us for additional tips or suggestions.

Juval Aviv, President and CEO of Interfor, Inc., a corporate investigations and physical security consulting firm. He is a frequent public speaker on financial fraud, terrorism and cyber security. Reach him at:
juval.aviv@interforinc.com. 
His published works include: Staying Safe: The Complete Guide to Protecting Yourself, Your Family, and Your Business, published by HarperResource, a division of HarperCollins Publishing. His other book: "The Complete Terrorism Survival Guide" was published by Juris Publishing.

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THE FIRST 5-7 MINUTES ...
Active Shooter Response That's Critical in Healthcare Settings
 By William Losefsky, CHPA, and Jeff Putnam, CPP 
It isn't the first time we are looking at this issue, but the following may be particularly useful to refresh and expand on the theme. (Editor).

Hospital security directors and managers probably have the 'READYHOUSTON' active shooter plan in place that focuses on: "RUN/HIDE/FIGHT". What most of us know from a quick examination of statistics is that it will take 5-7 minutes for L/E response. As security leaders, what is our best approach to managing from the moment first shots are fired until local law enforcement can get there and take out the threat?

In a 2012 Annals of Emergency Medicine study of 154 hospital shootings in 40 states, researchers found that emergency departments were listed as the most common site of attacks with 29%, followed by parking lots with 23% and patient rooms with 19%.

During an Active Shooter situation, our goal is to prevent or reduce the likelihood of injury or death. What training and both passive and active countermeasures may reduce the number of injuries and casualties associated with such a traumatic event?

Communication is Key
We've looked at a number of web-based software applications that work well for emergency mass communications to employees and your security team. Look into: One Call Now System, AtHoc Alerting System, and NOTIFIER Emergency Communication Systems. Whether you utilize one of these applications or quickly e-mail, text, call, use intercoms, digital sign boards, bull horns or runners the essential thing is to communicate the warning, TEST your system rigorously and regularly so not only do you quickly communicate the nature of the ASE, location of the threat and an evacuation route, but everyone on premises knows what the communication looks like and sounds like!
We've found that today most hospitals have a code designated for an active shooter: Code Silver notification is synonymous with an event involving a weapon or firearm. 

Active and Passive Countermeasures
To paraphrase Webster's dictionary, countermeasures are: "actions or devices designed to negate or offset others." The focus is to prevent undesirable outcomes via these processes.

Passive countermeasures would include teaching employees to instinctively think about barricading methods using materials they have available. This is generally referred to as Protect-in-Place. If there is no time to escape, identify specific locations that can be pre-identified as recommended Protect-in-Place rooms or sanctuary spaces. They can be locked from the interior, have few or no interior glass windows and offer walls that provide more protection against potential gunfire than just sheetrock. There may be no spaces in your facilities that meet all the criteria. Choose the ones that have the most attributes and people can get to.

Can employees roll heavy copy machines, desks, hospital beds, etc. for additional fortification or help delay an intruder's ability to enter the room? Perhaps a silver sticker on the door of any pre-identified Code Silver Compliant rooms will aid employees protecting in place even if they are currently assigned in an unfamiliar area of the facility.
If the room cannot be locked from the inside, as part of the training plan suggest employees use belts, purse straps or electrical cords to tie the door shut. It is worth considering purchasing 500 feet of parachute cord and cutting and distributing it in 25-foot lengths to rooms/offices that cannot be locked. Help employees make it SOP to silence the cellphones; turn off the lights, remain quiet and move away from doors or windows.

In the hospital environment, we are required to place fire extinguishers throughout the facility. These devices can become formidable weapons when considering taking active measures against a shooter. A class B 10-20 pound fire extinguisher planted upside a shooter's head may incapacitate the shooter and provide the opportunity to overpower him. Additionally, discharging the extinguisher at the shooter may provide sufficient diversion or incapacitate the individual enough so the employees can overpower the shooter.

In our ALICE training, we learned that throwing an object at a shooter's face is very distracting and may temporarily interrupt the shooter from firing. In those few seconds, if several employees are in the room they can use a swarm technique - each grabbing for an arm or leg and essentially 'taking down' the shooter. We've practiced swarm techniques in our ALICE training and each and every time, we've been able to overpower and overcome the shooter. Although real events are much more stressful than a training, it is important to recognize that doing nothing is not a plan.
Improvised Weapons in the Office

Your employees may not have considered that there are Improvised Weapons (IW's) in their offices. Suggest they consider: staplers; coffee mugs; calculators (yes, even numbers can hurt); Rolodexes; phones; printers; books; picture frames; etc. Just think of the power a snow globe would have if when thrown at a Little Leaguer's speed at a shooter's forehead! I have heard of administrative assistants maintaining a can of wasp spray in their desk as a last line of defense against an aggressor. These cans are generally large (high capacity) and the spray stream generally extends out 12 - 15 feet!

Taking the typical "run and hide" concept to the next level, get employees to consider and discuss actions they can take to survive if a shooter enters their room. It should become instinctive for them to follow the following steps:
1. Shut off the lights
2. Lock the doors (if possible)
3. Place barricades at the doors, and material on the floor that will cause the shooter to trip in the dark space
4. Work through the fight plan if no other option is available.

Get employees to practice where they would crouch, stand and maneuver. It helps them all prepare to take immediate swarm action if a shooter enters the room. The employees stop being easy targets.

We've watched dozens of Active Shooter Events in training and have observed that the eyes of the shooter are focused on looking for potential victims. I have yet to see an active shooter concentrate on looking at the floor for potential tripping hazards. Tying belts across a door threshold or tying ropes and belts between two chairs may be the tripping hazard that tips the scales and gives employees an opportunity to implement swarm techniques.

We encourage you to take the entire Active Shooter Response training to the next level. Help your employees think through and practice passive and active measures that may mean the difference between life and death. If as security professionals we can achieve this, we have accomplished one of our most important missions: protecting our charges!

* (Hospital-Based Shootings in the United States: 2000 to 2011, Kelen, Gabor D. et al., Annals of Emergency Medicine, Volume 60, Issue 6, 790 - 798.e1)

William Losefsky, CHPA, is Chief of Security Services for LRGHealthcare system in New Hampshire. His MBA is from Columbia Southern University. He is a retired law enforcement officer with certification in  anti-terrorism specialist. Bill is Vice chairperson and treasurer of the NH IAHSS chapter and received the IAHSS Lindberg Bell Award in 2010. Recently, Bill was certified as an A.L.I.C.E. Active Shooter Trainer.

Jeff Putnam, CPP, is an independent security consultant and is Board Certified in Security Management through ASIS International. He has over 35 years' experience in both private security industry and in the military.Jeff retired from the USAF Security Forces after 20 years of service in several countries.His BA is from Louisiana Tech University .He is an ASIS member and served as chairman of the ArkLaTex Chapter.
  

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Honoring the Protectors
By Matthew W. Horace
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Being immersed in the security industry each day, it sometimes takes another colleague to remind us that it is easy to forget to honor those who protect us all: the "Protectors of the Protectors". We don't always consider the individuals, the men and women who actually provide the day-in-day-out security services that make a difference in how we feel about our safety in workplaces and the commercial buildings where many of us spend our waking hours.

I've seen the term Security narrowly defined as: "the state of being protected or safe from harm; things done to make people or places safe; the area in a place (such as an airport) where people are checked to make sure they are not carrying weapons or other illegal materials."

Security is a necessary element in our democracy. Beginning with the revolutionary era, we formed armies and militias to "Protect Freedoms" from tyranny and injustice. After all, royalty and land barons have always had private security forces. As any student of the subject knows, it was later in history that public policing and public law enforcement became the norm.

When global terrorists suggest that Jihadists attack US gathering places such as our malls and shopping centers, we begin to look toward the private security industry to ensure our safety and protection from destructive elements.    

Private security is one of the fastest growing occupations in the United States. There are approximately 1.1 million private security officers working across the nation - far outnumbering American police officers. Some 600,000 private security officers are outsourced by organizations -working for specialized security companies hired by clients to secure and protect their premises, employees, and visitors.

If we factor in the number of corporate and private security professionals like CSO's, analysts, directors, program managers, and others who support small, medium and large corporations, the overall number of people who are responsible for our safety and security is staggering.

Our private security protectors are at the front lobby desk when we come to work; they are at the x-ray screening device before we gain entry to the elevator banks; they are patrolling the fire stairs and perimeters of our buildings -like a background orchestra to our daily activities.

We tend to honor those working for government agencies or the military more frequently than we do those who we see every day and interact with on a regular basis. But the security officers covering huge manufacturing and storage facilities and local amusement parks perhaps play just as important a role in how we connect with our 'freedom' as do the military and law enforcement officers we interact with on any visit to the US Capitol.

As someone who has worked with thousands of private security officers in the last several years, I've come to appreciate the contribution each one makes to a sense of security that allows us to go about our regular business without always checking our 6 and feeling ill-at-ease.

In actuality, security personnel throughout the United States safeguard military bases and government facilities housing our nation's federal law enforcement officers and civilian workforce. It is almost as if we've come full circle, acknowledging that it is critical to employ private security personnel to ensure security for citizens in their daily activities as we'd have expected for landed gentry centuries ago.
  
For those of you who work in the private security field, shoulders square, uniforms tight, eyes bring, professional and proud, and above all committed to being our protectors of safety and security -thank you. We honor you and ask that you continue to offer us the best of your service.

Matthew W. Horace is Senior Vice President and Chief Security Officer at
FJC Security Services. He can be reached at: 516-328-6000 ext. 1161.

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By Chuck Tobin

Security professionals, both contract and proprietary, embrace many core principles concerning investigative methods for workplace situations. However, to be effective and valuable there are some deeper concerns that need to be addressed and accompany our reporting.

There is always risk, or loss, or risks of loss that bring about a call for investigative resources. Our skills at identifying theft rings, suspicious activities, or individuals who are problematic in the workplace is significant. We are often able to isolate the important information about who and what is involved. After all, loss comes in many forms and has varied impact. We may find that someone within an organization has embezzled or has committed acts of sexual harassment or worse, and may be subject to termination, if not prosecution.

Traditionally, investigators provide their detailed findings. The quality and quantity of their evidence substantiates whatever action employers deem necessary.

What is often overlooked is: "how will this subject respond to what he/she perceives as consequential 'negative' actions by the employer?" or "does this individual have the propensity for violence and might termination or other discipline trigger unwanted behavior, either immediately or after being confronted about the problematic behavior?"

While threat assessment and management strategies are applied in many potentially hostile or violent termination situations, are we missing other life changing events?Perhaps it is also significant for investigators to collect and assess additional information that goes beyond the current workplace situation. The material has to be on-hand and evaluated before termination because it may alter how the matter is handled. And, there are many examples where an employee was terminated for causes other than violence, yet the person committed violence as a result of the employer's action. [Consider last year's Connecticut shootings at a workplace where an employee who was terminated for theft, then returned a short time later and killed the bosses and other management personnel while they all sat at a meeting.]

Perception of Loss
One principle that is core to assessing violence risk is: understanding that individuals perceive events according to their own reality. Whether the reality is factual or not is besides the question. Acknowledge that this reality is their truth and they will formulate their decisions based on it. It may be a reality influenced by drugs, past life experiences, environmental factors or other stressors. An investigator's judgment about individuals' perceived reality has no place here. We cannot discount the subject's version of 'reality'.

Assessment and Management
While we are not suggesting that every investigator become a threat assessment expert, it is reasonable that all investigators consider how they can contribute to the reduction of future violence. If, as investigators, our findings will have a negative consequence on the problematic person, how can we help reduce the risk that there will be future loss of life or injury because that person becomes out of control?

With the loss of inhibitors (being terminated and no longer operating under the job's constraints -or without a perceived connection to the company) but still with the external stressors, the situation may be sufficient for the individual to commit violence directed back at the workplace, its management or at co-workers.

Threat assessment professionals will utilize investigative findings in a multi-disciplinary approach to make an initial assessment and begin formulating strategies that may be able to take the individual off a pathway to violence. There may be psychologists and threat assessment investigators and others involved in what goes far beyond the original investigation. The goal: to effectively move the individual to a position where risk to the [former] employer and those associated with the organization is mitigated.

Combine in a careful collaboration: threat assessment investigators (public and private), behavioral science professionals, protection professionals, human resource professionals, attorneys (prosecutors and council). They can all share insights from their disciplines to provide a safer resolution. For a deeper look into this collaborative approach, examine the best practices paper: Workplace Violence Standard released by ASIS and SHRM from 2011. It offers a good starting place.

Various models exist in the threat assessment and management community regarding the evaluation of an individual's risk for violence. One of the most critical elements, regardless of which model you choose, is that it utilizes the multi-disciplinary environment as mentioned above. We rely on investigative skills to identify problematic employees and then call upon these additional resources so that we can do an effective risk assessment and develop a true mitigation strategy.

Chuck Tobin is president of AT-RISK International and can be reached at:1.703.378.2444.



  
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We Know They Are Out There
By Patrick J. Brosnan

French authorities had the Kouachi brothers under surveillance for years - and stopped just a year before the deadly assault on the Charlie Hebdo offices. This grim fact suggests a potentially deadly chink in our own anti-terrorism programs here in the United States.
The brothers were known jihadists, with confirmed links to Al Quaeda in Yemen. Said Kouachi's travels to Yemen between 2009 and 2012 were well-known to French law-enforcement and intelligence services. And Cherif Kouachi had been convicted of jihadist-related activities in 2008.
The sad reality is that law enforcement and intelligence services have finite budgets. That's why the "watch" on the Kouachis was reduced from sustained surveillance to monitoring and then, ultimately, discontinued completely.

That's the irony of sustained surveillance: It is virtually impossible to sustain.
As a former NYPD robbery detective and now the owner of an intelligence and investigative firm in the city, I've been directly involved in administering and conducting surveillances for more than 30 years. They are extremely difficult to conduct without alerting the target and very costly to fund - especially when the target may avoid suspicious or criminal behavior for very long periods of time.

It's relatively simple to identify potential jihadists through their travels to Yemen or other hotspots, or through other intelligence-gathering methods. The problems start when you try to put multiple, perhaps hundreds, of potential or confirmed jihadists under sustained surveillance.

The first problem is cost. To surveil one person 24/7, you need three agents assigned to each target at any given moment. With 168 hours in a week, as per the United States Department of Labor Laws, intelligence agents generally work 40 hours a week- an effective surveillance, therefore, requires fifteen full-time agents per week just to follow one -potential or confirmed- jihadist at all times.

Too few, and the target is likely to "make" the surveillance - or you may simply lose him in traffic or in a dizzying array of everyday scenarios.
Multiply that by several hundred targets, and you've got a logistical and budget nightmare.

To boot, you need to constantly rotate agents and vehicles, because these targets are naturally on the lookout. And it's impossible to predict when potential jihadists will actually shift to operational mode and mount an attack. Armies of agents could surveil one target for years before the individual ever goes operational - and he/she may never.
All the while, the meter is running -- draining law-enforcement resources to the point where the surveillance is either cut back due to the lack of activity, or discontinued altogether, because you're more worried about a different target, as happened with the Kouachi brothers.

So what do we do?
First, add cheaper oversight: Law-enforcement and intelligence authorities, in addition to monitoring digital and other jihadi communication devices closely 24/7, we also have to interweave any actionable intelligence with an operational strategy and instantaneous intervention. After all, we had intelligence prior to 9/11. At that time, we were not operating with our "antennas up" or an immediate commitment to act. Hopefully, things have changed.

With the tremendous number of camera feeds being aggregated in almost every US urban center, we may not have to have physical surveillance 24/7 on every one of thousands of people with jihadi leanings in the US. However, we can 'tag' the images generated from where we know potential terrorists are residing, working, congregating, etc. And that can become our 24/7 database. With modern analytics we can have local and federal law enforcement alerted and attuned when frequencies of activity, changes in behavior, etc. come into view. And it is far less expensive than the physical surveillance for everyone on a full watch-list.

Next, we have to recognize the importance of funding for sustained physical surveillance with confirmed and high-potential jihadists. From my experience, this is an absolute. There is no greater or more pressing reason for the federal government to have an open checkbook.

However, we also want to examine what would really be expended if we wanted to have 24/7 sustained physical surveillance: Right now, there are most likely not that many US-based potential jihadis known to authorities. For example, it's been reported that in 2013 nine Americans were known to have joined or tried to join foreign terrorist organizations.

Let's guesstimate the total in-country to be 100. To put three surveillance experts on them all, 24/7, would run $644 million a year. For 300 jihadis: $2 billion a year. That's a drop in the bucket of our tax dollars.

Once individuals make it onto our radar as more than tiny blips, let's not reduce physical surveillance for confirmed or highly-likely jihadists. From what we've experienced so far, they are not likely to do anything immediately. It may be years in the planning and preparation. Once individuals are identified as real threats to our homeland, they don't become less of a threat because they do not act quickly.

Pickpockets and rapists are driven by greed or lust. By contrast, terrorists like the Kouachis can be incredibly patient; surveillance of them can be excruciatingly drawn-out.

Third, plant undercover investigators. We have to be more clever; more purposefully deceitful than the jihadis. We must be relentless in our efforts to put our spooks in their spaces.

Jihadis are methodical, thorough and, above all, extremely patient. We must display the same level of patience if we are to identify, prevent and disrupt future terrorist acts in the United States.

Patrick J. Brosnan, a former NYPD Robbery/Gun Squad detective is CEO of Brosnan Risk Consultants and a Fox News crime analyst. Reach him at: 845-624-6571.
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