Are there any overlaps between the physical and cyber security fields? Are there certain corners of cyber security that can best be reached by physical security experts, and vice versa? Can the two fields benefit from more cross-pollination and professional cooperation? The answer to all three questions turns out to be a resounding Yes, and… Read More Patrolling The Cyber-Physical Security Border
In my last article, I discussed how security professionals should treat security as a science rather than an art. This is because our goals should be objectively verifiable and should therefore be based on reason, evidence and probability. This, however, is just one half of the story. The other half has to do with the… Read More The Feeling Of Security
I’ll admit it, I have an annoying pet peeve about the security field being described as an art rather than a science. The sentiment in question is that security, protection, intelligence, surveillance detection, etc., can’t be reduced to formulas, equations and lab experiments. There are some general principles, but there aren’t any one-size-fits-all solutions. It… Read More It’s Not An Art, It’s A Science
A version of this article has also been published in Security Solutions Magazine. On the evening of the 19th of December, 2016, the world was shocked as news came out about the assassination of the Russian ambassador to Turkey, Andrei Karlov. Karlov was shot from behind as he was delivering a speech at the Cagdas… Read More A lesson In Diplomatic Protection
I’m very excited to host my first guest blogger on Protection Circle, Travis Lishok. Travis is the owner of EP Nexus, a fantastic executive protection blog that explores protective intelligence, OSINT investigations, threat assessment, and more. Travis and I decided to collaborate by writing two different perspectives on the same event (an actual protective detail… Read More The OSINT Connection: Intelligence In Executive Protection
In recent years, quite a few articles have been published about CEO protection and how much money different corporations spend on it. Forbes might have been the first to get this trend started with this (somewhat dated) article. CNBC discussed the issue back during the healthcare debate, and Fortune Magazine put out a piece about… Read More Protecting The CEO
What’s the difference between risk and threat? It’s a simple question about two very common terms we use in the security industry, but one that more people need to ask themselves. And as a result of not doing so, too many security professionals end up using risk and threat (and occasionally, vulnerability too) interchangeably. This… Read More Threats and Risks
Surveillance Detection (SD) is thankfully receiving increasing amounts of attention in recent years, as more and more industry professionals (and even some non-industry professionals) are waking up to its potential benefits. As positive as this development is, it does create the need to abolish some misconceptions regarding SD, and to better explain how it can… Read More SD Enabled Security
Towards the end of every year, there’s a fantastic Close Protection Conference which is organized by the International Protective Security Board (IPSB). In the conference a couple of years ago, I was hugely honored to do a ‘Tac-Talk’ (think TED Talk, just for security professionals) about surveillance detection, and I thought it might be a good… Read More Let’s Talk About Surveillance Detection
One of the most important yet often overlooked factors in high-end private sector protective operations is the sale. By this, I’m not just talking about the acquisition of new clients but the general idea of getting the right decision-makers to sign onto your program – and to be willing to pay for it. One of… Read More Executive Security Presentations
