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Security or Convenience? Get Both with these 4 Steps

In December of 2013, a student bent on revenge entered Arapahoe High School in Colorado to target the debate team coach. The coach left the school, but the student killed Claire Davis before taking his own life.

Sadly, the killer used a side door that was supposed to be locked, but was routinely left propped open for convenience.

Propped open doors can be used by all criminals, not just shooters

Being a student, he would have likely found a way in. However, every obstacle creates an opportunity to disrupt an attack. Forcing the student to use a main entrance could have meant that he would have been seen, as he was carrying a shotgun and machete along with Molotov cocktails: items that were not easily concealed. If an access control system was in place, an alarm may have been instantly triggered if there was forced entry or a door propped open.

It is concerning that it was apparently a well-known fact that the door in question (and probably others) was routinely allowed to be propped open for sake of the convenience.

The question or trade-off between security and convenience is not new. Every security professional has faced this dilemma in some form or another. If security measures are not supported, people will find ways to work around the measures.

To make sure that your security is convenient, follow the guidelines below.

1. Communicate the reason behind the security measures. Repeat as necessary. It is nearly impossible to over-communicate a message. Recently, I heard a speaker say that a message has to be repeated seven times before it will be remembered. Make sure you can clearly explain changes, the reason for the changes, and, of course, what is in it for the audience (such as to protect employees and keep them safe).

2. Plan security measures to match business needs. NOTE: business needs and convenience are not the same thing. If business goals are supported and the inconvenience does not impact productivity, then move forward with executive support.

3. Have a method that identifies any gaps or ways that a security measure is being bypassed. For example, if there are repeated alarms at a given door, review the situation to see if there is a business need to make a change. If not, enforce the policy!

4. Convenience may sometimes include visitors or customers. An organization has to be able to balance security with a customer-friendly environment. If you have restricted or limited access for visitors or customers, be sure to have the right signage and way finding in place so people will be directed to the right location. A school may lock all doors except for the front. However, there should be clear signage directing visitors to the front entrance if someone happens to park in the wrong area or walks up from a different direction. Make it easy for visitors to follow the security protocols.

Find the right balance between security and convenience. The two may be at odds on occasion, but with the right approach, you can build support and create a safer environment.

Eric Smith, CPP is the leading authority on organizational self-defense. He has extensive experience in law enforcement as well as security management. Eric is available for staff education and security awareness training as well as business coaching to help organizations provide safe workplaces. To learn more email Eric at businesskarate dot com.

If you would like to reprint this post, please contact Eric at Eric at businesskarate dot com.

The Security Outlook for 2014

This is the time of year when we find ourselves thinking of New Year Eve’s parties, confetti, Auld Lang Syne and resolutions for the new year (usually around getting rid of the pounds we put on during Christmas). There is also the stream of news stories about the past year, the top stories and the events and people that shaped the year. It is also a good time to take a glimpse into the coming year and think about the changes, challenges and rewards that lie ahead.

Security, and how security relates to business, is constantly changing as well, so this is a good time to reflect and plan for the future.

Information Security

Cyber risks are a global concern

Information security will continue to be a top focus when it comes to security. With the latest breach of credit and debit cardholders who shopped at Target, there is the ongoing fear of identity theft. The investigation continues on how hackers were able to collect all that information, including PINs for debit cards. How much of this was actually used remains to be seen or if it was an inside job. However, it has garnered a lot of media attention and brought identity theft and information security back into the spotlight. It would be surprising if there were not a push for some new legislation as a result of this, including penalties to businesses that expose customers.

Another top concern related to information security and hacking is the risk of cyber-attacks, especially on critical infrastructure such as power grids. There have been various attacks, including some coming from foreign governments, such as China and Iran. A serious attack on utilities could essentially put the United States back in the stone ages in moments and would certainly wreak havoc.

The hidden risk is the continued shift of focus away from physical security. Protection from physical attacks should never be overlooked. There have been a number of actual attacks, including active shooters, even the recent suicide bombs in Russia.

NSA

The story of Edward Snowden, the wayward NSA contractor, fleeing the country with tens of thousands of confidential documents is not going to disappear any time soon. There are legal repercussions ongoing and the question of how much information the NSA (National Security Agency) can legally gather from citizens will almost certainly end up before the U.S. Supreme Court.

In the meantime, Snowden still has tens of thousands of additional documents that could be released and we can only speculate what kind of information might be within. The revelations have re-ignited the debate between security and liberty. Benjamin Franklin is known for saying that those who value security over liberty deserve neither. In 2014, we will certainly see more debates on how to balance protection from terrorists while protecting individual privacy and our constitutional rights. There is an additional question related to security; how did the NSA, of all groups, miss the dangers of allowing a contractor, not even a full employee, access to so many confidential documents. You have to wonder what kind of background screening was done as well. That leads to the question of how the NSA can manage gathering so much information and find the true threats when probably 99% of the information is useless.

Pay Inequality

The World Economic Forum’s annual report has identified economic disparity has one of the top risks facing the globe. It is certainly an area getting a great deal of attention, not just between poor and wealthy nations, but even within developed countries. The U.S. president routinely brings up the issue as a champion of the downtrodden, who in turn express their outrage at being poor across social media with their iPhones.

In truth, there is a growing problem. Historically, top executives once earned about 20 times what the average employee made. Today, it is not uncommon for top executives to earn 200 or even 500 times what the average employees earn. Worse, household income has dropped over the last few years while corporate profits have been increasing. That is a recipe for discontent and social unrest. Switzerland, a business-friendly nation, nearly passed a restriction that would have limited executive pay to only 12 times the pay of the lowest-paid employee.

News Photo

The risk is disturbances or even riots, is a very real threat that could impact supply chains and disruptions of service or even strikes. We have seen a variety of businesses that boast of being ‘green’ or promoting ‘fair trade’ and it is likely that some forward thinking businesses will promote themselves for caring for employees and having more equitable pay scales.

Obamacare

A look at business risks cannot ignore health insurance reform, a top issue in the United States, specifically the Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare. Within the healthcare industry there is great uncertainty and talk of cost control, i.e., lay-offs. Meanwhile of the 40 million uninsured Americans, only 1 million signed up for Obamacare. Most Americans are finding that the costs are anything but affordable.

Certainly, health insurance is going to be a hot topic, within both politics and healthcare, but also one that impacts every business and individual with insurance. The deductibles and monthly premiums are increasing. Businesses that provide services to hospitals should be particularly wary, as the hospitals will squeeze every contract for savings. Likely, the only things that will not change are the salaries paid to the physicians.

Active Shooters

Shootings in Colorado and at Sandy Hook Elementary have sparked debate on care for mental health patients and gun control. School security has been a particular focus. Just like after 9-11, when there was a sudden emersion of so-called terrorist experts, there is now a rush of school security experts with arrays of solutions. Training teachers how to fight armed attackers with knee strikes and elbows is becoming more commonplace, although there still seems to be reluctance to add well-trained, armed guards to schools (expense is part of the concern). Learning to fight back is great, but it would be better yet to have the right tools for the job.

The risk is that attackers also learn from news coverage and will adapt their plans to harm as many people as possible. Schools and all organizations need to consider other potential tactics, such as explosives, chemicals or gas attacks and so forth. Terrorists have used similar methods around the world for decades, sometimes with horrific effect. Do not get tunnel vision.

All the Usual

In 2014, we will see our share of bizarre and strange crimes. Lust and greed fuel evil people into all sorts of crazy schemes. If any involve beautiful women or tales of sex as part of it, you can expect the usual media frenzy. Oh. Don’t forget the usual celebrity stories with drugs, alcohol, rehab and relapses and whatnot. Did I mention Duck Dynasty?

Fasten your seat belt and hold on. 2014 will certainly be another interesting year.

If you would like to reprint this post, please contact Eric at Eric at businesskarate dot com.

To Arm Or Not to Arm - That is the Question!

It has been 400 some years since Shakespeare’s Hamlet first posed the question, “To be or not to be.” Today, a modern twist seems to be a recurring question; to arm or not to arm.

Edwin Booth as Hamlet

By J. Gurney & Son, N.Y. (19th century) Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Since the shooting at LAX that left one TSA agent dead, the question of arming TSA officers has come up. I’ve seen arguments both for and against arming TSA. It is not unlike the arguments about having armed security in schools or even arming teachers.

It is not a simple question to answer. First and foremost is to avoid making decisions in a knee-jerk reaction. It is amazing how often within the security realm that an event happens and suddenly there is a rush to make changes. It may be within an organization that experiences a crime, such as an attack on a staff member, resulting in new measures that may or may not always make sense. In other cases, such as this with the LAX shooting, the response and attention is in the public eye, not just an internal matter.

When there is a major incident or security breach, it is common sense, even wise to review what happened, and make changes when necessary. However, the changes should be well-thought out and address the situation at hand. Following a shooting, there is almost an element of surprise that it happened in that location or type of organization. However, we’ve seen shootings occur almost anyway, from churches, hospitals, museums, small businesses, universities, rural and urban schools and even an Amish school. The bottom line is that a shooting can happen in any location, in any state, in the city or in the country. So a better reaction would be to avoid the next shooting or protect the next target instead of thinking about stopping the last event. Often military leaders are accused of training and preparing to fight the last war, instead of looking to what will be needed to fight and win the next war.

It is easy to focus on the past instead of looking to the next steps and it is natural, in this case to wonder about arming TSA officers. I have seen some opinion pieces by airline employees argue against arming TSA. The bottom line seemed to be a lack of trust or maybe even an underlying fear of firearms in general. It strikes me as odd, that a group who are entrusted with protecting our airlines from terrorists would be untrustworthy to carry firearms. On the other hand, this was a single incident and does not automatically mean that TSA officers are a target. In fact, I would argue that airports are far safer than many other public venues. Airports have more security and a large contingent of armed police officers to respond to any types of violent acts. I have also seen TSA officers, in uniform, on their way to work, sometimes using public transportation. If TSA is such a high risk target then those employees should be instructed not to wear the uniform on the way to or from work and change at the airport. In fact, that would create a risk that someone could follow an employee home; steal their uniform and perhaps identification to pose as a TSA officer to gain access to secure parts of the airport.

Self-defense techniques and training unarmed individuals on how to respond to an active shooter have been growing more popular as well. I certainly believe in the benefits of learning self-defense and think that unarmed individuals should not just give up and become victims during a shooting. However, there is an old saying about bringing a knife to a gunfight being a sure way to lose. Bringing nothing to a gunfight is even more risky. Many of the techniques appear to be good ideas and could help save lives. However, most of these attacks are carefully planned and the shooter will certainly see the same news stories and watch the same online videos and adapt their tactics to counteract any resistance.

So the question really comes back to what is the best way to protect individuals from armed attacks. Lots of money and training has gone into teaching unarmed response. Perhaps we need to reconsider the response yet again.

Most active shooters have ended when the shooter is confronted by armed response. The real solution may be to train on-site security personnel how to respond the way law enforcement does to an active shooter. This is certainly one solution not getting much attention and is especially suited for organizations that do have a dedicated security force. Hospitals are one example. Shopping malls are another, as are many office buildings in urban downtowns. For enterprises or locations that do have onsite security, the focus should shift to training those personnel how to respond to and stop an active shooter.

Following the shooting at Columbine High School, law enforcement began developing new tactics to respond to active shooters. At the time, I was a police firearms instructor so was very involved in that training. For the first few years afterwards, the tactics changed repeatedly. As police officers, we finally settled into accepted tactics that we focused on learning and practicing. However, as important as this training was, the amount of time spent for patrol officers was one time a year, often not even a full day. In fact, officers might only run through a couple of active shooter scenarios during the training.

The point is that private security could easily train and learn some of the same tactics in a relatively short amount of training time. In fact, private security officers would know the building and organization much better than outsiders would and, being onsite, could respond much quicker than law enforcement. Just the presence of armed security would likely deter a shooter, at least away from that target.

The decision about arming or not arming security is certainly daunting. However, for those organizations that do have security, serious thought should be given to providing private security with the training and tools that would be the strongest deterrence and most protection from an active shooter attack.

If you would like to reprint this post, please contact Eric at Eric at businesskarate dot com.

Reality of Gun Violence

Once again, we’ve seen a tragic and senseless mass murder, this time in Washington D.C. at the Navy Yards. Twelve victims were left dead after Aaron Alexis walked through the building with a sawed-off shotgun picking off targets.

Too often following these horrific events, the knee jerk reaction is to focus on gun control even over how to identify warning signs.

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There is a great deal of talk about active shooters and many security professionals focus on active shooter responses. Certainly, that is a critical part of a comprehensive emergency management plan and from some of these events it is clear that armed security can be a deterrent or stop the attacks before more people are hurt.

It is wise to take a step back from the hype and look at some of the data behind gun violence to keep it in perspective.

According to FBI statistics, less than 10,000 people are killed by firearms each year. That certainly sounds like a very large number. However, that is much less than many other dangers that garner little, if any, attention.

In comparison, look at the data below and think about where the greatest risks actually are.

From a security perspective, violence is a very real concern. Understanding of risk factors and identification of red flags should be a top priority. However, be careful not to get caught up in the hype. Leave that to the media and politicians.

If you would like to reprint this post, please contact Eric at Eric at businesskarate dot com.

The Craze and Fads of Infamous Crimes and Killers

Currently, the top issue in most security or law enforcement publications and websites is the threat of active shooters. Since the horrific murders at Sandy Hook Elementary, the public’s attention has also been drawn back to the topic of active shooters.

Active shooters have certainly become the “crime du jour.” The danger in this is that other would-be murderers will fantasize about mass shootings as the way to carry out some high-publicity and hideous crime. If you look back at past decades, it seems that other trends in crimes have captivated the public and most likely, in some cases, attracted the criminal mind to that particular offense in a search for notoriety.

In the 1930’s, bootleggers and gangsters of the likes of Al Capone filled the headlines. After prohibition, some of the most famous criminals were known for bank robberies and the willingness to shoot it out with police – eventually only to be on the losing end, such as Bonnie and Clyde or John Dillinger.

In the 1960’s, killers turned to assassination as the means to build a name for themselves and garner attention. Some of the assassinations of the period remain the most notorious and well-known today, such as Martin Luther King, Robert and John Kennedy.

The decade of the 70’s saw a move into hijackings as a way to get attention and try to build attention around a cause. The decade also brought us some infamous serial killers, such as Ted Bundy. Throughout the 80’s, serial killers struck fear with the likes of Dennis Rader, as the Bind/Torture/Kill (BTK) killer and Jeffery Dahmer, who was known for necrophilia and even eating his victims.

The 1990’s brought us Columbine and one of the more heinous cases of an active shooter. Since then, we’ve seen many forms of mass murder from China, Norway and in the U.S. Churches, hospitals, Amish schools and colleges have all been targets, culminating most recently in Sandy Hook.

Of course, this is hardly a scientific analysis of criminal mindsets. Many of these criminals tracked the news stories about what they had done or had left messages stating that they hoped to top the last major violent crime with more death and destruction left behind.

This criminal evolution or progression will undoubtedly continue. There is an old saying that generals try to re-fight the last war. It is important to be alert to new tactics that killers may use to commit the latest hideous and disgusting crime to top the charts…at least until the next one after that.

If you would like to reprint this post, please contact Eric at eric@businesskarate.com.

Real Solutions to Active Shooters

After every tragedy, there is a very real risk that only knee-jerk solutions will be offered. More often than not, this is driven by politicians eager to look like they are doing something to solve the problem.

The recent murders at Sandy Hook Elementary have sparked a similar response. The focus has been on gun control, even while at the same time, the same people calling for gun control will admit that it would not have helped prevent this tragic case. It is interesting that in online surveys of security professionals and police officers the vast majority do not agree with further gun control or restrictions. It is also noteworthy that the very same week this attack occurred, one man in China stabbed 22 students and a teacher in what has become something of a pattern there.

If, as a society, we are going to make true strives to stop school shootings, then it is crucial to do a realistic assessment of what happened, what could have been done, what should have been known and how do we prevent this in the future.

In healthcare, after a serious incident, those involved work together to do a root cause analysis (RCA) to come up with a fix. There are a number of ways to do this and generally involve debriefing the incident to find all the events that led to the problem at hand. Asking why each stage happened and looking for solutions at each step is common.

There are some potential steps that will help address the issue and help prevent further tragedies like the one at Sandy Hook.

1. Focus on the suspect. In many of these horrific shootings, there are some common characteristics of the killers. They have been described as intelligent, often have mental disorders, interested in Goth-style in many cases and very anti-social. Any individuals fitting a combination of these traits should be closely watched, both officially and unofficially. Neighbors, relatives and parents are the first line of defense if someone fits this profile. Once mental health workers become involved, they need to be able to alert law enforcement and follow up must be done.

2. Along these lines, mental health issues must be taken seriously. For years, there has been talk of the revolving door of the justice system, where repeat offenders are quickly released back into society. The same has become true of mental health patients. Anyone making any kind of suicidal or homicidal statement is brought to the emergency room and quickly released. Part of that problem is the number of people who use that as an excuse to try and get drugs, attention or just a meal and warm bed for a short time.

3. Schools should have better access control in place. This does not just include exterior access, but even individual classrooms should be easily locked and secured so a gunman cannot easily shoot into nor get into a classroom.

4. End the ‘victim’ mentality. Police often warn people not to try and resist criminals. While this may be wise in the case of a simple property crime, there is an obligation to help and even encourage people to fight back when in danger. Whether there is an active shooter in a theater, shopping mall, church or school, resistance can distract and delay a shooter and may be enough to stop him completely. In many of these cases, the shooter commits suicide as police arrive, so anything that can delay a shooter and buys time creates more opportunity to survive.

5. Look at ways to increase security and law enforcement presence in schools. Armed intervention has been used to stop about half of all active shooters per a study done by NYPD. It may not be feasible to place police officers in every school, but even random placement along the lines of the air marshal program may be deterrent. Instead of police sitting at speed traps, redirecting patrols to schools at random could be a lifesaver.

There is no one simple answer to the problem even if it is politically convenient. True solutions will include a multi-faceted approach. No matter what the outcome, it is a reminder that security is a serious affair and needs to be treated as such.

If you would like to reprint this post, please contact Eric at eric@businesskarate.com.

Preventing Active Shooters with Everyday Security

Once again, we find ourselves trying to deal with the aftermath of another active shooter. This one was the largest shooting by a single gunman in U.S. history. In this case, the shooter walked into a crowded movie theater and shot 70 people, leaving 12 dead (13 if you include the unborn baby who later miscarried when the mother was shot).

Of course, the question heard the most is “why?” Why did this happen? Why did the shooter do this? We may never really understand exactly what thoughts were going through the suspect’s mind or what rationale he used to justify his killings.

From a security perspective, the more important question might be “how?” How could this have been prevented? Or, at least, minimize the number of victims? For more information on dealing with active shooters, check out How to Handle (and Prevent) Active Shooters.

Looking at past mass murder cases, there are basically two types. One is the ‘disgruntled’ individual who targets a specific individual, group or organization after a long history of disputes and building anger. While mass murders are rare, this is the more frequent form of active shooters and often involve an employee attacking his or her workplace.

The second type is the high profile shooter. This is typically motivated by terrorism in an attempt to accomplish some political goal. The shooter in Norway last year more closely fit this category as he claimed this was in response to political decisions on immigration from Eastern Europe. The Colorado movie theater shootings fall under this category and are probably the toughest to detect and prevent.

A ‘high profile’ shooter will be looking for a large number of victims, especially if confined to a limited space. In Norway, the shooter used an island; in Colorado, a packed movie theater. In another Colorado incident, the shooter was heading into a crowded church service and could have potentially harmed as many or more people, but was fortunately stopped by armed security. Often, suspects will carry multiple weapons, explosives and even carry out attacks at several locations. In Norway, a bomb was detonated by the suspect in the heart of the government district. In Colorado, the suspect booby-trapped his own apartment hoping for even more victims. All of these elaborate steps mean careful planning and surveillance.

As happens so often, there is both good news and bad news. The good news is that some basic security measures could actually chase off the suspect during the planning phase and cause him or her to pick an easier or softer target. The bad news is that there is no guarantee that these could prevent a tragedy like the one in Colorado.

One goal is to limit surveillance and interrupt planning. Many terrorist groups, such as Al-Qaeda train their operatives to engage in careful scouting and planning before an attack. The most obvious one to watch for is people taking photos that seem out of place. Tourists may take photos of each other in front of interesting locations, but the photos will not be directed at security systems. Terrorists will take photos of security officers, video surveillance cameras, door locks and the like in preparation for an attack. There could be strange questions asked of the employees about the building or security procedures. Sometimes, bomb threats or suspicious calls are made to test and observe the response.

Staff members should be trained to be on the lookout for some of these pre-planning signs. The training also needs to include telling employees how to respond when something does seem odd. At this point, few details are known about the scouting leading up to the Colorado theater massacre, but it is evident that the shooter planned out the attack ahead of time. He clearly visited the theater ahead of time and had learned that the back door could be opened without an audible alarm. He also knew to park his car in back in order to retrieve the weapons and body armor that he wore.

In addition to signs of surveillance, employees should know what kind of body language to watch for. Some clues of increased stress can help employees deal safely with aggressive or disruptive individuals who may just be unhappy customers, not necessarily a budding murderer. Agitation can be displayed through clenched fists, sweating, eyes darting around the area, distracted when spoken to as some examples. This should attract attention to the individual right away and alert employees.

Another basic security measure is to control access points. Emergency exits should be alarmed and the alarms monitored or at least are able to trigger an alert to on-site staff members. Security video covering all entrances and exits and tied into alarms provides an excellent way to track unauthorized access or egress. Just from a loss prevention standpoint, it is surprising to learn that theaters would allow patrons to open a back door to the outside without triggering any kind of alert. One person in the theater could let in a score of friends without paying.

All organizations should have one person who is specifically responsible for security in their written job description. Too often, basic security measures are ignored or overlooked and making sure that there is a responsible person with sufficient level of authority to make changes can help address any potential gaps in the workplace security program. Another function of this role would be to track any suspicious incidents or violent/aggressive behavior and adjust the response as needed.

Sadly, following basic precautions cannot guarantee that something horrific will not happen. However, the reality is that attackers will go for the easier target so you may deter them enough to protect your organization and your customers and those to whom you have a duty to protect. With luck, you may be fortunate enough to detect the planning and that could result in an arrest and truly stop the attack before anyone is hurt. Given the choice, security should always be part of the everyday business consideration.

If you would like to reprint this post, please contact Eric at eric@businesskarate.com.

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