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.
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.
