Lessons Learned from the Project Trenches: Part 1 – EXPECTATIONS
What are the two biggest predictors of a security technology project success? Performance expectations and requirements that are clear, and a project that is well-managed from start to finish. If you don’t have the performance expectations correct, there is no way to measure if the project meets the needs … Read more
Pipeline Activism Expected to Rise Significantly
What on earth do “Water Protectors”, “Doxxing”, or “Valve Turners” have in common? These arcane terms describe different tactics used within the murky world of pipeline activism and protest. Pipeline protests – a familiar headache in the oil and gas industry – had been in a kind of remission until … Read more
Radical Islamic Terrorism – An Update on the Threat
Charles E. Goslin, senior security consultant with Butchko, Inc., provided the Houston Chapter of ASIS International with an update on the threat posed by radical Islamic terrorism following recent ISIS defeats in Mosul. Goslin’s central thesis is that traditional military defeats of ISIS on the battlefield will not eradicate its lethality … Read more
The Russians are Coming? Why Attention to Cyber Defense is More Critical Than Ever
The new-found “Red Scare” arising from the revelation of Russian-government directed cyber attacks against the U.S., reminds me of a wonderful line from the movie “Casablanca.” Captain Renault, a reluctant Vichy-police official with rather flexible views on the vice of gambling, is pressured by the Nazi’s to find any pretext … Read more
Physical Security Principles and the Test of Time: A “Forensic Risk Assessment” of Machu Picchu
In the high mists of the Peruvian jungle is an elegant testament to the effectiveness of carefully layered physical security design principles. It has stood the test of time, the elements, and – most importantly – the Spanish Conquistadores. It is the Incan citadel known as Machu Picchu (translated “old … Read more
Data Analytics Offer Exciting Cew Possibilities for Security Operations Centers
I recently met with the CEOs and executive teams of some leading video and security operations center software providers and some interesting patterns developed. These companies are serious about developing solutions that incorporate pure data analytics into their products. This is exciting for the solution providers and offers great potential … Read more
Security Threats in Times of Uncertainty
Not so long ago the world and the United States’ role in it were relatively stable. The US was the unquestionable economic and military leader. The economy was beginning to come out of recession. Life was pretty good. Times have changed. On the international stage, China’s increasingly overt aggression in … Read more
Electronic Weapons of Mass Disruption
In World War II, Nazi Germany unleashed thousands of Wonder Weapon attacks against it’s foes. Technologically-advanced V-1 and V-2 guided missiles caused over 33,000 casualties in England alone. As innovative as these weapons were, however, they lacked the precision targeting capability needed to be of significant tactical value and to … Read more
In Emergency Preparedness, Timing is Everything
Closing and locking the barn door does not make very much sense if the horses have already bolted. That bit of farm-life wisdom illustrates our point for today – the importance of timing when developing emergency safety and security plans. The operative word when it comes to emergency preparations is…“emergency.” … Read more