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Intelligence Upgrades for Modern Protectors
Circuit Magazine
May 29, 2022
To operate effectively in the modern security landscape, top-notch operators must keep themselves relevant by seeking out training that goes beyond the realms of physical protection.
The fast pace of technological advances means that we have more powerful assets than ever before. However, on the flip, we have increasingly more threats to contend with.
With so much at stake, it pays to have a trusted go-to source for regular updates on all these topics. So let's dive into this edition of On the Circuit and get you up to date on these industry trends.
New Magazine Release - Issue 62 Out Now!
Intelligence gathering is the process of collecting detailed information about a particular subject using multiple trusted sources.
In this issue, we have a series of informative articles intended to contribute to the reader's broader understanding of how we can keep our clients protected beyond physical measures.
Technology alone will not reveal a potential attack. For that, instinct, experience, and investigative skills are essential. Highlighting why the modern executive protection agent must also be skilled and knowledgeable in intelligence gathering.
The Circuit Magazine Podcast
If your principal's main residence alarm system is going off at 2 in the morning, can you turn it off?
If the TV that's built into the foot of their bed springs into life and starts playing an action movie while they're asleep, do you know what to do?
Technology awareness goes a lot further than 'becoming a hacker' or learning to code and is relevant to us all.
Today we are delighted to speak with Paul Nieto III, a Physical Security Technology Manager, about how the EP profession is modernizing but in a much more accessible way than many might fear. Join us as we ask:
Where should the executive protection professional go to augment their technology skills?
How does technology awareness complement career development to become a 'trusted security advisor'?
How can physical security professionals embark on becoming security technology managers?
Why are some EP professionals still reluctant to familiarize themselves with technology?
If you enjoy listening to the Circuit Podcast and can spare a minute, please rate/review us. Your rating will help us to rank higher making it easier for others to find the podcast.
The Need to Know
The Russia-linked ransomware gang demanded $20 million in ransom — and the overthrow of Costa Rica's elected government.
Bernie Ecclestone: Former F1 boss arrested in Brazil for illegally carrying gun while boarding plane — www.bbc.co.uk
Local police said they found an undocumented LW Seecamp .32 gun in the 91-year-old's luggage during an X-ray screening.
The target was not the owner of the property - a sanctioned Russian oligarch. It was someone who recently had £400,000 deposited into their bank account. The suspicion was that this was to pay for the upkeep of the property and to settle bills. And the possibility that the money had come from the sanctioned individual.
The virus will only reveal the decryption key once a cryptocurrency donation has been made.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi landed in the Solomon Islands this week to commence a 10-day tour of the Pacific, where he is pushing a regional security deal on behalf of his government.
Texas school shooting: Uvalde gunman was in the building for up to an hour before officers went in — news.sky.com
A father of one of the victims of the Texas school massacre wanted to charge into the building because police waiting outside weren't "doing anything like they are supposed to". Officials have admitted that 18-year-old Salvador Ramos was in the school for up to an hour, during which time he murdered 19 children and two teachers.
For more timely global updates like this, get the Circuit Daily Briefing delivered to your inbox... daily! Get on the list >
From the Pages of the Circuit Magazine
Negotiations are difficult and stressful for all parties. The best advice is, at the earliest opportunity, to hand over negotiations to a professional.
However, the behaviour of the initial point of contact may often determine how the scene is set and a lot of harm can be done if procedures are not established and basic guides are ignored.
This article by Simon Atkinson will focus on guidance for the initial responder receiving a call in the middle of the night informing them that their Principal, employee, employer or loved one has been taken hostage. The actions taken by this person – the Untrained Negotiator, often prove key to the successful outcome of the situation.
With the application of common sense and considered response, even an Untrained Negotiator can positively affect the situation and hasten the safe return of any Hostage.
No pressure!
If you enjoyed this article and want more great content from across the industry then sign up for the Circuit Magazine >
Geopolitical Analysis by RANE
International sanctions imposed on Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover in August 2021 have driven the continued decline in the economy and humanitarian conditions in the country.
The Taliban's recent implementation of further restrictions on Afghan society—particularly on women and girls—has alienated some Afghans and much of the international community, and will likely complicate the delivery of the international assistance that could ease dire conditions in the country. Meanwhile, the Taliban's persistent disunity and failure to ensure discipline and uniform behavior among its fighters have sustained its inconsistent and often ineffective governance, exacerbating challenges to stabilizing the country.
Escalating violence coinciding with the beginning of the country's fighting season is undermining the Taliban's flagship promise to bring peace to Afghanistan after decades of conflict.
The Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) has resumed major attacks in the country, especially in Kabul and northern Afghanistan, demonstrating its persistent threat to Afghanistan's stability and security.
Special Offer for On the Circuit Readers
From the Community
Useful discussion in the NABA community, particularly for those of us that are involved in the management of the principal's estate.
One important application of CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design) is having an absolute understanding and Mastery of an environment and using the unique characteristics of the environment to enhance our protective goals.
This is an important element of protective operations that ultimately helps protectors with knowledge of CPTED, make their protectees harder targets anywhere they live, work or even visit.
What environmental considerations have you made toward the protection of your client at a venue?
Ask questions, get advice, and find industry resources from an active and thriving community of professional, working operators:
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The Level 4 programme is designed for front-line operators and team leaders who want to have a better understanding of how to do their job in a well-structured and professional manner as well as gain a first professional qualification.
Between the headlines
The secret services were remarkably conspicuous before the war in Ukraine. American and British agencies issued blunt assessments about Russian intentions and policymakers used intelligence to rally support against Russian aggression.
Open-source intelligence has also played a large role in the public portrayal of the war, and in public debates about the best way forward. Commercial imagery provides regular views of the battlefield. Social media provides a platform for close-up views of military operations and wartime savagery. Open source analysts put these images and videos in context.
Most observers see value in these trends. They applaud leaders for making better use of public information, and for sharing their own secrets. The fact that intelligence agencies welcomed open sources into their assessments led to a clear victory before the war: Their warnings were right.
Career Guidance
Career paths in cybersecurity: Key skills, salary expectations and job description — venturebeat.com
Cybersecurity professionals are in increasingly high demand. But what does it take to break into the industry and forge a successful career?
This cybersecurity career guide discusses the key skills, salaries and responsibilities for operating in this profession.
There is no official roadmap for cybersecurity career growth so spend some researching the requirements and demands before pursuing your chosen profession.
Final thoughts
As our team returned from an international task, I sat on the plane wondering “how do you measure a successful task?”
Is it that you now know that your team selection was spot on?
Is it that the advance team carried out an excellent recce?
Is it the customer feedback: "felt safe, secure. Customer service was exceptional"?
Is it that the client wants to use you again?
[...]
I see posts where the task has finished and the organisation posts pictures of their team and states that it was “another successful task completed”, but what does it really mean to be successful?
What are your thoughts?
Until next week...
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