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Preparation. Preparation. Preparation.
Circuit Magazine
September 03, 2022
Preparation - so important we said it thrice!
Whether it's the placement of equipment, the route to a venue, or surviving being taken hostage, preparation is the most important ingredient in achieving a successful outcome from the things that we have control over. So, isn't this something we should be actively working to improve upon?
As the old adage goes "failure to prepare is preparing to fail."
Good preparation makes you feel more confident about taking on a task and then more effective in the execution of it as a result of the confidence you've gained. So, why is so much lip service paid to it?
In this issue we reassert the importance of preparation and compare a few different examples of how you can improve your overall effectiveness.
So, let’s get into it!
The Circuit Magazine Podcast
Is two weeks of gruelling and sometimes degrading kidnap and hostile environment training suitable preparation for most EP professionals and their principals?
Equally, would a paper-based tick box exercise offer anything of actual value? Introducing the possible middle ground in virtual reality simulated training being developed by Peter Moore, IT consultant and a former hostage.
Peter has written several times for the Circuit Magazine and has given testimony of his ordeal and we are grateful to have him return on the podcast to explore:
What are the benefits and scope of possibilities of virtual reality training today for protectors?
How can you convince your Principal to participate in awareness training without scaring them?
Would a lengthy and hyper realistic in person kidnap and ransom training course be of any benefit to a non Government or Military protector?
Where does awareness training sit within professional qualifications being sought by protectors?
Should you integrate 'conduct after capture' training for both principal and protector and how should a kidnap subject react to the key hours after being taken?
With Guest Editor Chuck Randolph:
We are delighted to welcome Chuck Randolph, co-host of Conversations in Close Protection as a guest editor this week.
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
Russian, Chinese, and Iranian spies could have tried to infiltrate Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence — www.businessinsider.com
Peter Strzok said it was likely that Russian, Chinese, Iranian, and Cuban foreign agents may have tried to infiltrate Mar-a-Lago considering that top-secret documents that were being kept there.
Japan will develop and mass produce a cruise missile and a high-velocity ballistic missile as it seeks the ability to strike more distant targets as part of a military expansion
Fighting there has stoked fears of another nuclear disaster in a country still haunted by the Chernobyl disaster.
The powerful Shiite cleric announces he is quitting politics again, prompting loyalists to storm a palatial government complex and clash with supporters of rival groups.
Replicas of US-supplied rocket launcher systems drew at least 10 Russian Kalibr cruise missiles, reports say
The special forces soldier was one of three Dutch commandos wounded in an attack early on Saturday. Officials believe the shooting followed a previous altercation including one or multiple other people at another location in the city.
After six months of aid packages to Ukraine, the U.S. is starting to run low on 155mm howitzer rounds and other ammunition.
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
Rule number one when it comes to disaster management – preparation beats the hell out of managing in the crisis. Now is the perfect time to start preparing while there is no critical emergency or natural disaster.
When it comes to disaster preparedness, the longer you wait, the fewer options you have; supplies are reduced, travel becomes restricted and your exposure to risk increases, adding to your stress and anxiety.
In this thought out article, Mark James breaks down how to prepare for a disaster into several key areas, the Family, the Dwelling, the Environment, Critical Stuff and the Plan.
Mark will make the case for being prepared ahead of being reactive and will lay out a framework for dealing with disasters when they strike.
If you enjoyed this article and want more great content from across the industry then subscribe to the Circuit Magazine >
Latest Issue of the Circuit Magazine
Circuit Magazine - Issue 63 - Get Your Copy
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Can AI Impersonate a Human?
How do Principals See Us?
Securing Clients During a Mass Casualty Incident
Media Safety Training
So, You Want to be a Bodyguard?
Tactical Medicine – Establishing Boundaries
Bad Decisions – Avoiding Honey Traps
Contract management For Security Providers
Creating a Safety First Culture
Corporate V Celebrity Protection
Al-Zawahiri’s Legacy
Firearms for Close Protection
A Day in the Life
+ All Your Regular Features
"The magazine was fully loaded with interesting, current and varied topics. I would highly recommend all SERIOUS security professionals to move with the times and download the magazine."
- Geoff Clayton
Geopolitical Analysis by RANE
Reflecting on the Taliban's First Year Back in Power - Part 2: The Challenges Ahead — worldview.stratfor.com
While the Taliban have effectively established themselves as the de-facto government in Afghanistan, they will face considerable challenges to their continued rule, making effective diplomatic partnerships for economic advancement and preventing security threats, both domestically and to external actors, essential.
The Taliban's Top Challenges in Year Two
1. Mitigating economic and humanitarian crises
Despite keeping the economy from completely collapsing, the most critical challenge for the Taliban will be improving the country's still-dire economic and humanitarian crises, which recent natural disasters have only exacerbated.
2. Maintaining internal unity
As the Taliban attempt to transition from a violent insurgent movement countering a common enemy to engaging in national governance, internal disunity and hard-line dominance will remain a serious constraint. The Taliban have many internal divisions, including hardliners vs. moderates; local Taliban leaders and commanders vs. Taliban core members who have political power; and ethnic minorities within the Taliban vs. the majority Pashtun Taliban.
3. Gaining more international aid and recognition
The group's hard-line governance has triggered persistent Western criticism of the Taliban and has occasionally driven delays and hesitance on providing more substantive assistance to Afghanistan. For example, after the Taliban banned older girls from returning to school in March, the World Bank temporarily suspended humanitarian aid projects worth $600 million for months that it had initially approved.
4. Managing domestic and regional security threats
Though the Taliban have demonstrated success in countering anti-Taliban resistance forces, the potential remains for such forces to more effectively coordinate their efforts and potentially gain international support, which could enhance their ability to challenge the Taliban's territorial control. The Taliban's alienation of ethnic and religious minorities may also drive recruitment and support for such groups or even the formation of new ones, which, if substantial enough, could similarly enhance their impact on Afghanistan's security.
Going forward, the Taliban will face far more difficult challenges compared to its first year in power as it seeks to maintain control over the crisis-stricken, diverse country. Even given some improvements in stability, Afghanistan remains a cautionary tale.
Special Offer for On the Circuit Readers
From the Community
An assassination attempt was made on the Vice President of Argentina while she greeted a crowd of supporters. The video shows the gunman firing a loaded weapon at point blank range, however, the firearm jammed.
While luck was on her side, what were the Pre-Incident Indicators, where are the Concentric Rings of Protection, and the Cover and Evacuation Techniques?
"Neuronal response latency is usually defined as the delay between the stimulus onset and the beginning of the response. With that in mind now rewatch the video." - E. Shaw
Ask questions, get advice, and find industry resources from an active and thriving community of professional, working operators:
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Do you want to learn from a CovPro™ pioneer with proven success in both public and private sectors?
This 5 day course will be taught by CovPro™ pioneer Ivor Terret.
Seats are limited so if you're interested in attending, contact the team at [email protected] now!
Meanwhile...
A beautiful jewelry designer who criss-crossed Europe for 10 years was actually a Russian spy who infiltrated NATO by charming and seducing commanders.
She was known as Maria Adela Kuhfeldt Rivera but her real name was Olga Kolobova, and she was a spy working on behalf of Russia’s GRU foreign intelligence service, according to the investigative site Bellingcat, which used photo-matching software to out her.
She spoke fluent English and Italian and told European friends that she had been abandoned in Russia by her Peruvian mother and raised by an abusive family. But, in fact, she was actually the daughter of a colonel in the Russian military.
Protection in Numbers
A survey of more than 700 U.S. executives by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) identified top enterprise security and business risks observed in 2022.
The numbers:
40% of business leaders ranked cybersecurity as the number one serious risk facing their companies.
58% of corporate directors said they would benefit most from enhanced reporting around cybersecurity and technology.
53% are increasing investments in digital transformation.
63% of businesses have changed or are planning to change processes to address labor shortages.
70% said they have either implemented remote work strategies or have a plan in place to do so.
Elsewhere on the Circuit
The chief executive and general manager at a tiny Japanese security company are among the nation's biggest TikTok stars, drawing 2.7 million followers and 54 million likes.
"Our job is among those labeled 'Three-K' in Japan," Sakurai said, referring to "kitsui, kitanai, kiken," meaning, "hard, dirty and dangerous."
It's not a job that requires overly special skills, but no one wants to stand around outdoors for hours. As many as 99 security companies are fighting over every recruit, in contrast to two potential employers for office clerks, Sakurai said.
Sakurai started posting on Twitter and Instagram. But it was when he went on TikTok that things went viral.
Before TikTok, the number of people applying for jobs at Daikyo was zero. After TikTok, the company is getting dozens of applicants.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT with Krisztian Zerkowitz
Have you considered the placement of your medical gear, in your car, home, compound or anywhere else? Because it seems this gear has the ability to never be there where you truly need it.... now you can for sure improvise for most of what you carry, but, if you have improvisation as a plan, something is wrong. Test your equipments placement, and test the sh*t out of it, let others test it. Your day on the "office" may depend on it!
Until next week...
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