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- Timeless Principles in Protection
Regardless of where you find yourself on task, the one thing that unites us as protectors is the foundational principles that we learned during our induction into this prestigious profession. Whether we are in the boardroom, on a super yacht, at a local church, or even in the front seat of a rollercoaster (...our jobs are never boring!) it's still our responsibility to protect people, places, or possessions.
In this edition of On the Circuit, we're looking at the varied environments operators find themselves in and seeing how, no matter the environment, the fundamentals still remain the same.
We'll start off with a deep dive into the energy sector with Don Sylvest and end up in a tight spot with Krisztian Zerkowitz, all in an effort to see which skills are most useful on the job.
Let's get into it!
The Circuit Magazine Podcast
The energy sector is a hot topic these days and the industry offers many job opportunities for well-positioned protectors. This week we are delighted to welcome Don Sylvest, former Security Operations Manager at ExxonMobil to ask:
Why should EP operators start a career in energy?
What types of activism are an increasing concern for protectors?
What differences should protectors be aware of when comparing subsets of the energy sector, from upstream to downstream and from travel risk to transmission?
What evolving threats are facing the energy sector more than others?
To what extent is insider threat a challenge for today's protector in the energy sector?
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
While the bodyguard was praying, a deafening bang came from from a gun and it emerged the five year-old child had managed to get a hold of the weapon and shot his brother
Beijing’s efforts to build up nuclear forces, hacking operations and increasingly close ties to Moscow are ‘serious challenges’, says Nato secretary general
Ukrainian officials are preparing to ask the NATO alliance to do more to deter possible Russian chemical and nuclear attacks amid Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, as the 30-nation alliance holds a summit meeting in Spain this week
See this year's list of the top 25 most common and dangerous weaknesses impacting software throughout the previous two calendar years.
Hundreds of Ukrainian troops have completed military training in Britain, including on the Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS) the British government is supplying to help counter Russian artillery
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
Some readers may not have considered their local church as a potential employer of their protective services. However, over the last twenty years “Trouble” has been finding its way into church for the simple reason that for the most part, we welcome it. Church is still the place that welcomes anyone in any condition to come to find help.
In this article, Dr. Andrew P Surace discusses what are known as the five R’s of protection. These principals will work when securing any venue, but he has tailored them to be specific for Houses of Worship. Although they are quite simple, they are very effective and user-friendly especially for smaller churches that have little to no professional protection budget.
If you enjoyed this article and want more great content from across the industry then sign up for the Circuit Magazine >
Latest Issue of the Circuit Magazine
Issue 62 - Intelligence Gathering
"This is the best magazine, bar none. I have written three articles and the wealth of knowledge you receive from Circuit is like an encyclopaedia for bodyguards. If you are not a subscriber, you are missing out on life-saving advice."
- Fernando Figueroa
Geopolitical Analysis by RANE
If Rane only produced their quarterly forecast we would consider it worth the subscription fee alone. Geopolitical instability is one of the biggest factors in determining where the future demand for protectors will come. Help predict the geography, industry and sector where your future deployment may lie.
Here's an overview of what you can expect to read:
During the third quarter of 2022, the combination of high energy and food prices, supply chain bottlenecks, geopolitical uncertainty and the tightening of monetary policy by central banks will slow economic activity in most parts of the world. While the drivers of slowing growth will be similar, the consequences will change from region to region.
Countries in the Middle East, Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia will face the threats of famine and severe social and political instability.
Meanwhile, countries in Europe will see their financial risks increase, countries in Asia-Pacific will resort to protectionism to avoid food shortages and countries in Latin America will hold key electoral campaigns amid a worsening economic climate.
Meanwhile, in Eurasia, Russia and Ukraine will find themselves struggling to advance their strategic objectives while refusing to negotiate a cease-fire.
In the meantime, the United States will remove some tariffs on nonstrategic consumer goods from China in hopes of curtailing inflation, but will maintain tariffs on goods in strategic industries as competition with China becomes a central foreign policy issue ahead of U.S. midterm elections.
Special Offer for On the Circuit Readers
From the Community
Great question. Lots of factors. Manpower, crowd size, start & end points of the ride, and here’s one that people might not have thought of: comfort level of the Protectee. They may WANT you to ride, and if the only reason you can articulate for saying no is you don’t want to look funny on the internet, that might not go over too well.
Ask questions, get advice, and find industry resources from an active and thriving community of professional, working operators:
On the Circuit Merch
To any industry insider, being 'On the Circuit' means being operationally active in the world of international protection. To anyone else, it's just three words. Those who know, know!
Upcoming Events
It's time to start planning your annual trip to the International Security Expo, running at Olympia London.
Meanwhile...
Hackers can bring ships and planes to a grinding halt. And it could become much more common — www.cnbc.com
Vast container ships and chunky freight planes — essential in today's global economy — can now be brought to halt by a new generation of code warriors.
In December, German firm Hellmann Worldwide Logistics' operations were severely impacted by a phishing attack.
The company, which offers airfreight, sea freight, road and rail, and contract logistics services, was forced to stop taking new bookings for several days. It’s unclear exactly how much it lost in revenue as a result.
If your client was hacked, how badly would their operations be affected?
Elsewhere on the Circuit
Common security vulnerabilities at public gatherings include open access; wide entrances and few exit options; poorly equipped security officers; and a lack of visibility and surveillance.
The common threats to, and vulnerabilities of, public gatherings can put attendees and event organizers at risk of harm.
Security leaders who protect public facilities and events should employ a mix of access control, surveillance and crowd monitoring to secure public gatherings.
CISA recommends the following mitigation measures to prevent security incidents at large gatherings.
Final thoughts with Krisztian Zerkowitz
Working alongside different types of professionals in different settings I have noticed that if you remember one thing, it should be this: Guidelines are exactly that, GUIDElines. Unfortunately, no course, school or product will ever prepare you for every given situation. Every patient is different, every setting is different and even the way YOU as an operator step out of bed, can change the necessary implementation of those guidelines.
The more field experience you have, the more those guidelines will seem to allow you to do. It is amazing how, bound by scope of practice, as a medic, you broaden guidelines through experience. Sometimes your own experience, and if you pay good attention, through the experience of others!
Choose to be the forever student!
Until next week...
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