Travel Risk Management and Complex Environments

Author

Circuit Magazine
April 09, 2022

The general consensus within the industry seems to be that activity is ramping back up and while there is still a certain amount of caution, international travel is well and truly back on the agenda. Many of our principals are once again taking to the skies in their private jets and making up for lost time and opportunity.

In light of this, we have enlisted the help of Mac Segal to discuss the broader topic of travel risk management and how we should be categorising and preparing for travel to complex environments.

Additionally, look out for packing tips for your Travel Go-Bag, are we seeing the return of cold war-esque spies and our intelligence partners over at Rane explain how the dissatisfaction with hardline Taliban rule could be about to spill over in Afghanistan.

Let's get into it.

The Circuit Magazine Podcast

Not all operating locations present the same level of risk and threat but are there any non-challenging environments for today’s protector?

On this week’s podcast episode, we welcome back Mac Segal, CEO and Founder of AHNA Group to discuss some fundamental travel risk questions.

Included in this episode:

  • Is there a required skillset for working in more challenging environments?

  • Should you be operational in a ‘hot-zone’ without a military background or can training bridge the experience gap?

  • How can you advise your client not to travel to a high-risk environment?

  • What are the considerations for classifying complex operating locations?

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

David Ballantyne Smith, 57, is charged with nine offences under the Official Secrets Act.

The alleged terrorist killer of Sir David Amess has told a court that he wanted to kill a politician to stop him from “harming Muslims” in Syria.

At a critical strategic juncture, non-state actors threaten to complicate the conflict.

Hackers linked to North Korea were suspected of carrying out a cyberattack on South Koreans through emails disguised as official messages sent from a medical journal calling on recipients to book vaccination appointments.

Plane suffers failure of hydraulic system after take-off and returns to airport where it slides off runway

Companies critical to U.S. national interests will now have to report when they're hacked or they pay ransomware, according to new rules approved by congress.

The heist lasted for weeks before a guard undertook a spot check on a tanker driver, following suspicions about the vehicle's movements

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

Preparing an Executive Protection Travel Pack is common with us all, we love our gear and we can't get enough. It's a common discussion on Facebook groups and in our communities, so we dug deep into our archives to bring you this article by Joseph M. LaSorsa.

While not meant to be a comprehensive or ‘cookie-cutter' list, Joe shares his ‘go-bag' packing list which provides a good baseline to add/subtract from for your travel needs.

If you enjoyed this article and want more great content from across the industry then sign up for the Circuit Magazine >

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Situation Report by RANE

The Taliban's implementation of further restrictions on women and girls in Afghanistan will likely complicate prospects for additional international aid, sustaining instability and worsening crises in the country.

On March 25, the Taliban reportedly stopped dozens of women — including some dual nationals — who were not accompanied by an adult male relative from boarding their flights at Kabul International Airport.

These reports follow the Taliban's last-minute March 23 reversal of its promise to allow girls who have passed grade six to return to class, prohibiting their return until supposedly ''a comprehensive plan'' on girls' education could be developed ''according to Sharia [law] and Afghan culture.''

Current and potential follow-up restrictions will likely complicate additional international aid and potential foreign investment in the country. The Taliban's attempts to increase control have extended to non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that deliver aid, threatening their ability to operate independently and neutrally.

These persistent crises will probably result in more hard-line Taliban leaders facing increasing pressure from more pragmatic Taliban leaders. This probable deepening of group disunity will likely exacerbate inconsistent and ineffective governance, contributing to further localized dissatisfaction with Taliban rule.

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From the Community

What are your next steps?

You work for a recognizable, fan-friendly client with a huge brand. Your P receives a phone call that is routed to you. On the call the fan asks to speak to the P. You inform them that they cannot speak directly with the P. They insist and then after a moment they say that if they can’t speak to the P they’ll harm themselves. There’s no direct threat to the P. What is your responsibility and what are your next steps?

Ask questions, get advice, and find industry resources from an active and thriving community of professional, working operators:

🇺🇸 NABA Protector >

🇬🇧 BBA Connect >

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Elsewhere, on the circuit

Cybercrime has continued its massive increase that began with the rise in work from home necessitated by the Corona virus.

IBM recently issued their 2022 Threat Intelligence Index, which contains some alarming findings. This article highlights a number of key findings, including:

Top Five Cybercrime Objectives:

  1. Ransomware (21%) – Topping the list for over three years.

  2. Server access (14%) – In these are attacks, the ultimate goal was uncertain, but it could have been stealing data, injecting ransomware, or something else.

  3. Business email compromise (BEC) (8%) – BEC attacks, which involve using the identity of a senior employee of the victim’s organization get them to wire money or divulge information, were down compared to 2020, perhaps due to increased use of multi-factor authentication.

  4. Data theft (8%)

  5. Credential harvesting (7%) – the growth of credential harvesting attacks highlights increasing specialization in the cybercrime world. The cybercriminals who steal the credentials don’t necessarily launch attacks themselves, but rather sell credentials to others.

Traditional perimeter-based cybersecurity has been rendered obsolete by the shift to remote work and cloud-based resources. Protecting today’s complex, hybrid work environment calls for a shift to a comprehensive Zero Trust approach.

Until next week...

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