About.com Business Security

Fort Hood: Separating Fact from Conjecture

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:01:25 +0000

Opinions and expert commentary are zinging through the media like Ricochet Rabbit today. As the story behind the Fort Hood shootings continues to develop, I am attempting to separate the facts from the guesses.

This is what we know, as of this evening:

The suspected shooter's name is Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan
Hasan was an army psychiatrist and about to be deployed - some reports say to Iraq, others to Afganistan
Hasan is the sole suspect in the shooting
Hasan is a Muslim
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), along with other prominent Muslim groups, has condemned the attack
Hasan was fired on by Police Officer Kimberly Munley five minutes after the first 911 call came in
Officer Munley took several gun shot wounds but continued to fire until Hasan went down
The suspected shooter is currently on a ventilator in stable condition
Soldiers in the vicinity responded quickly and heroically, treating the wounded and sealing off a nearby crowded auditorium
Fort Hood operates like a small city, and soldiers living on base do not carry firearms as a matter of practice
13 are dead
Roughly 30 are wounded
All but two of the victims were soldiers

This is either conjecture or, at best, unconfirmed:

Some of the dead or injured were hit by friendly fire
The suspect shouted "Allahu Akbar!" before opening fire
Hasan was known to have made extremist postings on the Internet as well as disturbing private statements about his disdain for the military

The real facts of this case are coming to light even as I type. Based on what we know a picture emerges of a disturbed loaner and a brave community reacting decisively to an attack.

I was quite discouraged listening to the radio today as callers and broadcasters who couldn't possibly have collected enough information to form a sound opinion, nevertheless fired off authoritative commentary on what caused this tragedy and how it could have been averted.

It was up the first responders to act quickly - instinctively - to end this attack. It is up to the rest of us to calmly and thoroughly gather information before making any pronouncements or policy decisions. In security, we must avoid making decisions based on the raw emotion of the moment. And we must shun feel-good responses that give the appearance of action but do little to actually make people safer.

Risk can never be eliminated. It can only be managed. All we can really do today is to fly our flags at half mast, and pray for those grieving and recovering in the wake of this madness.

Fort Hood: Separating Fact from Conjecture originally appeared on About.com Business Security on Saturday, November 7th, 2009 at 00:01:25.

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Bullying in the Tower of London

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:14:15 +0000

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about bullying in the work place. This week we learned that two of England's iconic Beefeaters have been suspended for allegedly bullying Yeoman Warder Moira Cameron.

Cameron is the first woman to serve on the corps of Tower Guards tasked with protecting the Crown Jewels. Accoring to a story that broke earlier this week, she has been the target of repeated harassment by her male counterparts. Tower of London officials are investigating the allegations.

The Yeomen Warders of Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress the Tower of London, as the Beefeaters are properly titled, were organized in 1485. According to a popular theory, their knick-name was inspired by the extra ration of beef that the guards used to receive. In order to qualify for this position, candidates must have served at least 22 years in the Army, Royal Marines or Royal Air Force retiring as a non-commisioned officer.

Photo: Getty Images

Bullying in the Tower of London originally appeared on About.com Business Security on Thursday, November 5th, 2009 at 00:14:15.

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7 Deadly Sins of Building Security

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:00:44 +0000

A recent article in CSO Online identified these common physical security transgressions:

Creating post orders without advanced analysis
Placing aesthetics over security
Neglecting to properly secure certain entrances
Allowing management to ignore security rules
Failing to take time to understand your technology
Failing to secure important rooms inside the building
Overdoing security

If you think you may be guilty of one or more, I recommend that you read the full article to learn the path of repentance.

Further Reading

Building Security 101

7 Deadly Sins of Building Security originally appeared on About.com Business Security on Wednesday, November 4th, 2009 at 12:00:44.

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Security Guard Hailed as Hero

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 01:12:07 +0000

Astrid Desrosiers, a therapist at Massachusettes General Hospital Clinic, screamed as she was being attacked by a patient. While others fled, off-duty security guard Paul Langone rushed towards the scene of the frantic stabbing and ordered the assailant to drop his weapon. When he refused, Langone opened fire and killed him.

Langone is a private security officer licensed by the Boston Police Department. Although not employed at MGH, he was the only person who responded to Desrosiers' attack and most likely saved her life.

A routine investigation has so far determined that there was no wrong-doing on Langone's part. He is being hailed as a hero.

A former Golden Gloves boxer, Langone is known as an easy-going guy with a knack for defusing tense situations. "That's what he was good at," said his boss, Chris Spaeda. "He knew how to talk to people, and that's what makes this a tragedy.''

Further Reading

Do You Need an Armed Guard?

Readers Respond: Share Your Experience with Armed Guards

Security Guard Hailed as Hero originally appeared on About.com Business Security on Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009 at 01:12:07.

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Chinese Piracy on a (Gradual) Decline

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 12:00:27 +0000

Chinese software piracy may be declining, but Shanghai consumers were still able to buy Windows 7 a week before it's legitimate release. For about $3.00.

According to Edward Yu, chief executive of research firm Analysys International, Software piracy in China is "a long term issue, 10-20 years, it's not just going to go away in an instant."

So,with luck, maybe the problem will be solved in time for Windows 70?

Chinese Piracy on a (Gradual) Decline originally appeared on About.com Business Security on Saturday, October 31st, 2009 at 12:00:27.

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Solar Panel Theft: A New "Green Industry"?

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:16:24 +0000

What takes a couple of hours to steal, and can bring $15,000 on the black market? Solar panels. According to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, solar panels are the "theft du jour." These panels are often installed in remote areas that see little weekend traffic. They can bring hundreds of dollars each via online auctions or black market sales, and an experienced crew can haul away 50 panels in two hours. An enticing target indeed.

Several companies have responded to this threat with new security products ranging from tamper proof bolts to laser tagging.

This is how the security industry grows: new technologies result in new ways to steal or exploit those technologies, which results in new security products. Theft is the mother of invention.

Solar Panel Theft: A New "Green Industry"? originally appeared on About.com Business Security on Friday, October 30th, 2009 at 14:16:24.

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G4S Wackenhut Wins 'BEST' Award

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 08:32:00 +0000

G4S Wackenhut announced that it was the only security company to receive a 2009 BEST Award from the American Society for Training and Development. The ASTD BEST Awards recognize companies that demonstrate enterprise wide success as a result of employee learning and development.

Michael Gooboe, Chief Learing Officer at G4S Wackenhut stated:

We are honored and humbled by this prestigious award from ASTD. It recognizes many years of hard work in developing and presenting high-level training that indeed works, resulting in G4S Wackenhut's reputation of providing the best trained security officers in the industry.

Further Reading

Do You Need and Armed Guard?

G4S Wackenhut Wins 'BEST' Award originally appeared on About.com Business Security on Friday, October 23rd, 2009 at 08:32:00.

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Bullying in the Workplace: Out of Control?

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:42:29 +0000

A recent article in PersonnelToday described workplace bullying as "spiraling out of control."

According to the article, one in three women are bullied in the workplace. And the aggressor is usually an older woman in a more senior position. The article describes bullying behaviors as

Excessive work monitoring
Excessive criticism
Isolation/exclusion/intimidation
Unrealistic targets
Public humiliation and insulting jokes

If these are indications of bullying, then the appropriate response is to adopt and enforce an anti-bullying policy that will protect your workers. If this isn't bullying, then offended employees need to deal with the situation themselves; either suck it up, or confront the offender.

So what do you think? Are these behaviors bullying, or are they just part of the rough-and-tumble business world? Take our poll, and please feel free to elaborate on your views by clicking on the comments link below.

Bullying in the Workplace: Out of Control? originally appeared on About.com Business Security on Thursday, October 22nd, 2009 at 00:42:29.

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Everyone is Armed

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 12:00:42 +0000

While sitting down with my Security Officer friend this week, he gave me another crime prevention tip: assume that everyone is armed.

Just because someone doesn't look "armed and dangerous" doesn't mean that they aren't a threat. Business owners, especially those in retail, can easily get complacent.

I'm not encouraging you to be suspicious of everyone who walks through your doors, I'm just reminding you never to drop your guard. If you want a startling example of just how easy it is to conceal weapons, take a look at this video.

For a collection of articles on proven crime prevention tips that you can adapt to your business, jump over to my articles on Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design.

Everyone is Armed originally appeared on About.com Business Security on Friday, October 16th, 2009 at 12:00:42.

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Down Home Security

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 22:43:15 +0000

This week, I sat down with the Security Officer from a small town bank. His institution had not been robbed in 100 years. It's not as if his town is free from crime, and it's not as if the bank hasn't been victimized by fraud. But no robbery.

He told me the secret to the bank's success, at least under his watch, is "the nosiest tellers" in the business. No one walks into one of his branches without being greeted in a matter of seconds, even if it's just to be told, "I'll be with you in just a minute." And when customers approach the Teller line, they are smothered with questions and generally talked up.

"People don't rob people that they like," this old pro told me. Some may dispute that, but the the latest robbery prevention theories, reflected in programs such as SafeCatch, stress customer interaction as a proven deterrent to robbery. It was refreshing to learn that, for years, this veteran had been practicing what modern security experts are rediscovering; that a little down home personal attention can make the world a safer place.

Down Home Security originally appeared on About.com Business Security on Thursday, October 15th, 2009 at 22:43:15.

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