At Protus3, we take great pride in helping our clients identify risks and develop practical and sound strategies to manage, mitigate, and leverage those risks. Usually those risks involve insider or outsider threats carried out by persons with nefarious intent. The threats come in various forms – overt and plainly visible (think intruder) or covert and not plainly evident (think …
Security Specifiers has named Jerry Blanchard, CPP as a new member of the Advisory Board. Jerry Blanchard has led Risk Management Associates, Inc (dba Protus3) as Chairman and CEO since 2012. Protus3 is headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina and specializes in physical security consultancy. Jerry has been in the security industry for thirty-one years since his departure from the military. …
In the first post, we addressed what constitutes an emergency, when to call 911, call prioritization, finite resources, and differing priorities. For good measure, we discussed that the police may alter their level and type of responses to both emergency and non-emergency situations due to COVID-19. In this post, we will attempt to convey and emphasize the importance of not …
Calling 911 to request emergency assistance is ingrained into the mindset of Americans across the nation. Many Americans have no recollection of the patchwork and disjointed processes of the past when you needed emergency assistance. From calling an operator (remember those?), a neighbor who was a cop or firefighter or calling the police directly, it was a convoluted affair that …
At Protus3, we believe that employers should have as much relevant information as possible in order to make the best hiring decisions. We have always prided ourselves on the fact that we report everything we possibly can when conducting pre-employment background investigations. This included everything from felonies all the way down to minor traffic offenses. The FCRA allows us to …
A recent online Forbes article written by Carrie Rubinstein pointed out 3 Cyber Security Risks created by employees working remotely. Prior to COVID-19, the Bureau of Labor Statistics identified that approximately 29 percent of Americans were able to work remotely. As a result of the implementation of safety measures related to COVID-19, employers are requiring more of their staff to …
We find ourselves in very unique times. As of April 3, 2020, there are 311 million people in at least 41 states, three counties, eight cities, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico being urged to stay home. This rapid change has put many employers in a position to allow employees to work from home. Because of that, employers are …
In a typical week, I spend a good part of my time conducting background investigations. So what’s different now that we’re all dealing with COVID-19? Honestly? Not much. Nearly every background investigation we conduct includes a criminal search. For locations where the process is automated (i.e. records are online), there is no change based on COVID-19. Records were readily available …
We’re beginning to realize that coronavirus disease, COVID-19, will be an event burned into our minds and hearts for generations. Employees are not receiving paychecks, and unemployment benefits are lagging behind the need. Families, companies, and governments are being pushed to historic limits. When reality finally sets in, there are going to be reactions, including an increase in workplace violence. …
As we make adjustments to flatten the curve and slow the spread of COVID-19, we’re changing our behaviors in the workplace. We’re all washing our hands more frequently. We’re practicing social distancing. As much as we can, we’re working from home. Our responses to COVID-19 are important, but how do our changed behaviors affect security at work? What security issues …