In an ideal world, our schools, colleges, and universities would be immune from the threats and challenges that affect other businesses and institutions. Unfortunately, we do not live in an ideal world. Academic institutions are cross-sections of society and bear the same responsibilities for the safety and security of their populations and infrastructure. This cross-section brings with it all the …
When evaluating what security concern to address first, where do you begin? Consider the probability and criticality of an event, and assign values based on standard criteria. Probability 5 Almost certain. Barring major changes in circumstances, this event will occur or will occur frequently compared to other events. Or, historically, an event of this type has already occurred. 4 Very …
The human component of an integrated security plan can be in one or more of several forms. These forms become choices that need to be addressed depending on the mission, environment, culture, population, and security philosophy of the organization and specifically the site to be protected. In this context, the term “armed” is intended to mean “equipped with firearms and …
I was working on a background investigation for a client recently, and I was reminded of a valuable lesson. (By the way, names and identifying information have been edited in this story, but the circumstances and situations have not.) When we verify employment, normally companies only provide dates of employment and position held. Sometimes companies will tell you whether the …
Weather-related emergencies create an operational environment in which the security department may have to stand alone for minutes, hours, or days without significant assistance from outside agencies. Although relatively localized on a broad geographic scale, a weather emergency may affect everyone and everything in a specific area. The scope of such disasters often overwhelms public safety response for hours or …
Guest blogger Mimi Soule specializes in employment law at the Soule Law Firm in Raleigh, North Carolina. This article was originally published on the website of Forrest Firm. Lately, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is taking a particularly active interest in employer polices regarding social media. For those of us living and working in a Right-to-Work state like North …
When we assess the security of our customers, employees, facilities and products, we usually look at the obvious problems. Depending on the environment, we expect what is considered the “normal” security threat. In a retail store environment, we may consider security measures that will keep the customers and employees safe, such as taking measures to keep someone from getting hurt …
Picture Perfect™, one of the most powerful, proven and widely deployed security management systems in the world is being absorbed by the competition. We all saw it coming, with the acquisition of GE Security by United Technologies Corporation (UTC), and now the “end of support” looming toward the end of 2015. It sounds like a long time, but to transition …
Over the last couple weeks we have had too many examples of workplace violence and the devastation and the long-term impact it has on the business and the community. As security consultants, we partner with clients to protect their assets, and two of the most critical assets that any company has are its people and its reputation/brand. With that said, …
By Elizabeth Johnson Originally published in Business North Carolina’s Law Journal, May 2012 issue With 87% of employees confirming they use personal electronic devices for work, designing a workable “bring-your-own-device” program is probably overdue. BYOD is a tricky issue; 48% of companies claim they would never authorize employees to use personal devices for work, but 57% acknowledge that employees do …