In its drive to improve the standard of security across private and public organisation, ASIS International has just published a new Chief Security Officer (CSO) US Standard. This document builds on ASIS’ previous CSO Guidelines and provides the background and guidance necessary to support security operations in the dynamic business environment and to protect against equally dynamic threats. We will post the PDF on our website resources page soon but in the meantime, if you would like a copy, it is available for free download from ASIS:CSO 2008
As an already worried financial world is rocked by yet another allegedly massive fraud, have you considered your own vulnerabilities? Fraud tends to be carried out by those who are normally considered to be trustworthy or work in specialised roles without oversight or management. People who are fraudulent are normally extremely competent in their area of specialisation and, because they know their own management systems so well, can effectively cover their tracks. The impact of fraud can be not only damaging but can destroy companies completely if the scale of the activity is large enough. So, is it time that you had a good look at your own organisation’s processes and what exactly goes on in vulnerable areas? If you want to know what to look for and the types of fraudulent activities that can go on, ARC conducts various workshops and programmes which cover their symptoms and treatment. Contact 
Business transactions, whether between corporate organisations or between individuals and retailers, are part of everyday life. Also, the means of making these transactions have become simpler and more user–friendly over recent years. Unfortunately, the ways in which these activities are carried out are also criminal-friendly. The incidences of intrusion into personal and corporate information, identity theft and fraud are on the increase and becoming difficult to effectively combat. Organised criminal gangs and terrorist groups have the intent, means and opportunity to make effective intrusions and to capitalise upon lax security and will strike wherever there are gaps in protective measures. Are you at risk? Follow this link 
Currently, Greece is in a state of chaos due to ongoing civil unrest. Although the country has a long ‘tradition’ of street protest, these latest riots are far more serious than any in the past. Greece has in recent years been a safe place to visit either for business or leisure but the last week has proven the case that serious unrest can often flare up without warning. There have been many cases of worldwide travellers being caught up in similar unrest but there are precautions that can be taken if it happens to you or your staff. ARC is running courses and workshops throughout 2009 which cover business travel security and protection of at-risk personnel. For more information on this critical subject, either go the 
In March this year we covered on this blog the use of satellite imagery by activists in the UK. The recent Mumbai attacks may have been the latest incidence of this effective, and increasingly advanced, tool being used by adversary groups. Satellite mapping allows close detail surveillance of terrain, topography and infrastructure and also allows distances and dispositions of personnel to be checked with a good degree of accuracy.
Protecting businesses against information loss is becoming more difficult as technology continues to develop and employees try to keep pace with increasing security risks. Organisations and companies world-wide face the same problems, regardless of business sector and, of course, mismanagement of information has the potential to result in catastrophic losses. Ernst and Young have recently published their 10th Global Information Security Survey which identifies trends and measures in place to prevent information loss. The report is available here: 
Physical security is a wide subject area and there are many resources available for this area of security, upon which many managers quite rightly place a great deal of emphasis. However, it is often difficult to find a ‘one-stop’ resource where all of the major subject areas are treated together. The US Army Physical Security Manual, however, is an excellent source of all things physical security related and discusses not only the hardware required but a systems, design and planning approach to optimise asset protection. This resource is now available from the ARC website via this link: 
A new report by ENISA -the European Network and Information Security Agency - has found that thefts of customer information and the costs associated with security incidents are on the increase. ‘Information Security Awareness in Financial Organisations’ assesses the risks facing financial organisations and provides guidance on implementing security awareness programmes, recommendations and case studies.
