Insiders identified as biggest cargo risk threat

The “insider” threat is the newest emerging risk for cargo theft according to a recently released report by TT Club and BSI Supply Chain Services & Solutions. Examining trends on both a regional and global basis, the report found that theft from trucks remained the biggest risk in logistics. “In Europe, over 75% of cargo theft occurs whilst in transit with ‘slash and grab’ tactics accounting for 50% of all reported losses,” reads a statement. “The Middle East and Africa region continues to be blighted by less sophisticated but more violent hijackings. Cargo in transit is heavily targeted with tactics such as the impersonation of enforcement personnel often being selected as an effective means of compelling drivers to stop at the road side. Corruption in the region also plays a significant role in cargo theft incidents.” But of increasing concern is the “insider” threat as it renders efforts to protect cargo futile if a theft is the result of an inside job. “People prove to be an organisation’s greatest asset, but also, on occasion, a substantial vulnerability risk. As organisations implement increasingly sophisticated physical and procedural measures to protect their assets from external threats, the recruitment of insiders becomes a more attractive proposition for those attempting to gain access.” The report found it left transport operations vulnerable and exposed. Also highlighted in the study was that fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) – particularly food, beverages, electronics and consumer products – were the most commonly targeted commodities in most parts of the world. According to the report Asia, China and India are the countries where cargo theft is most frequently recorded, while in North America there are two distinct intraregional trends. In the United States and Canada perpetrators focus on unattended and unsecured vehicles, whilst tactics in Mexico, Central America and South America are much more aggressive and violent. No other region in the world suffers from a higher rate of truck hijackings than South America. Hijacking incidents were recorded in almost every country in the region in 2018, while Brazil accounted for 68% of all recorded incidents. In the Middle East and Africa hijacking accounts for 43% of the theft.