Mitigate threats through planning

It is important to be aware of security threats, which can manifest themselves in many forms, understand how they relate to a particular organisation and put the plans in place to address them, said Dan Shepherd, managing director of security consulting firm, Plexus Consulting. Speaking recently at the Breakbulk Africa 2014 conference in Johannesburg, he noted that Africa had its fair set of security challenges for the shipping and freight industry, including bribery and corruption, political instability, weak rules of law and lack of law enforcement, as well as piracy, armed robbery and friction over the right to resources such as oil. “A lot of these threats are limited to or are more prevalent in certain African countries, which is why it is important to research threats before doing business in a specific country,” said Shepherd. He added that what many companies overlooked in their security plans were the so-called white collar crimes of corporate espionage and sabotage which are increasing as the world becomes more connected through technology. Many of these security threats and challenges need to be addressed on a global or regional level by high-level government and industry stakeholders but there are measures that companies can take to mitigate certain threats, depending on their reach and budget. “A well thoughtout security strategy should include potential threats as well as current threats and should be communicated across all levels of the business, especially at operational level,” Shepherd said. INSERT & CAPTION A well-thought out security strategy should include potential threats as well as current threats. – Dan Shepherd 7 key security tips Dan Shepherd, managing director of security consulting firm, Plexus Consulting, provides his top tips: 1. Do a thorough risk assessment 2. Do a proper safety and security reconnaissance in every country before investing/trading there 3. Use open source intelligence through a reputable third party 4. Use and develop national and transnational safety and security networks 5. Decide beforehand on the need for physical security measures based on threats and weigh the costs and needs for a visible presence versus a more low profile presence through, for example, remote tracking devices. 6. Conduct due diligence with regard to security service providers and veto them 7. Preferably establish longterm relationships with a reputable firm.