The general geopolitical and security situation around the world has deteriorated over the past decade and for some regions severely during recent weeks. In several key geographic regions such as Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Eastern Europe we see an increased risk of armed conflicts erupting or spreading further. Countries and organisations now face additional concerns as they are exposed to new risks incl. military action, state intervention, propaganda campaigns and related cyber-attacks. Current events across the world are difficult to assess and places increased pressure on security managers and organisations with an international presence.
“Fueled by extensive media coverage and expert commentaries, these concerns spread into board rooms and workplaces, requiring security managers and senior decision-makers to provide pro-active advice to management and employees, as well as preparing contingency and evacuation plans in case of emergencies.” says Henrik Reuterdahl, Head of Intelligence at SRS Security.
Björn Wide, Head of Security for Business Sweden representing employees in 40 locations all across the world, highlights that ”our clients, senior decision makers and employees expect us to have plans, procedures, and resources in place to effectively handle a crisis or an emergency in a country or region. This requires Business Sweden to maintain preparedness based on information and news monitoring, risk assessments, planning, training, and exercises. Our preparations enable our staff and clients to stay safe and secure even in complex environments and times of difficulty”.
To provide security managers and senior decision-makers with some general insights on crisis and emergency management-related aspects in times of uncertainty, we will in a series of articles highlight the importance of proactive security work and to regularly:
- Assess the current security situation and the security risks that apply to your business
- Monitor local and regional news and other sources of information to identify developments that affect security risks and readiness levels
- Ensure that security-related routines and contingency plans are updated and well known throughout the organisation
- Practice makes perfect – make sure to regularly hold exercises to establish and fine-tune crisis management processes
- Learn from others – what is best practice? How do partners handle crises and emergencies?
