​Big Event Coming to the Big Apple

More than 2,200 security and law enforcement professionals will convene in New York City for the ASIS International 28th New York City Security Conference and Expo May 16-17 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.

The conference will open Wednesday at 8:00 a.m. with a keynote address from Scott Morrison, head of global crisis management and command centers for JPMorgan Chase & Co. He will share his thoughts on emerging trends from terror attacks to kidnapping, and from cybersecurity to intellectual theft.

Two days of peer-developed education will address some of today's most pressing security challenges, including a full day of learning focused on active assailant prevention and response. Conference sessions include:​

Drone Technology

Take a closer look at the current state of drone technology and explore industry trends from all angles.

Get Your Seat at the Table

Through the lens of enterprise security risk management (ESRM), security becomes an organization's roadmap for meaningful, effective risk management.

Securing an Open Office

Facebook Chief Global Security Officer Nick Lovrien will explain how Facebook developed a collaborative open office environment while attempting to mitigate risk.

Active Threat and Culture

This session examines the cultural differences between an organization that values the "spend" vs. those that look at security as an expense that needs to be slashed.

Vehicle Attacks

No community is immune from vehicular terrorist attacks, which have recently caused 204 deaths and 861 injuries in the U.S. and abroad. How can they be deterred?

Besides paid conference registration, attendees can choose a free expo-only pass that includes access to the exhibit hall on both days, daily receptions and coffee breaks on the exhibit floor, and career coaching services.

The ASIS New York City Chapter will honor His Eminence Timothy Cardinal Dolan, Archbishop of New York, as the NYC Chapter Person of the Year. Dolan, whose career in the Catholic Church spans more than 40 years, will be honored for his dedication to the people of New York. Always a popular event, the Person of the Year Luncheon will be held at noon on Thursday, May 17. Tickets to this event are included with conference registration. To learn more, go to asisonline.org/nyc2018.​

Globalization Update

In April, ASIS International members received an update about the work underway in support of the Society's globalization initiative and the impact of this work on 2018 Board elections. President Richard E. Chase, CPP, PCI, PSP, sent the following letter to members last month.

Fellow members,

I am pleased to provide an update on the progress made to fully globalize ASIS International. Our 2017-2021 strategic plan identified improving the ASIS Global Network as one of five key priorities. It's understood that the future success of ASIS is dependent on our ability to be relevant to members around the globe, across all markets, and at every step of the career ladder. This can only be done by employing innovative solutions that foster collaboration and easy sharing of information locally, regionally, and worldwide.

In 2017,  the Globalization Task Force, composed of a diverse cross section of volunteer leaders, was established to evaluate common practices of other global nonprofit organization management models and identify changes we could make to our organizational structure. Led by 2018 Board Treasurer Godfried Hendriks, CPP, this important work, which included reviewing and redefining roles and responsibilities for our chapter and regions, council, and regional advisory council leaders with an aim to "flatten" our leadership structure, will allow the Society to be more deliberate and nimble in how we deliver our products and services. And most importantly, to create an inclusive volunteer leadership structure that truly reflects the diversity of our membership.

Through this undertaking, it became clear that we needed to not only rethink our volunteer structure, but also how we select our governing leadership positions—specifically, the ASIS International Board of Directors.

In March, a Presidential Governance Task Force was established to reevaluate the ASIS board nominations process and overall board governance with an eye towards global diversity, inclusion, and selection criteria, which targets a proportionate representation of the association's members and the overall depth of experience of directors' backgrounds.

Co-chaired by President-Elect Christina Duffey, CPP, and 2018 Board Secretary John Petruzzi, CPP, this task force is working under an expedited timeline, with a goal of delivering recommendations—including director job descriptions and creation of a governance committee—by January 2019. As such, the Board passed a motion to forgo Board elections in 2018. This will provide an opportunity for the task force to complete its work and to ensure the Board of Directors reflects the global membership it represents in 2019 and beyond.

Later this summer, we will be providing more details on the Globalization Task Force recommendations. This is an exciting time for the Society as we continue to implement our member-driven strategic objectives. As always, we encourage you to email [email protected] to share your feedback.

 ASIS Brings Top Business Education to Spain

Effective Management for Security Professionals 2-5 July, 2018 Madrid, Spain

 Looking to take the next step in developing your business acumen? Security executives are invited to attend a four-day executive education program in Madrid, Spain. The theme is Establishing the Security Role as an Enabler for Business Success.

Presented by IE Business School in collaboration with ASIS International, this course provides an opportunity for mid-career to senior security managers to take a deep dive into the central areas of management, enhancing their effectiveness in the corporate environment and enabling them to align their expertise with the organization's security requirements. It focuses on:

• Leading in Uncertainty
• Creating a Strategic Mindset
• Applying Financial Information
• Negotiation

 Prior to the program, registrants will be granted access to the IE Online Campus to prepare classwork and readings and facilitate their campus learning experience. Once on site, the class will participate in interactive lectures, debates, group work, case studies, and role play.

"Today, companies and organizations are looking for professionals who are highly trained not only in enterprise security risk management, but also in business," says program director Juan Muñoz, CPP, ASIS Spain Chapter chair. "For years now, the role of chief security officer has been progressively evolving. It is precisely in this context where the Effective Management for Security Professionals course reaches its main added value as a business executive education tool."

ASIS members save significantly on their registration fees. Additionally, registrants will receive 40 CPEs for their participation. New this year: Members of the CSO Center receive an additional 5 percent discount off the member fee. See details at https://www.asisonline.org/ie.  ​

International Buyer Program Delivers Global to GSX

Security professionals outside North America who are looking to participate in the most anticipated security event of the year can start planning their travel now.

Global Security Exchange (GSX), formerly the ASIS International Annual Seminar and Exhibits, is proud to once again participate in the U.S. Department of Commerce's International Buyer Program (IBP).

The IBP is a government–industry partnership that brings global buyers to the United States for business-to-business opportunities with U.S. firms at major industry trade shows. GSX's participation in this event demonstrates the importance of the event to the security industry worldwide.

According to the department's website, "every year, the IBP results in approximately a billion dollars in new business for U.S. companies, and increased international attendance for participating U.S. trade show organizers."

International attendees are encouraged to join an IBP delegation and take advantage of special registration rates and benefits—available only to participants. To register with an official IBP delegation, contact the commercial service specialist at your local U.S. Embassy or Consulate to discuss attending GSX 2018 and receive a special registration code. To learn more about the International Buyer Program, visitwww.gsx.org/IBP.​

Executive Protection Council Spotlight

Launched in 2015, the Executive Protection Council is one of the newest ASIS councils. In the years since its creation, the council has more than doubled in size, with 40 members representing organizations as diverse as Northrop Grumman, Facebook, McDonald's, Time Warner Cable, and PayPal, to name a few. Each member is driven to share expertise and affirm executive protection's place in the security profession.

Executive protection (EP) is a specialized field of security that Council Chair Bob Oatman, CPP, says has grown dramatically in recent years: "The profession itself has existed in government since the days of Lincoln—Secret Service, security details for mayors and governors, and the like. The private sector is where big change is taking place. Hollywood A-listers, corporate executives, and their families—they're recognizing the need for what we do. We wouldn't have a standing council if companies weren't engaged in having EP as part of their security program. We're business enablers. We protect the brand. We help people in the C-suite get where they need to go."

Oatman has been conducting a two-day EP classroom training with ASIS since 1998. When the Society launched a certificate for the program in 2013, the council's founding members saw it as a significant validation that EP has a place in the broader security community. They approached ASIS about forming a council, and now enjoy an increased reach to share EP best practices.

The council will sponsor an education session this September at Global Security Exchange (GSX), formerly the ASIS International Annual Seminar and Exhibits, where it has sponsored sessions each of the last three years. At this year's session, in a simulation titled "The Trilogy of Executive Protection—Making the Case," council members will present attendees with an EP problem. In groups, attendees will workshop and develop a pitch to sell their EP solution to mock executives.

In addition to its classroom program, the council has also produced a webinar, contributed an article to Security Management, and developed a proposal for the potential development of an ASIS standard or guideline around executive protection.

The council also engages in outreach to keep ASIS members up to date on its initiatives. Its biannual newsletter, which shares council updates and touches upon important EP themes, is available in both English and Spanish. The latest issue, available within ASIS Connects, includes articles on the unique rewards and challenges of working in EP and the council's proposed standard or guideline. The council has also appointed liaisons to the Young Professionals, Women in Security, Transitions Ad Hoc Council, and Critical Infrastructure Working Group.

To learn more about executive protection or to engage with council members or find their latest newsletter, visit ASIS Connects and search for Executive Protection.​

Life Members

Raymond L. Dean, Sultan H. Alzahrani, and Herbert M. Kaltz, CPP, have been granted lifetime membership to ASIS.

Dean has been a member of the New York City Chapter since 1981, and he served as the chapter's chair, vice chair, and secretary. In 2011, Dean was awarded the Presidential Award of Merit by ASIS. He is a two-time recipient of the Eugene Casey Award for dedicated service to the NYC Chapter, plus he won the chapter's Joseph Spillane Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017.

Alzahrani joined ASIS more than 30 years ago and has been an active member of the Dhahran, Saudi Arabia Chapter, serving as its chair multiple times. He has also been a regional vice president and assistant regional vice president for many years.

Kaltz has been a dedicated member of ASIS for more than 32 years. He provided service to the ASIS Detroit Chapter as a chapter chair, vice chair, secretary, and communications chair. ​

ESRM in Action

In 2016, ASIS made enterprise security risk management (ESRM) an organizational priority and has begun infusing this management philosophy into all the Society's programs and services. In the months ahead, we will provide updates, as well as showcase how members are implementing ESRM in their organizations.

By Jon Harris, CPP, PSP

Our "aha" moment came during the ESRM tabletop exercise at the ASIS conference in Dallas last year. My colleague and I realized we were omitting critical components from our risk evaluation process, and therefore missing an opportunity to add significant value to our company. We had a business continuity program, emergency response processes, workplace violence prevention program, and facility risk assessments—the miss was that they were not connected and were too focused on the security aspects of our organization.

By taking a step back and reframing our entire program within the structure of ESRM, we were able to focus our efforts towards the areas of greatest operational risk, using the existing programs we had in place and providing valuable intelligence to the business. Additionally, we broadened the purview of our assessment to the entire organization—from the supply chain, to operating facilities, and through our service organizations.

Here are our recommendations:

Get started. Taking too much time to analyze and come up with the perfect approach will stall your efforts. The process is organic and will evolve over time; continuous improvement is a critical facet of the program and must be embraced.

Invite everyone to the party. The greatest value will come with the broadest inclusion and participation.

Make it simple. We distilled our mission down to four words: Keep the doors open. At the end of the day, that was our focus and being successful in all the components of our program would deliver that output. The simplicity of the message allowed for an easy delivery to all levels of the organization.

While the program is still in its infancy, we are excited about our progress to date and the long-term prospects. ESRM has been transformative for how we proactively approach our security program and visibly increase its value to the organization.

Member Book Review

Can I See Your Hands: A Guide to Situational Awareness, Personal Risk Management, Resilience and Security. By Gav Schneider, CPP. Universal Publishers; universal-publishers.com; 226 pages; $27.95.

Dr. Gav Schneider is a South African martial artist who teaches security workshops. His new book Can I See Your Hands stands on the shoulders of well-known legends in the violence prevention and threat assessment arenas, including police response trainer Dave Grossman (who wrote the Foreword) and Hollywood security guru Gavin de Becker.

Schneider starts with the familiar concept that there are three groups in the world: sheep, wolves, and shepherds. This book is definitely for the latter. Creating awareness of violent situations and developing personal risk management skills are his overarching themes. He uses models and acronyms to remind readers to avoid denial and to create and train for survival strategies.

He goes back in time to reference Jeff Cooper's color codes: Conditions White, Yellow, Orange, and Red (and Black in actual war-time combat). He has created his own model, the "Three Point Check System" (3PC-S), which focuses on scanning the Place, the People in the area, and Planned incident actions and Contingency plans.

The author espouses the use of the Run. Hide. Fight. concept for active assailants as a doable contingency plan. But during a violent attack, you must be able to activate what he calls "Adrenal Response Management." This means controlling stress through repetitive physical and mental training for protection, awareness, and to manage the stress response that can paralyze people in life-threatening situations.

While most content is familiar, the final chapter, which gives new information on the consequences of having to use physical or deadly force against someone, is the most valuable part of the book. The mental fallout of using force is not often discussed, and it's a vital part of surviving the encounter.

The slim book is easy to understand, with a useful summary at the end of each chapter. The appendix offers information for protection at home, away from home, and in cyberspace. An index would have been helpful, and adding workplace protection concepts would have been useful. All in all, readers who want to ramp up their pre-attack awareness will learn how to do it.

Reviewer: ASIS member Dr. Steve Albrecht, CPP, is a Colorado Springs-based author, trainer, and threat management consultant.