It seems like hardly a day goes by in the 24 hour news cycle without another threat. Terrorism remains always top of mind since 9/11, and recent events whether so-called “lone wolfs” or more planned attacks continue to (unfortunately) keep it top of mind.
Conflict in areas such as Syria and Ukraine show that despite the end of the Cold War the world still confronts real problems of state-sponsored strife. ISIS is yet another problem on the concerns of anyone who cares about civilization. And if man-upon-man conflict were not enough, we have viruses like ZIKA and Ebola to cause us all to be very paranoid.
To add to this mix, let’s focus on corporate risk assessment. The mainstream media focuses primarily on either state problems (e.g., Syria) or problems that cause panic in the general population (e.g., Zika). The focus in the mainstream media is either on national security (“How does this impact the security of the USA?”) or on personal security (“I’m traveling to Brazil and may be pregnant, what should I do?”). While those questions are valid, those who work for major corporations with employees overseas, operations overseas, or international meetings, face a unique set of problems. We call this “corporate risk,” and as experts in international security, we primarily deal with “corporate risk assessments.”
Scenarios for Corporate Risk Assessment-
- You have employees crossing the US / Mexico border each day in Tijuana / San Diego. What risks does this expose for your company and its employees? What vulnerabilities are there, ranging from viruses to terrorism to crime?
- You are planning a global corporate event to be held in London. What kind of event security do you need? What are your vulnerabilities?
- You are planning a meeting of five key executives in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Does this expose your company to cybersecurity problems? What if there is instability in the Kingdom at the same time, how will you alert these key executives? And what about spouses and children, who often travel to exotic places “for fun?” Where are the limits of your corporate responsibilities for their security?
- Your supply chain spans earthquake-prone countries such as Japan, Italy, and Peru. Do you face a “single supplier” problem that could create a “single point of failure” vulnerability in your supply chain?
Our job as corporate risk assessment experts is to help you “think through” each scenario, inventory your vulnerabilities, think the unthinkable, and make a plan. There can be no “perfect” corporate security. That’s not the way to think about it. They way to think about it is to think through risk, and establish a risk tolerance. Despite the 24 hour news cycle, international travel increases ever upwards as does the interdependence of countries on the globe. As a smart corporate planner, you can only realize that “risk assessment” needs to be part of your lexicon. We can help. Call our corporate risk assessment experts today for a free consultation.
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