BY Scott Stewart, SecurityMagazine.com
There is a dangerous misperception among many corporate leaders that security and business are antithetical. Unfortunately, in many cases this belief is due to interaction with security directors who overplay the “no card” when business decisions are being made, to include those relating to corporate travel. Don’t misunderstand me, the “no card” is very important for any security director to possess, but it must be used sparingly if it is to carry any weight and not be overridden when it is truly needed. Indeed, overplaying the “no card” has resulted in many security directors losing their jobs.
Know an excellent security professional or organization? Nominate them for the Bill Zalud Award!
In my opinion, it is far wiser to play the “yes, but” card when responding to a trip request rather than to simply say “no” in most situations. The “yes, but” answer recognizes the risks at hand, but also includes suggestions to help mitigate the threats and ensures that travelers have the proper level of security coverage in place. There are obviously some trips that should be avoided, but in most cases, a little thought and creativity can help a security department craft a “yes, but” solution to almost any travel situation.
October Special: 20% OFF an IFPO Individual or Corporate Membership!
For example, not long ago, I had a client inquire about a proposed CEO trip to Istanbul to attend a conference. He advised that some of his counterparts had told their CEOs that the trip was too dangerous. He was looking for validation of his instinct to follow suit based on an understanding of the capabilities and target selection of the terrorist groups operating in Istanbul. The Islamic State tends to strike soft targets in Istanbul and the Kurdish Freedom Hawks and Marxist Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C) favor government targets. I advised the client that the CEO should be able to take the trip safely as long as he was picked up by a security driver at the airport, stayed at a hotel with good security (the conference was at a very nice hotel with a good security program) and refrained from tourist activities that could place him in harm’s way. The conference was ultimately cancelled, but my client gained stature in the eyes of his CEO for presenting a prudent and defensible security plan that for the trip rather than just saying “no.”
