Dear Reader
With this issue, SECURITY TODAY completes 12 years of publication, a wonderful journey, through which I have had the privilege of seeing the private security industry evolve from the initial crazy growth to settling down to a brisk pace on the road to maturity. While we have seen consolidation and emergence of process driven businesses, I strongly feel that the best is yet to come.
The emphasis here onwards shall be on quality, rather than quantity. Clients will begin demanding professional services and high quality products from the industry. Even the role of security professionals will change. As threat vectors become more sophisticated, they would have to manage emerging risks with lesser resources. Businesses are looking closely at their potential risks and asking tough questions about their preparedness: What could threaten the viability of the company? How prepared are we to minimise those risks? What are our business continuity plans should one of those threats come to pass?
Security and risk management also have become much more complex as many organizations have concluded that they need to improve coordination and collaboration between the previously separate sectors of security, including information technology security, physical security, fraud and non-financial risk management, to effectively manage the wide range of risks facing their organizations. The benefits of increasing the coordination among risk management, IT security and physical security, both in reducing risks to the organization and streamlining policies and procedures cannot be doubted.
It is clear, that no single security framework or organizational structure will work for every organization. A tailored approach would have to be adopted where the security policies are shaped by the business strategies of the organisations, which in turn have the buy-in and the active support from the top management. To make these business specific strategies one will need security leaders who understand the economics of the businesses they protect.
Therefore, several core skills have emerged as critical to a security leader’s success. An effective security leader would be a strategic thinker, knowledgeable about IT and physical security issues, as well as the business. A good understanding of IT networks and systems is important, particularly as an increasing percentage of most businesses relies on technology. He or she would have superior communications skills and make decisions quickly based on the available information, whether in day-to-day operations or in crisis situations.
It was a privilege to have interacted with Mr. Michael Foynes, Senior Director, Global Security Director of Microsoft Corporation, a couple of months ago when he visited India, on the qualifications and traits that future security leaders must have in order to succeed. He said that most important of all, a security leader should be humble and emphatic to be able to inspire people.
In this issue of SECURITY TODAY we cover the topic of securing the Energy Sector, primarily the Oil & Gas facilities and related pipeline and other infrastructure. The way this sector has developed and gained critical importance over the last few decades qualifies it as ‘highly vulnerable’, needing customised security strategies to safeguard the multitude of risks that it attracts.
This month we are participating in and covering the 26th Annual IISSM Seminar and Exhibition which shall be inaugurated by Mr. Rajnath Singh, the Hon’ble Home Minister of India and graced by many ministers and VIPs, which emphasises the fact that private security industry is gaining importance and is being steadily leveraged to ensure national security.
Cheers!
G B Singh
Email: editor@securitytoday.in
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