Posts By: Jacob Charles

Threatwatch East Asia

GROUPS Matthew Henman, head of Jane’s Terrorism and Insurgence Centre, IHS Markit ASG The Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) is a Sunni Islamist militant organisation based and operating in the Southern Philippines off the island of Mindanao, primarily on the islands of Basilan and Jolo in the Sulu archipelago. ASG militants sometimes operate in mainland Mindanao,… Read more »

The future of policing

Rupert Godesen explains how the police might benefit from help from a private and more localised force Tuesday the 27 February and I am sitting at my desk pondering a way to start my article on the future of public policing. I take a quick look at the BBC News website and there is my… Read more »

Know the threat

Anthony Tucker-Jones talks to Pete Lawrence, Managing Director of Frontier Risks, about training for hostile zones and the recent chemical attack in Salisbury Personal security continues to be a considerable market, thanks to the threats posed globally by criminal activity and international terrorism. Some countries and maritime regions have become particularly hostile environments to work… Read more »

Spy Wars

Tony Kingham reports on the fight back against espionage On almost any given day it is easy to find a story in the press reporting various types of cyber crime, cyber espionage or even cyber warfare. Whether it is a criminally inspired attack like the WannaCry ransomware attack in May 2017 – which targeted computers… Read more »

Working efficiently

Evan Butler-Jones examines the latest technical, tactical and political developments in defence logistics for 2018 A lot has changed in a short amount of time in the defence industry. Next-generation equipment, such as the HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier and the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, is growing in scale and complexity, requiring new and intensive… Read more »

The secret to stadium security

Paul Dodds explores how stadium security teams can broaden their strategies and collaborate with city stakeholders by using flexible and connected security solutions Some of the biggest events in the world are held at city stadiums. Whether Olympic games, world-championship football matches, highly anticipated concerts or massive cultural gatherings, these events draw crowds by the… Read more »

Who watches the watchers?

Loch K Johnson examines the importance of safeguarding democracy against the dark side of Government An experiment in the United States designed to introduce accountability (“oversight,” in the political science term) into the hidden domain of intelligence agencies is now in its 43rd year, having been initiated in 1975. All democracies have had to wrestle… Read more »

Behind bars

Stephen Smith looks at technology trends in prison security, and the part integrated security management systems (ISMS) play Keeping prisoners and prison staff safe is a pressing concern for the UK’s Ministry of Justice. Barely a week goes by without a suicide or violent incident being reported in a system that appears overcrowded and underfunded…. Read more »

Out of sight, out of mind

Jaz Vilkhu considers the growing aesthetic significance of hostile vehicle mitigation measures for planners and architects The terror threat posed to the public has evolved dramatically over the last 12 to 18 months. Large-scale, meticulously planned bomb attacks have given way to vehicle assaults targeting pedestrians. Concrete blocks and barricades, largely temporary measures, have been… Read more »

Lines of Communication

Rob Green explains how two-way radios enable private security and public safety personnel to do their jobs more effectively The private security industry embraces a wide range of roles across a large number of sectors. Front-line security roles include manned guarding of assets, protecting cash and valuables in transit, security management at venues and events… Read more »