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Organizations Must Be Ready to Assess Potential Security Risks to Protect Everyone

Organizations Must Be Ready to Assess Potential Security Risks to Protect Everyone

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Frank Costa, President Nexgen Protection Services – 

Security leaders across environments — spanning retail stores, corporate businesses, residential communities and cities — should prepare for threats that will require fast and informed action. We all have experienced major cultural moments, including the 2020 election, COVID-19 pandemic, and nationwide protests. 

It is critical for organizations to put in place security protocols to preserve employee and public safety while respecting the rights of citizens.  Creating a plan and protocols to address these incidents will help you ensure a coordinated response.

  • Establish communication protocols. Create clear communication protocols that explain how information will flow to key parties, such as store or business leadership, employees, customers, neighboring businesses and law enforcement.

  • Assess physical defense measures. How can you protect your building from damage or control the flow of traffic and people?

  • Promote de-escalation tactics. Reinforce your communication protocols during this training. Ensure that the safety of every employee and customer is the number one priority, reminding them to not get involved if physical violence occurs.

  • Implement safety technology. Cameras, alarms, motion detectors, and motion-triggered lights can all bring visibility to situations, add necessary deterrence if you make the decision to close a location, and gather evidence to help law enforcement pursue bad actors. Revisit your existing security investments to assess their capabilities, and consider whether you need new solutions to cover your gaps.   

 

SOURCE: 

Kelley, M. 3 potential security risks to stay ahead of post-election, Security Magazine, 11/20/2024.
#protectionservices #securitystandards #publicsaftey  #mobilesecurity #securitythreats

 

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Mitigating fraud, theft and scam risks within financial institutions

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Frank Costa, President Nexgen Protection Services – 

Social engineering schemes have been such an easy way for fraudsters to get money. To guard against this fraud exposure, banks and financial institutions have to work just as hard as the fraudsters, and stay on top of any new threats that emerge. 

One of the best ways to defeat a social engineering scam requesting payment is to make a phone call to a number that is on file and ask if the person you received the request from really sent those instructions. 

Confirming with the appropriate person on file through a verbal phone call that a funds transfer request can proceed is a smart way to identify scam (fraud) attempts. With possibly hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars at stake, it’s worth taking the extra time to confirm the validity of a funds transfer request.

SOURCE: 

Alger, J. Mitigating fraud, theft and scam risks within financial institutions, 12/2/2024.
#protectionservices #securitystandards #publicsaftey  #mobilesecurity #securitythreats

 

Why Local Businesses Should Build Strong Relationships with Law Enforcement

Why Local Businesses Should Build Strong Relationships with Law Enforcement

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Frank Costa, President Nexgen Protection Services – 

Building strong relationships with law enforcement has always been crucial to a successful loss prevention program. Historically, the relationship between retail stores and local law enforcement has been a part of both community safety and retail performance, reinforcing the critical elements of security and well-being.

Trust and respect are essential, along with a general understanding of how we can work together to keep our communities safe and our businesses successful.

SOURCE: 

Brittain, J. Fostering Next-Level Partnerships That Make a Difference, Loss Prevention Magazine, 11/20/2024.
#protectionservices #securitystandards #publicsaftey  #mobilesecurity #securitythreats

 

Cargo Theft is Real and You Need to Protect Your Assets

Cargo Theft is Real and You Need to Protect Your Assets

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Frank Costa, President Nexgen Protection Services – 

A new form of theft has developed – strategic cargo theft. Strategic cargo theft is defined as deceiving a party at various points within the supply chain to hand over their freight to thieves. This form of theft involves the manipulation of data, paperwork, and identities from a distance to gain access to freight under false pretenses.

Use dedicated, asset-based carriers to move your freight. An asset-based carrier is a company that owns its trucks and hires its own drivers. This allows you to clearly vet the company you will be doing business with.

Insist on placing disposable GPS trackers inside your high-value loads. These cost-effective devices eliminate reverse logistics and device management while providing complete visibility of your freight, in real-time, from anywhere around the world. 

 

SOURCE: 

Tabor, J. Strategic Cargo Theft: What It Is, How It Started, and What You Can Do to Stop It, Loss Prevention Magazine, 12/2/2024.
#protectionservices #securitystandards #publicsaftey  #mobilesecurity #securitythreats

 

Artificial intelligence and Machine Learning are Game Changers

Artificial intelligence and Machine Learning are Game Changers

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Frank Costa, President Nexgen Protection Services – 

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are no longer just buzzwords; they’re reshaping the very fabric of how we protect our spaces, assets, and people. These smart systems are not just observing – they’re thinking, predicting and enabling security professionals to do more with less.

AI and ML allow security departments to extend their reach and effectiveness without necessarily expanding their workforce. 

  • Automated Monitoring: AI can continuously monitor multiple video feeds from one to dozens or many hundreds of cameras, flagging only the events that require human attention.
  • Intelligent Dispatching: ML algorithms can analyze incidents, learn from the patterns, and automatically dispatch the most appropriate response.
  • Predictive Maintenance: AI can monitor the health of security equipment, predicting failures before they occur, helping reduce downtime.

These capabilities don’t just save time; they fundamentally change how security teams operate, allowing them to be more strategic and proactive in their approach.

 

SOURCE: 

Carder, H. Smart systems usher in a new era of proactive physical security, Loss Prevention Magazine, 10/22/2024.
#protectionservices #securitystandards #publicsaftey  #mobilesecurity #securitythreats

 

License Plate Recognition (LPR): Secure, Intelligence Led Approach Retail Protection

License Plate Recognition (LPR): Secure, Intelligence Led Approach Retail Protection

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Frank Costa, President Nexgen Protection Services – 

Retailers are increasingly focused on establishing additional layers of control – so it makes sense why License Plate Recognition (LPR) is becoming a common talking point when it comes to LP strategies.

The scope of loss prevention has expanded to human safety first and foremost. This shift is matching the rise of Organized Retail Crime and violence in stores.

LPR systems use high-resolution cameras and other systems to capture and convert images of license plates into alphanumeric text, which can then be cross-referenced. Retailers worldwide have adopted LPR (sometimes known as ANPR) increasingly as an important component of their security strategies.

 

SOURCE: 

Elevating Retail Security Integrating License Plate Recognition and

Audio Detection into Your Safety Strategy, Loss Prevention Magazine, 12/10/2023.
#protectionservices #securitystandards #publicsaftey  #mobilesecurity #securitythreats

 

Cargo theft involves the manipulation of data and identities to gain access to freight under false pretenses.

Cargo theft involves the manipulation of data and identities to gain access to freight under false pretenses.

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Frank Costa, President Nexgen Protection Services – 

Organized retail crime (ORC) has been the buzzword in the retail loss prevention world for well over the past decade. During that time, the lack of support from the criminal justice system has certainly negated most of those efforts.

Criminals will establish fake trucking and brokerage companies with the sole intention of stealing cargo. They go through the same process as legitimate carrier information, registration, obtaining insurance, and operating authority. These companies then start completing legitimate jobs to establish a history of work performed. Once established, the thieves target high-value loads within their customer network to steal.

Insist on placing disposable GPS trackers inside your high-value loads. These cost-effective devices eliminate reverse logistics and device management while providing complete visibility of your freight, in real-time, from anywhere around the world. If and when a theft were to occur, you could follow the load in real-time from your phone to assist law enforcement in finding its exact location.

As of now, there is no silver bullet that will stop these thefts from occurring. But understanding the problem, training your staff, and installing protective measures will certainly act as a shield to help fend off these criminals.

SOURCE: 

Tabor, J. Strategic Cargo Theft: What It Is, How It Started, and What You Can Do to Stop It, Loss Prevention Magazine, 10/01/2024.
#protectionservices #securitystandards #publicsaftey  #mobilesecurity #securitythreats

 

Rising Workplace Violence Necessitates The Need For Implementing A Structured, Approach To Incident Response.

Rising Workplace Violence Necessitates The Need For Implementing A Structured, Approach To Incident Response.

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Frank Costa, President Nexgen Protection Services – 

Every year, thousands of American workers report being victims of workplace violence, with assaults resulting in 57,610 injuries in 2021-22 alone, according to the National Safety Council. 

These alarming statistics underscore the urgent need for managers and safety professionals to implement a structured, approach to incident response. By adopting this proactive strategy, businesses can not only respond effectively to violent incidents but also mitigate future risks, ensuring a safer environment for all employees.

Most Common Challenges in Proper Incident Response

  • Information overload can occur in the chaos following an incident, making it difficult for staff to capture all relevant details accurately. As a result, important information may be missed or recorded inconsistently.
  • Communication breakdowns often arise when attempting to quickly alert nearby locations about potential threats, especially in the absence of a standardized communication system.
  • Connecting the dots between incidents can be challenging without a centralized system that allows for data comparison across different locations and time periods, making it difficult to determine if an incident is isolated or part of a larger trend.
  • Resource allocation becomes guesswork when there are no data-driven insights to guide decisions about where to deploy additional measures, particularly in high-risk areas or during specific time periods.
  • Learning from incidents is hampered when there isn’t a systematic way to analyze past events, leading to missed opportunities for implementing lessons that could prevent future incidents.
  • Balancing speed and thoroughness is a common challenge, as the urgency to respond quickly to violent incidents often conflicts with the need for thorough data collection and analysis.

 

These challenges require a thoughtful, systematic approach to incident response. By addressing these issues head-on, businesses can significantly improve their ability to respond to and prevent violent incidents, creating safer environments for employees and customers alike.

SOURCE: 

Workplace Violence Reporting: Proper Responses to Violent Incidents, Loss Prevention Magazine, 09/26/2024.
#protectionservices #securitystandards #publicsaftey  #mobilesecurity #securitythreats

Shrink From Theft Significantly Impacts Small-To Medium-Sized Retailers

Shrink From Theft Significantly Impacts Small-To Medium-Sized Retailers

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Frank Costa, President Nexgen Protection Services – 

SMB retailers operate on narrow profit margins, they typically don’t have the budget or resources to invest in the training, security systems, and personnel to combat theft like larger retailers do. Offenders might also be more familiar with SMB retailers’ store layouts and know they lack specific security measures. If smaller stores with weaker security are located near larger stores with more robust protection, there might be an issue of displacement in which offenders pass by the big box shop for the mom-and-pop.

A low cost solution to theft prevention for SMB retailers is partnerships. Many law enforcement organizations have community policing units, where officers are specially trained to interact with local businesses and citizens to help them solve problems. SMB retailers can connect with this unit or a liaison and invite them to the store to dispense free crime prevention advice.

 

SOURCE: 

Fritsky, L. For Small- to Medium-Sized Business Retailers, Thwarting Theft Needn’t Come with High Effort or Costs, Loss Prevention Magazine, 10/09/2024.
#protectionservices #securitystandards #publicsaftey  #mobilesecurity #securitythreats

An Effective Physical Security Plan Starts with Deterrence, Detection, Delay, & Response.

An Effective Physical Security Plan Starts with Deterrence, Detection, Delay, & Response.

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Frank Costa, President Nexgen Protection Services – 

Deterrence, Detection, Delay, & Response.

Physical security technology helps to control access, monitor behavior, and respond to potential threats, thus enhancing overall security posture. It involves securing organizational assets from harm due to physical events, including natural disasters like fires and floods, and human-inflicted dangers like theft and vandalism.

Elements of an effective physical security plan–

  1. Deterrence: Deterrence can encompass various equipment such as signage, security cameras and door access systems. It also includes physical barriers such as doors, locks and walls.  
  2. Detection: Technologies used for physical security detection measures are sensors, alarms and automatic notifications via video management software. 
  3. Delay: Simple security measures such as additional doors, locks and security guards can help delay incidents. More advanced physical security technology, such as key card access and mobile credentials, can make it more difficult for unauthorized users trying to enter a building.  
  4. Response: A response strategy such as building lockdowns or automatically notifying emergency services is critical. 

Successful and effective plans should include these technologies to ensure that a facility can prevent physical threats and take necessary action if a security breach occurs.

 

SOURCE: 

Berg, D. Playing a Crucial Role, Security Today, 09/1672024.
#protectionservices #securitystandards #publicsaftey  #mobilesecurity #securitythreats