AST Digital Magazine August 2017 Digital-Aug | Page 11

Volume 15
explosive devices or incendiaries, including in
explosive-laden vehicles, are also evolving.
August 2017 Edition
We expect these tactics and weaponry to con-
tinue to be prevalent but also to shift/evolve to
include the use of weaponized drones and other
autonomous capabilities. and when an incident occurs.
PWP teaches heightened situational awareness
and increasing everyone’s security efficacy by
emphasizing the importance of understanding
today’s threat environment, recognizing telltale
signs of an evolving threat, and empowering
people to take effective action.
Combining physical and cyber-attack compo-
nents, particularly simultaneously, presents a
formidable hybrid threat challenge. AST: ‘What strategies can be used to
assess the risk of active threats before
they occur?’
AST: ‘What is “Preparedness Without
Paranoia?”’ When individuals are prepared, they are also
confident and capable of responding quickly and
appropriately.
The Preparedness Without Paranoia™ (PWP)
approach is predicated on the fact that under-
standing the modern threat environment and
training for the worst-case scenario does not
have to be an intimidating or overwhelming task.
From small businesses to Fortune 500 com-
panies, the resiliency of any organization in a
threatening situation depends on the extent to
which its employees are prepared, confident and
capable of reacting appropriately and effectively.
If they have planned, practiced and, most impor-
tantly, accepted the fact that violence can occur
where we work, where we learn, where we find
recreation and where we worship, they will know
how to respond and at a minimum, minimize the
advantage of an assailant.
Security sense is really common sense.
One of the easiest points for individuals to learn—
developing a sense of awareness for what is go-
ing on around us—is the hardest, sometimes, for
us to put to practice.
People often miss important early-warning indi-
cators that could identify a person on the path-
way to violence because they are themselves
distracted or just not paying attention to what is
going on around them.
(For example, see preview of a recent Active Shooter training
for Healthcare Professionals hosted by Allied Universal to-
gether with its partners John Jay College and MHSDA. Cour-
tesy of Allied Universal and YouTube)
Preparedness Without Paranoia™ seeks to fos-
ter and develop an educated and engaged citi-
zenry, from the kitchen table to the boardroom
table.
Security is personal. If individuals, from children
to adults, are trained on how to survive an active
threat, they will act as they have been trained if
The reluctance to get involved is a contributing
factor; often coworkers and friends can clearly
identify indicators of isolation, anger, withdrawal
and/or self-radicalization observed before an in-
cident.
Observing human behavior and recognizing
an abnormal behavior when you see one can
be the first warning sign that something may
be about to happen.
And it’s not just paying attention to those gut in-
stincts when something is off, but also acting on
them.
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