Previous webinars have indicated that around the world countries face very different challenges in having a professional security sector, one that workers choose as a preferred career of choice, one clients’ view in favourable terms, and one that partners such as the police want to collaborate with. We also know from previous webinars on Kenya that the sector has its own challenges although there was optimism that the aftermath of the pandemic may provide a new era in which security personnel will fare better. This webinar will discuss:

What are the main challenges facing the Kenya security sector?
The post pandemic experience, what is anything has changed?
The routes to a more professional sector, specifically what needs to change?
Winners of the 2021 awards will be announced after the Thought Leadership discussion from a selection of finalists

Panelists:
Captain (Rtd) Augustine Lokwang Ekitela – Association of Corporate and Industrial Security Management Professionals (ACISMP)
Purity Kinanu, CPP – Women In Safety Excellence (WISE)
Munene M. Mugambi – Professional Criminologists Association of Kenya (PCAK)
Charles Oloo CPP – Industry Representative

After this session, the 2021 Kenya OSPAs took place.

A video and summary of this session is available here: https://www.theospas.com/2021/08/27/kenya-ospas-and-thought-leadership-webinar/

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Cryptocurrencies, typically created using blockchain technologies, are available in digital form only and provide a different way of trading that is generally presented as being ultra-secure, but is it? After all we know that the wallets cryptocurrencies are stored in can be stolen if passwords are not secured. If the cryptocurrencies are kept on centralised exchanges they can be hacked a problem because for now this is the easiest way of doing business. Moreover, there are so many fraudulent cryptocurrencies and exchanges which are not easy to identify, especially for the untrained eye, and here one of the key features of such currencies, that they are not regulated, becomes a security risk. So what are the security issues surrounding this modern form of doing business? This webinar will discuss:

Are cryptocurrencies a safe way of doing business?
What are the true security risks and how can they be managed?
What might the forms of securing cryptocurrencies in the future look like?

Panellists:
Peter Tan – ASIS Professional Standards Board (Singapore)
Aidan Larkin – Founder and CEO at Asset Reality (UK)
Michael Gips – Principal at Global Insights in Professional Security (US)

A video and summary of this session is available here: https://www.theospas.com/2021/08/20/what-the-security-implications-of-cryptocurrency-and-are-they-being-managed/

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Science can be considered as a process that generates knowledge and then organises it so that findings – in the form of testable explanations and predictions about a subject – can be tested. While science generally has a long history the subject area of security has a much more recent past and so therefore does security science. Yet this is key to building a credible body of knowledge, itself a prerequisite for being considered a profession. So what is the current state of and future possibilities for the science of security? This webinar will discuss:

To what extent can security be viewed as a science?
What are the strengths and weaknesses of the scientific approach to the study of security?
What is the route to a more developed science of security?

Panellists:
Kevin Peterson – Program Lead for Business & Organizational Security Management at Webster University (US)
Bryan Watters – Associate Professor of Defence Leadership and Management at Cranfield University (UK)

A video and summary of this session is available here: https://www.theospas.com/2021/08/13/thinking-about-security-as-a-science-how-developed-is-the-body-of-knowledge/

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This session is sponsored by Lodge Service https://lodgeservice.com/

It is not unusual in any sector to generate buzz words and phrases that catch on. Security is no exception. ‘Profit protection’ can be presented as one example. When ‘security’ seemed old hat, especially (but not exclusively) in retailing, there was a focus on ‘loss prevention’. For many that missed the point, it was negative leading (loss) rather than positive (profit), and anyway good practices were helping the company achieve its aims, profit, ‘profit protection’ was born. But what does it mean? How is it distinct from other catchy titles? Does it matter anyway? This webinar will:

Discuss the meanings of ‘profit protection’
Explore the extent to which the focus on protecting profits is best achieved
Examine best practice and the routes to achieving them

Panellists:
Paul Bessant – Founder of Retail Knowledge
Sarah Cork – Group Commercial Director at Lodge UK and International Service
Scott Taylor, CPP – Managing Director at Praesidium Risk and Resilience

A video and summary of this session is available here: https://www.theospas.com/2021/08/06/what-is-meant-by-profit-protection-and-is-anyone-really-doing-it/

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In a previous Thought Leadership webinar we considered the protection of the national infrastructure from a physical security point of view, here we consider it from the viewpoint of cyber. Clearly, attacks take different forms, and there have been some high profile examples, such as the ransomware attack on healthcare, EMA (European Medicines Agency), the recent Colonial Pipeline Co incidents to name but two. But what is the response looking like? Criminologists have discussed an on-going war between attackers and defenders with each one improving in response to the marginal gains of the other. So who leads in this important area now? What is the current balance between a predominantly preventive approach and a more adaptive and predictive security that we understand is increasingly important for building (operational) resilience? What are the implications of current developments for the wider security sector? This webinar will discuss:

What are the main cyber threats being faced by the critical infrastructure?
What are the key trends in preventing attacks and pursing offenders?
What are the implications and learning points for the wider security sector and recommendation for going forward?

Panellists:
Monica Verma – CISO, Speaker, Podcast Host & Producer for We Talk Cyber, and Award Winning Security Advisor
Sarah Armstrong-Smith – Chief Security Advisor at Microsoft, Non-Executive Director and Keynote Speaker
Greg van der Gaast – CISO, International Speaker and Author of “Rethinking InfoSec”

A video and summary of this session is available here: https://www.theospas.com/2021/07/30/the-ciso-perspective-on-protecting-the-critical-infrastructure-against-increasing-cyber-attacks/

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The 24th July is national security officer day chosen as it is the 24th day of the 7 month, and security officers work 24/7. We have heard on previous Thought Leadership webinars of the enormous amount of work and progress that has been made in improving the working conditions and the image of the frontline worker. But what are the next big steps? How can the current shortcomings be addressed? Is ir down to more or better regulation? How can the industry respond better? What will persuade buyers to make better choices? To what extent is it a reality that the work of security officers will be dragged down by its worst performers and if this is to remain an issue how can’t be addressed? This webinar will:

Discuss the current state of the security officer’s role
Evaluate the next steps in progress that need to be made and how that can be done?
Examine the barriers to progress and how they might be managed

Panellists:
Jason Brown – National Security Director at Thales and Chairman of the Board at Security Professionals Australasia
Chris Hertig – College Professor at York College of Pennsylvania (Ret.) (US)
Qaisar Gandapur – CEO at Ghouri Security Guards (Pvt) Limited (Pakistan)
Jody Reid – Security Manager at The BOW (Canada)

A video and summary of this session is available here: https://www.theospas.com/2021/07/23/celebrating-the-role-of-the-security-officer-what-next/

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It is always a risk that a company will become a victim of a ransomware attack, and the consequences can be severe. What should victims do: lose business and not give in or a go for a quick fix by succumbing to the demands of offenders? Law enforcement generally advises against payment, business owners often prioritise the pecuniary imperative. But what are the principles that should govern decision making here? Should companies consider only their shareholders to the exclusion of their community, nation, or industry? What are the real consequences of paying or not paying? How should you pay? Can attackers be relied upon to fulfil their part of the bargain? Will paying render a victim an easy target? What happens in the real world? This webinar will discuss:

- What are the trends in offending and victimisation?
- When should you pay and when not?
- What are the best prevention/mitigation methods?

Guest Chair:
Michael Gips – Principal at Global Insights in Professional Security (US)

Panellists:
Luca Tenzi – International Security Consultant, Blusec SA (Switzerland)
Stevan Bernard – Senior Advisor, International SOS and former CSO at Sony Pictures (USA)
Terry Cutler – Founder of Cyology Labs and Internet Safety University (Canada)

A video and summary of this session is available here: https://www.theospas.com/2021/07/16/ransomware-who-is-being-targeted-and-should-you-pay-the-ransom/

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This session is sponsored by Altia https://www.altiaintel.com/

We tend to think of fraud as an offence committed because an opportunity presents itself and that some individuals will take advantage of these situations because they are motivated by greed. Whereas, increasingly we are witnessing more organised and sophisticated fraudulent attacks against organisations, many of which involve considerable planning. In order to ensure that our controls are sufficient enough to mitigate against these risks, we need to be able to identify the relevant warning signs, or ‘red flags’ that alert us to potential fraudulent activity. But in an ever advancing and changing world, are we currently reviewing the correct areas? And to what extent do advances in technology – such as machine learning – offer real opportunities for improvement? This webinar will:

Discuss the main motivations offenders have for committing fraud
Examine new and emerging trends
Consider how we can better identify fraud ‘red flags’ including via new technologies

Chair: Dr. Janice Goldstraw-White

Panellists:
Gareth Cottrell – Fraud Services Manager – Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust
Liz Sandwith – Chief Professional Practices Adviser – Chartered Institute of Internal Auditors
Capt Mayank Singh –  Global Security and Investigations- India & APJ

A video and summary of this session is available here: https://www.theospas.com/2021/07/08/is-fraud-purely-an-opportunistic-crime/

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The world has experienced a change, one that has impacted on the personal and professional lives of nearly all people. Security personnel have been at the forefront, either losing their job as some industries stopped functioning (e.g. airports and hospitality), or adjusting to the new demands and pressures incumbent on all frontline workers. So how has this impacted in Nigeria? What changes have been made and crucially what are the implications moving forward? Are we likely to see a new type of security emerging? If so how and why? This webinar will discuss:

- The aspects of the security sector in Nigeria that have undergone change
- The barriers to developing and managing a better security
- The opportunities for Nigerian security

Panellists:
Kabir Adamu, MSyI –  ASIS International Abuja Chapter
Hon. Dauda Ageni  – Nigerian Institute For Industrial Security
Buduka Julia Johnson – Association of Licensed Private Security Practitioners of Nigeria

Following the Thought Leadership panel discussion, winners of the Nigeria OSPAs are announced virtually in collaboration with Securex West Africa

A video and summary of this session is available here: https://www.theospas.com/2021/07/01/nigeria-ospas-and-thought-leadership-webinar/

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The pandemic has had a dramatic impact on people’s daily routines, it has disrupted business and personal operations globally. But what has been happening to crime rates has received scant attention, at least in public discourse. What we do know is that offenders are good innovators, that they are adept at exploiting new opportunities when current ones are blocked. So how have they adapted and what does this mean for crime prevention? To assess these implications this webinar will focus on what the data tell us and how the trends should be interpreted. This webinar will:

Discuss current crime trends and the ways these have been changed by the pandemic
Examine the implications for crime prevention and security
Evaluate the likely longer terms crime patterns as we move to a post pandemic world

Panellists:
Greg Breetzke – Professor at University of Pretoria (South Africa)
Nick Tilley – Professor at UCL (UK)
Andy Newton – Professor at Nottingham Trent University (UK)

A video and summary of this session is available here: https://www.theospas.com/2021/06/30/the-pandemic-and-crime-rates-insights-from-criminologists/

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