From implementing effective emergency preparedness to navigating today’s cyber landscape, the role of the enterprise security leader requires a continual education to be apprised of best practices and ensure program success from the top down. In addition to networking, leaders in the security industry can benefit from lessons learned by their peers in a variety of sectors and the security field as whole.

In Security magazine’s monthly Solutions by Sector live webinar series, an editorial initiative highlighting enterprise security best practices across a number of industries each year, including K-12, manufacturing, IT, healthcare, retail and more, security executives share critical leadership and tactical insights. While each event is framed around a particular sector, the security leaders who present these webinars provide advice that hit across the profession.

Workplace violence prevention

In this webinar, Kristen Devitt, a social worker, educator, and former law enforcement officer with 25 years of experience in Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management, shared insights on the critical intersection of workplace violence prevention and intimate partner violence. Devitt discussed the dynamics of intimate partner violence and the impacts it can have on the workplace. Viewers will learn proactive strategies to create a resilient and supportive workplace culture while addressing the complex dynamics of interpersonal relationships.

“When we're thinking about targeted violence, it's important to understand the dynamics and how our interventions or our interaction with the people who are involved, either the target or the person of concern, can change the outcomes of a specific situation,” Devitt says. “So when we're thinking about the process of threat assessment, trying to prevent someone to escalating to targeted violence or stop something that is reactive or happening in the moment, if the behavior indicates to us that we are escalating to targeted violence, more towards stalking behavior, more towards long -term harassment, more towards lethality, planned lethality, then that's when threat assessment is going to be helpful for us. When that assessment is done properly, we are not necessarily looking at specific impressions or assumptions about an attacker or a victim.”

Implementing effective emergency preparedness

In times of crisis, preparedness can be the difference between safety and chaos. In his webinar, Travis Forrester Director of Security and Emergency Management at Greenville County School District in South Carolina, discussed aspects of a comprehensive emergency preparedness plan, including training, drills, crisis communication and building relationships with outside agencies. From extreme weather situations to active shooter incidents, this webinar will provide insights into proactive measures for mitigating risks and cultivating a culture of safety in schools.

“What can we do as emergency management experts to prevent things from happening inside our buildings or schools that would possibly lead to a major event for us to have to activate our emergency response plan,” Forrester says.

Navigating the cyber landscape

With digital threats looming, understanding the role of cybersecurity in safeguarding your operations has never been more critical. In his webinar, Lester Godesy, Chief Information Security and Privacy Officer for Maricopa County, dove into the critical intersection of cybersecurity, reputational risk, and the battle against misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation within local governments and organizations large and small.

This webinar also explored lessons learned and the evolving threat landscape of cybersecurity within local governments and how these key challenges and tactics can develop an effective security strategy.

“Probably a more difficult question for a lot of us to answer is who in your organization is responsible for reputational risk,” Godsey says. “So that makes the assumption that your organization at least acknowledges that reputational risk is something to be cognizant of. And that is something that your organization needs to maintain that level of awareness about. This one in particular, especially with government agencies, is probably a lot more nebulous. I'm willing to go out on the limb and say that probably most government organizations, at least local government, don't have a department that's ultimately responsible for that.”

Building business resilience

In this webinar, Doug Alexander, Director of Security and Loss Prevention at Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, in Michigan shared his insights on security supporting business resilience through emergency response planning, incident response preparation, emergency preparedness and response, training and more. The Grand Hotel security team faces several unique challenges with Mackinac Island being a popular tourist destination with almost no motorized vehicles allowed on the island. Alexander discussed developing an Emergency Action Plan (EAP) from the ground up, devising a robust security strategy and guiding a versatile team that not only ensures security, but must also serve as first responders when challenging situations arise.

“What is emergency response planning? It's the process of planning and development, developing strategies and procedures to effectively respond to emergencies,” Alexander says. “The number one priority for us is to ensure the security and safety of our guests and staff for emergencies or during emergencies.”

The Solutions by Sector webinar series provides an opportunity for security professionals to learn leadership tactics and bring them back to their programs. Be sure to check out some past Solutions by Sector webinars on demand and register for future events here.