Security magazine’s 11th annual Security 500 conference, held on November 13 in Arlington, VA, featured high-level speakers, including Dr. Park Dietz, whose keynote address discussed Pathways to Extremist Violence. In his view, the necessary and sufficient conditions for people to commit extremist crimes are extremist belief systems, justifications for violence, imagined rewards, constricted views of alternative courses of action and opportunity. He illustrated this view with examples drawn from his evaluations of high-profile offenders.

Two panels discussed global risk management, including the first afternoon panel with subject matter experts who debated radicalization and extremism and its impact on enterprises around the world. A second panel discussion centered around what CSOs and CEOs should be thinking about relative to emerging risks and threats to their enterprise.

Mike Mason, Senior Vice President, CSO for Verizon Communications, encouraged attendees to refocus their attention on the importance of personal relationships and how they still reign supreme. Mason highlighted how relationship-building and leadership in action can address issues of low morale and low productivity.

Special thanks to our Security 500 conference sponsors: Allied Universal, Assa Abloy, iJet, G4S, Arecont Vision, Aronson Security Group, Dataminr, Hanwha Techwin, ISC, Johnson Controls, SIA, Whelan Security, CNL and Hikvision.

Stay tuned for details on the 2018 Security 500 West conference to be held in May 2018.