Security Magazine logo
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • NEWS
  • MANAGEMENT
  • PHYSICAL
  • CYBER
  • BLOG
  • COLUMNS
  • EXCLUSIVES
  • SECTORS
  • EVENTS
  • MEDIA
  • MORE
  • EMAG
  • SIGN UP!
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • NEWS
  • Security Newswire
  • Technologies & Solutions
  • MANAGEMENT
  • Leadership Management
  • Enterprise Services
  • Security Education & Training
  • Logical Security
  • Security & Business Resilience
  • Profiles in Excellence
  • PHYSICAL
  • Access Management
  • Fire & Life Safety
  • Identity Management
  • Physical Security
  • Video Surveillance
  • Case Studies (Physical)
  • CYBER
  • Cybersecurity News
  • More
  • COLUMNS
  • Cyber Tactics
  • Leadership & Management
  • Security Talk
  • Career Intelligence
  • Leader to Leader
  • Cybersecurity Education & Training
  • EXCLUSIVES
  • Annual Guarding Report
  • Most Influential People in Security
  • The Security Benchmark Report
  • Top Guard and Security Officer Companies
  • Top Cybersecurity Leaders
  • Women in Security
  • SECTORS
  • Arenas / Stadiums / Leagues / Entertainment
  • Banking/Finance/Insurance
  • Construction, Real Estate, Property Management
  • Education: K-12
  • Education: University
  • Government: Federal, State and Local
  • Hospitality & Casinos
  • Hospitals & Medical Centers
  • Infrastructure:Electric,Gas & Water
  • Ports: Sea, Land, & Air
  • Retail/Restaurants/Convenience
  • Transportation/Logistics/Supply Chain/Distribution/ Warehousing
  • EVENTS
  • Industry Events
  • Webinars
  • Solutions by Sector
  • Security 500 Conference
  • MEDIA
  • Videos
  • Podcasts
  • Polls
  • Photo Galleries
  • Videos
  • Cybersecurity & Geopolitical Discussion
  • Ask Me Anything (AMA) Series
  • MORE
  • Call for Entries
  • Classifieds & Job Listings
  • Continuing Education
  • Newsletter
  • Sponsor Insights
  • Store
  • White Papers
  • EMAG
  • eMagazine
  • This Month's Content
  • Advertise
Security Magazine logo
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Security Magazine logo
  • NEWS
    • Security Newswire
    • Technologies & Solutions
  • MANAGEMENT
    • Leadership Management
    • Enterprise Services
    • Security Education & Training
    • Logical Security
    • Security & Business Resilience
    • Profiles in Excellence
  • PHYSICAL
    • Access Management
    • Fire & Life Safety
    • Identity Management
    • Physical Security
    • Video Surveillance
    • Case Studies (Physical)
  • CYBER
    • Cybersecurity News
    • More
  • BLOG
  • COLUMNS
    • Cyber Tactics
    • Leadership & Management
    • Security Talk
    • Career Intelligence
    • Leader to Leader
    • Cybersecurity Education & Training
  • EXCLUSIVES
    • Annual Guarding Report
    • Most Influential People in Security
    • The Security Benchmark Report
    • Top Guard and Security Officer Companies
    • Top Cybersecurity Leaders
    • Women in Security
  • SECTORS
    • Arenas / Stadiums / Leagues / Entertainment
    • Banking/Finance/Insurance
    • Construction, Real Estate, Property Management
    • Education: K-12
    • Education: University
    • Government: Federal, State and Local
    • Hospitality & Casinos
    • Hospitals & Medical Centers
    • Infrastructure:Electric,Gas & Water
    • Ports: Sea, Land, & Air
    • Retail/Restaurants/Convenience
    • Transportation/Logistics/Supply Chain/Distribution/ Warehousing
  • EVENTS
    • Industry Events
    • Webinars
    • Solutions by Sector
    • Security 500 Conference
  • MEDIA
    • Videos
      • Cybersecurity & Geopolitical Discussion
      • Ask Me Anything (AMA) Series
    • Podcasts
    • Polls
    • Photo Galleries
  • MORE
    • Call for Entries
    • Classifieds & Job Listings
    • Continuing Education
    • Newsletter
    • Sponsor Insights
    • Store
    • White Papers
  • EMAG
    • eMagazine
    • This Month's Content
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP!
ColumnsManagementSecurity Leadership and ManagementSecurity & Business Resilience

How to Avoid Intelligence Program Pitfalls

By Daniil Davydoff
leadership-enews2
January 4, 2019

The surge in demand for intelligence programs and intelligence-oriented global security operations centers (GSOCs) and virtual security operations centers (VSOCs) has not emerged out of thin air. In fact, it has been driven by changing corporate security concerns, which themselves have been shaped by the fears of corporate leaders. Between 2017 and 2018, for example, PwC’s Annual CEO survey saw geopolitical uncertainty move from being the fifth most critical concern to being the third. And terrorism, typically a threat that is firmly within the physical security realm, has now become the number two fear of CEOs. It is logical, therefore, that initiatives which seek to monitor for, manage, or even predict such risks have become a priority for global enterprises. Unfortunately, with the rush can come many stumbles.

A poorly designed intelligence program can be inefficient, ineffective, or in business terms, a waste of money. What is worse, the complacency that comes from just having a program can be coupled with liability. In 2018, a court upheld a $41.7 million-dollar verdict that ruled against a school system which did not warn students traveling to China about encephalitis. Could travel risk analysis have prevented such a lawsuit? Maybe, but only if it was designed appropriately. There are many pathways toward creating a successful intelligence team, but it is important to also understand a few potential pitfalls:

  • The Wrong Priorities – Many security leaders have noted that intelligence team responsibilities should be clearly outlined to avoid overreach. From an intelligence practitioner’s point of view, though, the greatest difficulty can be even more fundamental – prioritizing speed, accuracy, or depth of analysis. A large team with several layers of analysts can perform on any requirements, but small teams need clear triage directives. One or two analysts cannot always do it all
  • The Wrong Location(s) – There are many world-class GSOCs and VSOCs, but also ones that are hampered by a chosen geographic distribution. Some centralized GSOCs are effective as publicity tools for security leadership but are strained by global 24/7 requirements and plagued by retention problems. VSOCs, on the other hand, can run the risk of being local for the sake of local, with no value-add to the intelligence and, instead, a host of setbacks resulting from scattered personnel
  • The Wrong Technology – No best-in-class intelligence program can operate without technology that acts as a force multiplier on risk monitoring, investigations, visualization or information management. But getting the wrong technology is easier than getting the right technology. A sprinkling of the problems that come up: a system does not save the team time; a system worked better in the demo than in practice; a system is too costly to justify; a system is too artificially intelligent for its own good; a system’s capabilities can be matched by the judicious use of free platforms or standard Microsoft Office products.
  • The Wrong People – People are an intelligence team’s most important asset and an easy one to get wrong, especially if selection of personnel is tied to a security executive’s or hiring manager’s bias in favor of their own background. Individuals with intelligence community, military or law enforcement experiences are sometimes outmatched as analysts by graduate students with a zeal for connecting geopolitics to business. Conversely, no amount of enthusiasm or abstract knowledge can sometimes make up for the deep networks and location-specific familiarity that experienced professionals bring to the table. Some intelligence programs need one or the other, and some need both.

The good news about these issues and others is that they can be avoided. Three strategies come to mind.

First, security leaders who seek to develop intelligence capabilities should do their best to avoid the rush and take their time. To be sure, attaining analytical capacity is often urgent and “needed yesterday.” In those cases, security teams would do well to externalize their intelligence needs to third-party providers while thinking through their own requirements. This may be costlier but will usually turn out better than cobbling together a Frankenstein program on the spot.

Second, benchmarking is essential because the best way to learn from mistakes is to let others make them for you. If you don’t have intelligence directors or managers in your Outlook, find them and contact them on LinkedIn.

Lastly, a consultant who can help the security team conceptualize and implement the program is also strongly worth considering. An intelligence program is not a product, a person, or a platform – it is an ecosystem that may need an expert architect.

KEYWORDS: Global Security Operations Center (GSOC) intelligence sharing international security security intelligence security risk assessment

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Dan davydoff   pic1

Daniil Davydoff, CPP, is Director, Research Management and Operations at Eurasia Group and director of social media for the World Affairs Council of Palm Beach. He has been published by ASIS International/Security Management, Risk Management Magazine, The National Interest, The Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs, Foreign Policy and RealClearWorld, among other outlets. His views do not reflect those of his company.

Daniil Davydoff can be contacted on LinkedIn or at davydoff@eurasiagroup.net

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
To unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • Security's Top Cybersecurity Leaders 2024

    Security's Top Cybersecurity Leaders 2024

    Security magazine's Top Cybersecurity Leaders 2024 award...
    Top Cybersecurity Leaders
    By: Security Staff
  • cyber brain

    The intersection of cybersecurity and artificial intelligence

    Artificial intelligence (AI) is a valuable cybersecurity...
    Logical Security
    By: Pam Nigro
  • artificial intelligence AI graphic

    Assessing the pros and cons of AI for cybersecurity

    Artificial intelligence (AI) has significant implications...
    Cybersecurity
    By: Charles Denyer
Manage My Account
  • Security eNewsletter & Other eNews Alerts
  • eMagazine Subscriptions
  • Manage My Preferences
  • Online Registration
  • Mobile App
  • Subscription Customer Service

Security’s Top 5 – 2024 Year in Review

Security’s Top 5 – 2024 Year in Review

The Money Laundering Machine: Inside the global crime epidemic - Episode 24

The Money Laundering Machine: Inside the global crime epidemic - Episode 24

Middle East Escalation, Humanitarian Law and Disinformation – Episode 25

Middle East Escalation, Humanitarian Law and Disinformation – Episode 25

More Videos

Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content is a special paid section where industry companies provide high quality, objective, non-commercial content around topics of interest to the Security audience. All Sponsored Content is supplied by the advertising company and any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily reflect the views of Security or its parent company, BNP Media. Interested in participating in our Sponsored Content section? Contact your local rep!

close
  • Sureview screen
    Sponsored bySureView Systems

    The Evolution of Automation in the Command Center

  • Crisis Response Team
    Sponsored byEverbridge

    Automate or Fall Behind – Crisis Response at the Speed of Risk

  • Perimeter security
    Sponsored byAMAROK

    Why Property Security is the New Competitive Advantage

Popular Stories

Security’s 2025 Women in Security

Security’s 2025 Women in Security

Verizon on phone screen

61M Records Listed for Sale Online, Allegedly Belong to Verizon

blurry multicolored text on black screen

PowerSchool Education Technology Company Announces Data Breach

Half closed laptop

Sudo Vulnerability Discovered, May Exposes Linux Systems

Person holding cellphone

Millions of Android, iPhone Users Could Be Sending Data to China

Events

August 7, 2025

Threats to the Energy Sector: Implications for Corporate and National Security

The energy sector has found itself in the crosshairs of virtually every bad actor on the global stage.

August 27, 2025

Risk Mitigation as a Competitive Edge

In today’s volatile environment, a robust risk management strategy isn’t just a requirement—it’s a foundation for organizational resilience. From cyber threats to climate disruptions, the ability to anticipate, withstand, and adapt to disruption is becoming a hallmark of industry leaders.

View All Submit An Event

Products

Security Culture: A How-to Guide for Improving Security Culture and Dealing with People Risk in Your Organisation

Security Culture: A How-to Guide for Improving Security Culture and Dealing with People Risk in Your Organisation

See More Products

Related Articles

  • Leadership

    How to Balance Supply and Demand within Corporate Intelligence Programs

    See More
  • SEC0718-edu-feat-slide1_900px

    How Intelligence Analysis Can Drive Corporate ROI

    See More
  • leadership 2

    Bringing Different Backgrounds to Your Intelligence Team

    See More

Related Products

See More Products
  • school security.jpg

    School Security: How to Build and Strengthen a School Safety Program

  • A Leaders Guide Book Cover_Nicholson_29Sept2023.jpg

    A Leader’s Guide to Evaluating an Executive Protection Program

  • security culture.webp

    Security Culture: A How-to Guide for Improving Security Culture and Dealing with People Risk in Your Organisation

See More Products

Events

View AllSubmit An Event
  • October 17, 2024

    How to Assess and Hone Your Security Program

    ON DEMAND: In this webinar, Erik Antons, a security risk management executive with more than 20 years of working in the Federal Government, energy, hospitality, and manufacturing sectors, shares his perspective on the building blocks of a successful manufacturing security program.
View AllSubmit An Event
×

Sign-up to receive top management & result-driven techniques in the industry.

Join over 20,000+ industry leaders who receive our premium content.

SIGN UP TODAY!
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Store
    • Want More
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eMagazine
    • eNewsletter
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing

Security Magazine logo
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Security Magazine logo
  • NEWS
    • Security Newswire
    • Technologies & Solutions
  • MANAGEMENT
    • Leadership Management
    • Enterprise Services
    • Security Education & Training
    • Logical Security
    • Security & Business Resilience
    • Profiles in Excellence
  • PHYSICAL
    • Access Management
    • Fire & Life Safety
    • Identity Management
    • Physical Security
    • Video Surveillance
    • Case Studies (Physical)
  • CYBER
    • Cybersecurity News
    • More
  • BLOG
  • COLUMNS
    • Cyber Tactics
    • Leadership & Management
    • Security Talk
    • Career Intelligence
    • Leader to Leader
    • Cybersecurity Education & Training
  • EXCLUSIVES
    • Annual Guarding Report
    • Most Influential People in Security
    • The Security Benchmark Report
    • Top Guard and Security Officer Companies
    • Top Cybersecurity Leaders
    • Women in Security
  • SECTORS
    • Arenas / Stadiums / Leagues / Entertainment
    • Banking/Finance/Insurance
    • Construction, Real Estate, Property Management
    • Education: K-12
    • Education: University
    • Government: Federal, State and Local
    • Hospitality & Casinos
    • Hospitals & Medical Centers
    • Infrastructure:Electric,Gas & Water
    • Ports: Sea, Land, & Air
    • Retail/Restaurants/Convenience
    • Transportation/Logistics/Supply Chain/Distribution/ Warehousing
  • EVENTS
    • Industry Events
    • Webinars
    • Solutions by Sector
    • Security 500 Conference
  • MEDIA
    • Videos
      • Cybersecurity & Geopolitical Discussion
      • Ask Me Anything (AMA) Series
    • Podcasts
    • Polls
    • Photo Galleries
  • MORE
    • Call for Entries
    • Classifieds & Job Listings
    • Continuing Education
    • Newsletter
    • Sponsor Insights
    • Store
    • White Papers
  • EMAG
    • eMagazine
    • This Month's Content
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP!