In government parlance, Boom is the detonation of an explosive device, initially used in speaking of a nuclear bomb. Those steeped in disaster preparedness and response now speak in terms of “left of boom” and “right of boom.” Left of boom is the planning and preparation that goes into ensuring that a device never detonates and right of boom deals with responding to a disaster, generally the man-made type. Much of what organizations do is to address left of boom.

Smaller retail and franchisee owners are among the busiest people I know. When there’s a problem, it’s usually up to them to find a solution, whether that’s troubleshooting an IT issue or dealing with staffing challenges. Add to that the fact that many owners operate multiple locations and it’s easy to understand why they are typically cautious about adopting new technologies. If the tech isn’t easy to use, or can’t demonstrate immediate and measurable benefits, realistically it’s only going to add to the ‘to do’ list.

The number of women landing leading roles in the workforce has increased significantly over the last several years, requiring them to travel more frequently and boost productivity while doing so. Nearly half of today’s business travelers are female, and although this number grows year after year, employers continue to struggle with providing females with the proper tools and information needed to help ensure their safety while traveling for business.

If there is anything the security industry has learned over the past few years, it’s that this industry is not static. There are constant changes in technology and threats which can range from worrying about a possible break-in to employee theft or protecting a facility, its assets and employees. Security professionals are having to stay up to date with the latest and greatest security system technologies and adapt existing solutions quickly in order to keep their assets and information safe.

Corporate culture has been the source of vigorous discussion and debate in leadership circles for decades. Despite the persistence of this discourse, we continue to struggle with a working definition of “corporate culture.” A recent article in Harvard Business Review offered that “cultural norms define what is encouraged, discouraged, accepted, or rejected within a group.” How might the cultural norms in an organization encourage an environment ripe for workplace violence?

CISO roles – both full-time and fractional – are on the rise. Their skills can help a growing organization enhance its security program, keep it on track, and guide in times of crisis and change. However, finding the right CISO can be tricky business, especially if this role is new to your organization. Here are the skills to look for when hiring your CISO.

The WannaCry ransomware attack that successfully targeted Merck is not the only cyberattack to which the pharmaceutical industry has fallen victim. As pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies move toward greater digitalization and the storage of more valuable data, their digital security practices become more and more critical.

The New Year brings the possibility of a fresh start, new ideas and goals, and hope for a better tomorrow. And never before has a year started out with such a large focus on how the future can be improved through the promise of technology.

The days of a security officer spending their shift watching a few rows of grainy video footage are long gone. Operators today are being asked to actively monitor events from hundreds of video cameras, while also overseeing countless alarms from other devices such as door readers, intrusion panels, perimeter detection sensors, building automation controls and more.