Brig Naseem Akhtar Khan (R)
A wide range of security threats, may these be military or any other type of non-military, need to be evaluated and understood in their correct perspective to ensure the security in various regions of the world. In the globalised setting, the challenge of maintaining security is no longer limited to the traditional foreign policy and military might of any state, but also on social, economic, environmental and health issues. With its ever-expanding scope, the security is becoming increasingly commercialized, technologized, and globalized. The collective effect of these transformations is evolution of more insecurity. In an era of globalization, threats to health represent a more prominent insecurity than ever. Linking security with health suggests that health can be prioritized along the same level as defence and military needs are prioritized in the concept of state security. Health security highlights the inter-relationship between the concepts of human security and national security depending on the scale of the disease, the urgency for action and the depth and extent of its impact on society. The prevailing threat from Coronavirus pandemic has posed a formidable risk to health security all over the world with a wide range of negative social, economic and political consequences. It, therefore, requires a global approach to security as capacity failure in any state can place any other state or society in peril.
Generally, the responsibility of planning and fight back against Coronavirus lies with state machinery, businesses and communities by putting safety over status-quo operations. While the state security agencies operate as per the planning and direction of the government, the private security industry in this case is placed in a unique position ie to ensure safety and security of their workforce vis-a-vis upholding the duties laid down in their contractual obligations. The situation requires us to be mindful of the intricacies of the current crisis and be vigilant in our response during our daily operations, implementing suitable strategy, tactics, and protocols. Maintaining reliable security services and wellbeing of our clients and community needs, remains our foremost professional obligation. Under the prevailing situation, the private security industry has excessively a big role to play and play it well. With nature of expertise they possess, their access to the reliable sources of information, both in public & private sectors, reliable and efficient communication system and high-end technical resources at their disposal, the security leadership is placed under dual obligations. At one hand, they have the responsibility of navigating their own companies through the crisis and on the other, they also have an obligation to help their clients in protecting business interruptions and contribute to an overall nationwide effort in coping with this extra-ordinary situation.
Coronavirus pandemic is equally affecting business community as well as security management. Security protocols and policy management procedures need to be tailored to help mitigate the spread of Coronavirus and its consequences within our organisations, ensuring the safety and welfare of the workforce and fulfilment of contractual obligation. Supplementing the sources of information, reliable communication and technical support of the clients and the government functionaries, can greatly help these stakeholders in sailing through these crises. This is a time for security and business community professionals to demonstrate on value and the critical nature of our work. To face significant challenges, we must remain flexible and creative. As we seek to find solutions to problems, we also need to continue to be a calming force. ESRM (Enterprise Security Risk Management) in our security programmes can provide operational intelligence, and situational awareness to help navigate through the pandemic. It provides a mechanism to assess the organisation’s needs, understand their key processes and interaction points with security operations. While doing so, security professionals can review risks and understand the level of their impact to provide timely intelligence to the functional stakeholders. In taking on the role of an intelligence gathering and risk assessment entity, security professionals can proactively provide impact analysis to the organisations to take critical business decisions.
To ensure continuity in smooth provision of our services, the security managements will have to ensure enhanced monitoring and tracking of their security operations, availability of a pool of well-trained security staff on hand and managers/supervisors constantly monitoring the situation. Depending on the site situation/clients request, remote supervision will ensure minimising the risk to the security staff. Following the correct communication protocols between various tiers of command within and with the clients will be essential for clear and unambiguous briefing/debriefing on pandemic updates, client’s requirements and conduct of security operations. Additional training on pandemic will be required to include current events and their impact on performance of the security staff, their duties, threats, and risks. While, workers cope with external stressors, executives must ensure keeping the company’s bottom line intact, security and culture moving as closely to normal as possible and focus at health and safety of employees, delivering on promises to the customers and protecting the businesses. Under the prevailing situation, anxieties and fears are magnified for employees causing an exceedingly high emotional intensity. Leadership must establish a new normal between work and their personal lives through regular communication, sharing health care updates and re-assurance on success/status of businesses. Teams need to feel connected, well equipped with relevant information and being looked after.
— The writer is Security Management Professional.
