Protection Never Rests: The Deaths of the Iranian President and Foreign Minister
Hear from Fred Burton, Ontic’s Executive Director of Protective Intelligence and former special agent, on his experience with aircraft disaster investigations. The May 19, 2024 crash of a Bell helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Amir Abdollahian appears to have been a tragic accident. When the crash occurred, Raisi was returning to…
Read MoreFred Burton’s 2024 Summer Reading List
Protectors read books, while travelling, in airports, follow-cars, hotel rooms, or during down time in GSOCs. We especially love a good thriller in our industry, along with thought provoking non-fiction. With that in mind, here are a few perfect summer reads, combined with books that have been turned into television and streaming. Nuclear War: A…
Read MoreOur New “Days of Rage” Protest Activity and Considerations for Corporate Security
3 Takeaways Relentless Risk The world seems to be on fire, fueled by the Hamas attack on Israel and the subsequent Israeli Defense Force (IDF) invasion of Gaza. As a result, protests have taken off like wildfire across many college campuses. As the New York Times reports, “In many students’ eyes, the war in Gaza…
Read MoreInsider Risk: Don’t Ignore the Community Context
When looking to mitigate insider risks, security leaders have to remember the potential causes. This article was originally featured in Security Magazine Just a few months ago, many security professionals confessed concern about a potential economic downturn and how that would impact the security environment around them. Some were troubled about possible layoffs at their company, and…
Read MoreFollowing California’s New Workplace Violence Laws Is Good for All Businesses
Workplace violence prevention rules will go into effect in California this summer, and Dr. Marisa Randazzo recommends companies across the country — not just those in the Golden State — consider incorporating the policies. This article was originally featured in Corporate Compliance Insights This year, California will become the first state to require most employers to implement…
Read MoreImplications of AI for Corporate Security
On February 29, I was honored to serve as the moderator for a panel on “The Rise of AI and its Impact on Corporate Security” at the 2024 Ontic Summit. The panel not only provided me with a reason to focus my own thoughts on the topic, but to also learn from the insights of the…
Read MoreStreamlining Security Operations Amidst Geopolitical Turmoil
While we’re unsure of the full repercussions global events will have on multinational corporations, there are ways security teams can better predict, assess, and prepare for potential threats. When geostrategic crises erupt, the risks to multinational corporations can be complex andunpredictable. While geopolitical conflict undoubtedly has had major repercussions on theglobal economy that will trickle…
Read More5 Strategies to Prepare Organizations for Presidential Election Disruption
The countdown to the US presidential election is well underway, and concerns about election-related violence and disruption are on the rise. For the first time ever, the Council on Foreign Relations’ Preventive Priorities Survey has identified a domestic threat – the growing risk of political violence around the U.S. – rather than an international conflict…
Read MoreA New Breed Of Security Leadership: How the Digital Age Is Transforming the Security Professional
This article was originally featured in Security Informed The importance of data is ever-growing. For every profession, we’re witnessing the increasing reliance on data and its ability to promote efficiency for corporate decision-makers. The security industry is no different. The growing reliance on data and technological tools has allowed for a new breed of professionals…
Read MoreFred Burton’s 2023 Holiday Reading List
Take a look at Fred’s must-reads for the holiday season. I always enjoy thinking back over the last year, remembering the new books that I’ve enjoyed and learned from, but also the books I’ve read in the past that resurfaced in life and work this year. When putting together a book and film recommendation list,…
Read MoreThe New Information Landscape is Changing How Security Leaders Work
This article was originally featured in Security Magazine Imagine a scenario many security practitioners are familiar with: A bizarre post on an obscure social media account surfaces. It could be construed as a threat against a company executive. But it’s unclear. To further complicate the situation, a different executive at the organization has recently been under public…
Read MoreSecurity Industry Forecasts for 2024 and Beyond
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Read MoreThe Complete Collection on Protective Intelligence
Looking for What You Don’t Know — An Inside Look into Security Details for Presidential Candidates
With a presidential election around the corner, many wonder what level of Secret Service protection is provided to hopeful candidates, when it is an option to receive, and what resources are used. After serving as a senior supervisor on the Secret Service Presidential Protective Division during her 26 year career with the U.S. Secret Service,…
Read MoreConnected Intelligence: A New Approach to Managing Risk and Enabling Decision-Makers
Ensuring the safety of people and organizations is dynamic, asymmetric, and complex. A sense of permacrisis has driven a need for those tasked with managing risks to constantly perceive imperatives amongst the unyielding view of threat, risk, and problematic issues. Ontic championed the cause of Protective Intelligence and its concepts for collecting and providing information…
Read MoreOrganized Retail Crime in Focus
Fighting ORC is possible, but without a holistic view and fully resourced corporate security teams and law enforcement partners, it can be an uphill battle. This article was originally featured in Security Magazine We’ve become all too familiar with the social media videos capturing a shoplifter running out of the store with a haul of…
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