The Watermark Institute is holding its first Security Leadership seminar in September.

This one-day session brings together senior experts in the security industry to share new concepts, best practices, and emerging trends highlighting effective strategies for reducing the cost of security without sacrificing effectiveness. For more details click here or visit us at www.watermarkinstitute.com/seminars.

Keynote speech by The Honorable Tom Ridge
Creating Enterprise Value: The Net Gain of Security in a Risk-Based World

Memorial Day, previously called Decoration Day, is the day that we remember those who have died in service of our great nation. For all those who protect America and have died for her, “thank you” just seems to not be good enough. As you enjoy your holiday please take a moment to reflect on what the day truly means. To help, read the word of Major Zimbiec, USMC. Hero.

The Lion of Fallujah

Be a man of principle.

Fight for what you believe in.

Keep your word.

Live with integrity.

Be brave.

Believe in something bigger than yourself.

Serve your country.

Teach.

Mentor.

Give something back to society.

Lead from the front.

Conquer your fears.

Be a good friend.

Be humble and be self-confident.

Appreciate your friends and family.

Be a leader and not a follower.

Be valorous on the field of battle.

And take responsibility for your actions.

Maj. Douglas A. Zembiec, USMC, killed outside Baghdad, May 2007

Today The Watermark Institute announced the first lecture in a continuing lecture series sponsored by the Institute. “Reciprocal Net Assessment” will be presented by Dr. Mark Mateski.

Dr. Mateski is the president of Alternative Analysis, LLC. He also runs Red Team Journal and teaches systems engineering and analysis for The George Washington University. As both an analyst and a manager at a number of defense and security organizations, Mark has directed wargames, conferences, studies, and assessments covering a range of topics. He has been a thought leader in red teaming for well over a decade, having founded Red Team Journal in 1997. Additional areas of specialty include systems analysis, deception and counterdeception, and wargaming.

Good decisions aren’t always easy, especially when your rival seeks to mislead you. Your rival, of course, faces the same challenge. Traditional analysis techniques tend to adopt one view or the other, leaving the reciprocal interactions inherent in conflict unexamined or, at best, examined only by accident or intuition.

Reciprocal net assessment (RNA) is a diagrammatic method designed specifically to address this challenge. RNA encourages you, the analyst or decision maker, to consider the perceptual aspects of conflict explicitly and systematically. By varying aspects of perception and misperception using RNA, you can generate critical scenarios your intuition may ignore. These scenarios may, in turn, help you avoid common decision pitfalls and better understand patterns of deception.

When asked why the Institute was starting a lecture series, Matt Branigan, the President of Watermark Risk Management International, LLC said “We are fortunate to be a member of a great network in a dynamic and important field – critical infrastructure protection and risk management. Through our association with members at the top of their profession, like Dr. Mateski, we’re able to offer a series of lectures with new and exciting perspectives and different approaches to addressing the challenges of security, resiliency, efficiency and effectiveness. Some of our lectures will introduce new systems or technologies, some will teach new methods of problem solving, and some will simply serve to continue the debate necessary to ultimately solve some of our most pressing problems.”

The lecture series will be free, but will be limited to invitation only. “We’re limiting the number of participants so the lectures will be small enough to ensure interaction among the group”, Matt Branigan related. “We want to challenge conventional thinking – and even challenge the lecturers when appropriate. Our goal is to stimulate discussion and analysis – develop interest and momentum and provide a forum for progress. Dr. Mateski has developed a novel approach and a new decision support approach, and is the perfect example of the type of thought leadership we will bring via this lecture series.”

Invitations will be provided to leaders in government, industry, and academia. Each lecture will be followed by a networking reception. For more information on the program, visit the institute’s website at www.watermarkinstitute.com/seminars, or contact Josh Schubring, the Director of the Watermark Institute, at josh.schubring@wrmi-llc.com .

The Watermark Institute, a division of Watermark Risk Management International, LLC, a service disabled veteran owned small business which provides security training and thought leadership to risk management professionals who help government, public, and private clients address their life safety, operations continuity and security business strategies.

Learn more at www.watermarkinstitute.com or www.wrmi-llc.com.

Starbucks has announced that it will allows customers at its stores to openly carry firearms where it is legal to do so. Keep in mind that often there is no training requirement to carry openly. According to the Marketwatch, there are 43 states that allow open carry. Politics aside, is this sound security practice? Has Starbucks inadvertently made itself a target for gun aficionados to congregate?

As security practitioners we tend to frown on environments where there are more guns. More guns means there is a greater likelihood for bad things to happen. Even the greatest handlers of weapons have accidents. As an example, just a few days ago an Atlantic City officer accidentally fatally shot himself. I am sure we have all seen the DEA agent who shot himself in front of a classroom full of kids. These are trained professionals and they made serious mistakes. Now Starbucks is basically allowing anyone who is legally allowed to own a gun to carry it in its stores.

Let’s not forget that there is a history of bad things happening with guns in coffee shops. Does anyone remember the four police officers killed in Lakewood? Maybe Starbucks has forgotten that it lost three of its own employees to gunfire in Georgetown. Sure, these are examples of people breaking the law but it seems Starbucks has a short and insensitive memory.

From a liability perspective does this make sense? Accidents happen, we know that. But what happens if a Starbucks is robbed and there are armed citizens in the store? What if they all start shooting?

Peet’s, my favorite coffee chain, and California Pizza Kitchen have already said they will deny entry to those people openly carrying arms who are not law enforcement.

Go easy,

Josh

Last week, at the invitation of the U.S. Department of Justice, Bruce Hulme, ISPLA Government Affairs Director and I participated in the National Symposium on Criminal Defense in Washington, D.C. The symposium was organized to correct deficiencies presently existing in the legal representation of the indigent, which has been documented by the American Bar Association and others to be “a system that lacks fundamental fairness and places poor persons at constant risk of wrongful convictions.”

More than 45 years have passed since the Gideon decision of the U.S. Supreme Court and decades since it extended to juveniles the right to counsel. The symposium had some 140 presenters and more than 800 attendees, who took part in five plenary sessions and 37 workshops. The event provided an overview of the advances and setbacks in implementing the Sixth Amendment right to counsel in America over the past decade. An effort was made to find solutions to the current crisis in indigent defense through litigation and legislation. A disparate group of concerned individuals and organizations gathered to present their views–judges, prosecutors, public defenders, defense attorneys, law school academics, forensic organizations, policy and advocacy groups, and ISPLA, representing investigative professionals. Panelists expressed concerns with areas of criminal defense, particularly those affecting the indigent and wrongly accused.

On behalf of investigators everywhere, ISPLA welcomed the opportunity to provide input to many of the participants present, calling attention to the important role played by investigators as an integral part of the criminal justice system.

Both Bruce and I agreed to work with our legislators, prosecutors, judges and public defenders to ensure that investigators have a voice in this fight. Interestingly enough, even the turnaround time that it takes to get investigators paid was discussed.

The US Attorney General, Eric Holder, addressed the attendees and asked that everyone play a role in advancing the cause for justice. AG Holder speech can be found at http://bit.ly/d5rLGu .
The mission of ISPLA is to monitor and identify critical legislative and regulatory issues in order to provide a forum for debate and discussion within the investigative and security professions and to serve as an advocate for these professions.

The full press release can be viewed at http://bit.ly/cyewKu .

If you are interested in learning more about this process feel free to give me a call 703 528 5882.

I am speaking at the PISA Symposium and I hope to see you there.http://www.pisa.gen.va.us/symposium.html

–
Best Regards,

Nicole Bocra
Infinity Investigative Solutions
PO Box 17832, Arlington, VA 22216
Phone: 703 528 5882

I know this post is a slight departure from what we normally discuss on the blog; however, our friend, David Kervin, is about to embark on an amazing journey to bring clean water to families in Africa. David will be climbing Mount Kilimanjaro to raise awareness of the water issues in Africa. Something we take for granted is clean water but in Africa it is a rare commodity. Think about this: $25 can provide a child in Africa with clean water for life. That makes me rethink my Caribu Coffee and Starbucks budget.

Take a look at David’s website by clicking here and consider a donation. Even a dollar will help.

Donations are tax deductible and the proceeds go to The Water School.

Go easy,

Josh

Some might argue that there is no such thing as plain English. As anyone who is not a native English speaker who is trying to learn it what the difference is between ‘their’, ‘there’, and “they’re” or even “to”, “too”, and “two.” Now add slang or professional jargon to the mix and English becomes more complex. So what is the big deal?

The Department of Homeland Security wants first responders to speak in plain English. In Virginia, our State Police, uses plain “uncoded” English when communicating with other agencies. Why is this? What about the 10 and 11 codes we had to learn? They are still used by agencies but the is with them is there is no standard – agencies are free to create their own codes, rightfully so. Who is DHS to tell an agency how to go about their business?

Here is the issue we need to be aware of: we are in the era of multi-jurisdictional responses. I have worked with law enforcement agencies all over the US and internationally. Every single one of them has their own culture and way of doing things – even speaking. Robert, over at LinkedIn, brings up a good point. How many ways do law enforcement agencies have for calling a car a car? His examples: “unit”, “RMP”, “car”, and “scout car.”

I understand the need for 10 and 11 codes and signals, they evolved to make communication brief and allow more people to communicate on the same channel; however, think about “10-1.” I grew up knowing that a “10-1” meant officer down. But it New York, “10-13” means officer down or needs immediate assistance. Or you might hear some agencies using a “Signal 13” for the same call. But, 10-1, for some agencies, means poor reception. How would you like to be in a multi-jurisdictional response calling for help over the radio with a “10-1” and the dispatcher responds by telling you your reception is fine? Or you are calling a 10-13 and the response is that the weather is fine (11-13 with some agencies means advise weather conditions).

Those are pretty easy examples to make. Think about your agency/department/company and the way you talk. Do you say things that others don’t understand? Now imagine you are in a Haiti, or a Katrina. The help will come but you need to be prepared to be able to talk to them.

Go easy,

Josh

Professional.  I remember being given the definition by a number of professors over the years, and it always went something like this:  Someone who is identified as working in a discipline that requires both experience and education, participates in continuing education, stays abreast of developments in the industry, and upholds the highest standards of commitment, responsibility and attention to detail in all they do.  That differs slightly from the Webster definition, but you get the picture.

I have to warn you – this is the first blog I’ve ever written.  I remember the day my first computer arrived – sometime in 1985 – and I told the tech not to even plug it in as I’d never use it.  Now I spend most of my time in front of my computer – a laptop I can plug in and hook up practically anywhere I am.  On the rare occasion when I don’t have my computer with me, I carry one in my pocket.  I know I can‘t live without them, but I don’t particularly like computers.  To be honest, my entire motivation for being so connected is so I can someday not have a computer at all.

The Watermark Institute was started for the same reasons we started Watermark Risk Management International – we saw a need that wasn’t being filled with the level of professionalism we believe is necessary in our industry.  While there are literally thousands of highly qualified, well experienced, passionate and committed professionals in the security and risk management business, we’re finding that many companies don’t live up to our ideals– staying true to core values, taking care of our colleagues, serving our customers, and working tirelessly to decrease the risk to safety and security where ever we can.

As I write this, we’ve just finished teaching our second class of the year.  It was a small class of bright, eager, demanding students.  The type of students we want to serve.  Students who will complete the class not only with a certification, but with the confidence that comes from understanding and experience.  They’ll have a foundation to build upon with subsequent on the job experience, additional training, and self study.  This class is the first step for many of them on the road to being a professional.  Our industry needs more professionals.

Watermark is the newest player on the block.  It will take some time to establish our reputation, spread the word, and become the first choice for not only regulated training but a variety of professional development programs as well.   We’re serious about our responsibility to deliver quality training and to produce alumni we are proud of.  As we grow, we’ll be adding a variety of additional training programs, all designed to support professionals as they go about making the world a safer place to live.

The Institute will be much more than a training academy.  We’re striving to become a venue for thought leaders in the security industry.  We’re fortunate to have personal and professional associations with some of the brightest minds in the business, and we want to give others a chance to learn and grow from their experience.  We’re currently in the development stage of  two such programs.  The first one will be a presentation from Dr. Mark Mateski on a new decision support paradigm he’s developed called Reciprocal Net Assessment.  Dr. Mateski has been working in the field of Red Teaming and Alternative Analysis for years, and we’re pretty excited about our relationship with him and the opportunity to being a new and dynamic process to the industry.  The Institute will be sponsoring Dr. Mateski this spring for an afternoon to present his ideas, gain feedback, and do some networking.  We’re nailing down the dates but we anticipate an announcement within the next 30 days.  This program will be free but will be very limited to practitioners and strategists with a genuine interest in alternative analysis paradigms.

The second Institute program will be an all day conference on Security Leadership – “Reducing Security Costs without Sacrificing Value’.  We have some heavy hitters lined up to give actionable perspectives on how to manage security during these trying economic times.  The Honorable Tom Ridge, the first Secretary of Homeland Security will be the keynote speaker.  The audience will be corporate and government chief security officers and anyone interested in learning new strategies for managing security and providing leadership in working to get the greatest return on security dollar investment.  There will be a fee for this conference and seats will be limited, so let us know if you’re interested, and stay tuned for more specifics.

Well, this is probably too long for a blog, but here you have it.  We look forward to talking and working with you, and I’ll be trying to provide my contribution to the blog on a regular basis.  In the meantime, be safe, be smart, and remember in our industry we don’t work for reward or recognition, but to keep our families, friends and neighbors safe, and for the satisfaction that comes from contributing to a profession.

It’s 2010 – now back to work

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and a great New Year’s holiday. We each have our own way of celebrating the end of one year and the beginning of a new one. I was fortunate enough to spend time my family and friends during a holiday season that included lots of snow, cold, and wind.

As I look back over the past decade I recall many highs and many lows. As a nation we mourned the losses we suffered one terrible day in September, forever changing our lives. Since that fateful day we have engaged in two protracted wars and thousands of American and coalition partner lives have been lost to combat a terrible evil. Like so many of you I have lost friends and colleagues in this great fight. While we must go on, we must never forget.

The last decade also brought terrible acts of violence and devastation in such places as Virginia Tech, Ft. Hood, New Orleans, and others. We also became familiar with new terms such as Weapons of Mass Destruction, Improvised Explosive Devices, and Collateral Damage.

As I reflect I’d like to thank all of airmen, soldiers, Marines, sailors, Coast Guardsmen, and our law enforcement and security professionals for the work that you do and the sacrifice you make. I hope that the new decade brings about change that makes our jobs easier but absent that, thank you for your continued vigilance.

Go easy,

Josh

DHS Infrastructure Protection Training Programs

While there are many training programs available through the Department of Homeland Security, many are based on your profession and are fairly technically oriented. Today I’d like to make you aware of training specifically focused on infrastructure protection that are out there available. These courses are available directly through the Protective Security Coordination Division, a division within the Office of Infrastructure Protection. These folks are on the front lines of DHS‘s efforts to protect our infrastructure.

The PSCD Office for Bombing Prevention (OBP) delivers the following free workshops and courses in coordination with State Homeland Security Officials and State Training Offices:

• Private Sector Counterterrorism Awareness Workshop.  This workshop improves the knowledge of private sector security professionals by providing exposure to key elements of soft target awareness, surveillance detection, and improvised explosive device (IED) recognition.
• Bombing Prevention Workshop.  Intended for regional level public and private stakeholders and planners from emergency management, security, and law enforcement, this workshop enhances effectiveness in managing a bombing incident.
• IED Awareness / Bomb Threat Management Workshop.  Because IED attacks are the primary tactic of terrorists, this workshop enhances and strengthens the participant’s knowledge, skills, and abilities in relation to the IED threat.
• IED Search Procedures.  The lectures and practical exercises of this workshop are geared toward security personnel and facility managers of sites hosting or supporting special security events.
• Soft Target Awareness Course.  This course for facility managers, supervisors, operators, and security personnel enhances individual and organizational awareness on terrorism, and provides a better understanding of their roles in deterring, detecting, and defending against terrorism.
• Protective Measures Course.  Designed to enhance commercial sector individual and organizational awareness on how to devalue, detect, deter, and defend facilities from terrorism, this course imparts the knowledge and skills necessary to understand common vulnerabilities and employ effective protective measures.
• Surveillance Detection Course for Municipal Officials, State, and Local Law Enforcement.  This training provides the knowledge and skills necessary to establish surveillance detection operations to protect CIKR during periods of elevated threat.
• Surveillance Detection Course for Commercial Infrastructure Operators and Security Staff.  The objective of this training is to explain how protective measures can be applied to detect and deter potential threats to CIKR, as well as the fundamentals for detecting surveillance activity.

You can obtain more information regarding these programs from the DHS Office of Bombing Prevention at OBP@dhs.gov or 703-235-5723. Note: The above infromation was provided, in part, by the Emergency Management and Response—Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC).

More DHS Training Resources

Other divisions with the Department offer training. Some of their programs are well known while others are not. You can find more information about other training initiatives here. Some of these are programs are highlighted below.

• The Emergency Management Institute. Training to ensure the effectiveness of organizations and individuals working together in disasters and emergencies
• National Incident Management System (NIMS) Online Training. Introduction to the purpose, principles, key components and benefits of NIMS.
• National Exercise Program. Training, exercising, and collaboration among partners at all levels.
• Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program. Threat- and performance-based exercise activities of varying degrees of complexity and interaction

Go easy,

Josh