A thought leader and an action catalyzer rolled into one – Anil Puri is a rare combination of a visionary, and one who has mastered the art of strategic and tactical thinking to the core. He has been using this combination to seed new ideas and to lead them to their implementation on-ground. This has been a consistent feature of his career. He has rich experience of approximately 35 years in corporate in diverse domains & from functional managerial level to apex as chairman of a corporate group. His acumen for handling crisis management has prompted him to share his exclusive and niche experiences. He will be discussing the topic in four distinct parts in separate articles; Part 1 – Hostage situation & ways to deal with it, Part 2 – Negotiation skills, Part 3 – How to survive an abduction or hostage situation, and finally in Part 4 – Role of the corporate security. He will take you through realistically at ground zero in visualization and response matrix through series of these four articles. Hostage Hostage can best be defined as a person given to or forcibly and unlawfully held by a person, party or organization etc, as a security or pledge, or for ransom, release, exchange for prisoners or pending the fulfillment of an agreement etc. Activity Pattern During Hostage Situation Before the incident: As with any scenario, planning is crucial. Of course, the circumstances of these incidents can vary so wildly that it’s difficult to prepare in any comprehensive way. Equally, you don’t want to spread fear among your staff by overplaying the likelihood of a hostage attack. However, a few general emergency strategies can be applied. Firstly, ensure that everyone knows where the nearest emergency exits are located and where they should regroup outside. Staff should evacuate immediately upon receiving an alert (ignoring possessions/ work), and should proceed in an orderly fashion out of the building. Secondly, you may like to create a series of code words for use in an emergency situation, which communicate very simply what is happening. In highrisk buildings or locations, the availability of panic buttons could also be an important precaution. Likewise, consider introducing security guards and/ or security screens. Thirdly, it is also worth thinking about incorporating advice on dealing with difficult customers into your staff training in order to prevent any situations from escalating out of control. We also need to understand what the customer has experienced prior to this point. During the incident: Staff will be looking to you for reassurance so you need to remain calm and controlled. Panicking will not help anyone. If you have a senior role, you have a responsibility to lead the team through this experience. But the people in your team could react in many different ways. Some may be angry, some frightened and some calm. Be flexible in your approach, but consistent with your messages. You don’t want rumours to start. It’s also important to keep a close eye on your staff because an initial shock reaction can quickly evolve into frustration. Guard against people who want to be a hero. Look out for anyone who seems angry and make sure they do not disappear out of sight. They might attempt to re-enter the room or building, but that would be an extremely dangerous situation, which must be left to the professionals. If you’re in contact with the hostage-taker (at least before emergency services arrive), stay calm and agree to everything they ask. Only provide them with information that is essential. Attempting to talk them out of it at this stage could inflame the situation. Just as everyone else should try to keep their cool, it is vital that the intruder is kept as calm as possible. It is probable that this is the first time that they have done something of this nature, which means that they’re likely to be stressed too. Their adrenalin will be pumping, but you don’t want them to do anything rash. As HR director, you’ll be expected to gather information, do a head count and keep your staff together in one place. Act as an intermediary between police and employees by sharing information if possible, in order to reassure your team that the situation is under control. Try not to let anyone leave in the early stages. You need to keep the situation contained and controlled. Equally, ensure that no one talks to the media at this point. Any media coverage driven by panic or sensationalism could again be inflammatory. Also remember that dealing directly with hostage takers is a delicate skill and leave it to police specialists. After the incident: Individuals respond to trauma in different ways so assess each person on an individual basis rather than as a group. Try to gauge each individual’s state of mind and how they feel about work. Some will feel that continuing to come into work is the best way forward, while others may want a few days’ leave. However, it’s important that counseling is made available to everyone – not just in the short-term, but in the longterm too. One thing that we know about post-traumatic stress is that it may not become immediately apparent. A stressful experience may bring feelings or memories to light immediately or it may be months later. Around one in three people will develop post-traumatic stress disorder, but nearly everyone will display symptoms of post-traumatic stress for the first month. Such symptoms include depression, feelings of guilt, anxiety, anger and grief. Staff may experience flashbacks/ nightmares, avoidance, numbing and a feeling of being ‘on-guard.’ The issue is that life threatening episodes undermine a belief that life is fair and safe and that someone is secure. It is vital to look out for these symptoms and allow employees time to talk about how they’re feeling. They need to be allowed to ask questions and, most importantly, to get back to their normal life and routine. Although an unlikely occurrence, it is…

Gajshield Infotech, a leading, Mumbai-based data security solutions provider, has won the prestigious award for the Best Cloud Security Vendor at the Virtual CISO50 and Future Security Awards 2020, which was held as an online event on 24th November 2020. Virtual CISO50 and Future Security Awards is an international platform for recognising individuals, businesses, and vendors that have successfully navigated today’s challenges and thrived through digital technologies and delivered unprecedented value through innovative application of security technologies. The awards acclaim the best security minds and projects whose technologies, products or solutions are considered to have significant potential in meeting the needs of the new normal of today’s businesses. The need to have robust and agile data security solutions for all types and sizes of businesses has become the need of the hour because the number of sophisticated cyber-threats and malware attacks has been increasing exponentially, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. These threats pose significant challenges, all kinds of industries and data leaks are at the centre of digital attacks. For the past 17 years, Gajshield Infotech has been catering to the needs of robust firewalls across the globe, with over 10,000+ firewalls distributed across different geographical regions in India, Europe, United States, the Middle East, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and South East Asian countries. Their approach of looking beyond traditional security solutions and focusing on ‘data first’ security strategy is a leap forward in the security solution industry that is helping enterprises to secure cloud and SaaS applications by implementing a data security Firewall solution.  

The origins of the International Association of Security and Investigative Regulators (IASIR) were formed in the United States in the spring of 1993. The objective being to enhance the ability to regulate while simultaneously promoting the professionalism of the private security, and private investigative, alarm and related industries. One of the principle goals outlined 27 years ago was to assist the industry with training and education standards. The area of greatest focus has been within the realm of private security. Various throughputs have emerged over the years, but none has been quite as significant as IASIR’s Secure Urgent Response Global Endorsement (S.U.R.G.E.) Certification™. To understand how S.U.R.G.E.™ fits into the future of private security, one must look at the industry as a whole. The vast majority of the entire world sleeps under the protection of security officers twenty-four hours per day. According to an older issue of Forbes Magazine, “The sector experienced huge growth in recent years and today there are an estimated 20 million private security workers worldwide while the industry is worth approximately $180 billion. That is expected to grow even further to $240 billion by 2020, greater than the GDP of 100 countries including Portugal, Romania and Hungary.” The job is well known – to protect life and property, assure public safety, support police agencies who are stressed to the maximum, create a sense of omni-presence, and to read, react and deter etc. Employ the best possible candidates and deploy the best possible technologies. This holds true for site security, protection of VIPs, and the ever-present cash in transit (Armored Car) services the world over. The Guardian once referred to the security industry as ‘the industry of inequality’ in a piece discussing the obsession with private security. It is true that private security officers outnumber police officers. It is an investment of significant magnitude, but one that pays huge dividends by mitigating exposures to millions of crimes each day. The proliferation of security officers is so significant and commonplace that people literally do not even notice their presence most of the time. “You stop noticing it – there are guards everywhere,” said Rita Abrahamsen, a Professor at Ottawa University. Indian Perspective This is also true in India. A country that is arguably the leader when it comes to the sheer numbers of security officers employed in the industry. Presently hovering somewhere around 9 million guards and 23,000 companies, India requires training and licensure much like anywhere else in the world. Private security is as necessary and commonplace as it comes. Take into consideration that India’s GDP is ranked sixth by the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and United Nation alike. This demonstrates that India is a global powerhouse. Despite the fact that China is three rungs up the GDP ladder, the number of guards in India dwarfs even China, who break up their statistics by those who are employed by the public security bureaus (PSB) versus those managed by PSBs. IASIR recognizes India’s position in the world, and has partnered with the Central Association of Private Security Industry (CAPSI) and the Indian government to bolster CAPSI’s efforts and accomplishment in the establishment of training standards. This is particularly so with respect to overcoming obstacles and barriers during times of need. Certification in General The United States and its global counterparts, who make significant use of the private security sector, have long struggled with matters concerning reciprocity, portability, compacts and licensure through endorsement. These are all different ways to talk about proposed solutions to barriers that exist when trying to remain compliant with licensure and certification laws from one jurisdiction to another. It is all quite complex, and each different approach to the problem has its pros and cons. Ultimately, license holders need to be able to function lawfully and professionally in jurisdictions other than their credentialing sources of origin. Be them states within nations, regions within countries or from country to country. A surge event is an incident in which the ability to provide and sustain essential services is either impacted or stressed by an over-usage of locally available resources. This could be fire, police, EMS, medical, pharmaceutical delivery and a host of other capacity-driven functions. The same holds true for private security – which is a go-to resource when local law enforcement is stretched beyond capacity, yet the need to protect is not only present but elevated. During an all-hazards or other surge type event, regulations are often relaxed through designated disaster preparedness clauses in local laws. These are typically tethered to some sort of government declaration that possesses the authority and contains the requites language to deviate from standard licensure protocols. This can occur at a municipal, local, state, or national level depending on the construct of the government. The persisting aspect of this relaxation of licensure laws and rules is the disparity between states, provinces and countries with respect to training requirements for line-level security officers, and their impact on a license or registration holder’s ability to surge in and work during the designated preparedness/ response time-frame. How is IASIR Positioned? I ASIR is uniquely positioned to facilitate a substantive change to the ongoing problem of security professionals being land-locked during disaster declarations solely based on perceived or real differences in training. While each jurisdiction is responsible for regulating the practice of private security within its borders, IASIR has developed and administers an international certification program for candidates and their employers to ensure they have the mobility to go wherever their career and emerging events takes them. This certification takes the form of company and individual designations. Process of S.U.R.G.E. Certification First, a company that meets established criteria that is tailored to their local laws and rules, can become a S.U.R.G.E.™ certified company during the first three years of the lifecycle beginning in 2021. Here is how it works. A company seeking certification from IASIR will furnish proof of all requisite documentation, on an application in the IASIR S.U.R.G.E.™ portal. Once the nominal…

Prama Hikvision, India’s leading video security solution provider, has launched high speed entrance control products – Swing Barrier, Tripod Turnstile & Flap Barrier. These high speed entrance control products ensure flexible solutions and fast access. It helps system integrators, installers and architects to choose any combination of identification sensors and build barrier gate solution as per the requirements. These high speed entrance control products (Swing Barrier, Tripod Turnstile & Flap Barrier) are used in airports, seaports, metro rail and railway terminals, corporate offices, banking and financial institutions, industrial complexes, government offices, education, parks, museums etc. Swing Barrier Gate Technological advances and the need for automation across various verticals is driving swing barrier gate adoption. The DS-K3B601 swing barrier gate can be installed in combination with various identification sensors such as intelligent card reader, fingerprint readers, and the facial recognition terminal (DS-K5603-Z) with Prama Hikvision’s proprietary algorithm. Whatever the need may be, they can provide the proper solution or a combination of solutions customized for a perfect fit. The card reader supports standard Wiegand 26/ 34 interface. The swing gate also supports standard Wiegand interface or 485 interface. These swing gates offer the best-in-class quality and the highest efficiency. Impeccable quality: The swing gates are made of stainless steel that meets the AISI304 standard. It has anti-crash protection with 1.5mm stainless steel. Other features include Guaranteed 5 million gate swings. 12 pairs of IR detectors. High throughput at 30-40 persons per minute. Anti-crash swing panel. Flexible options with customizable width and number of passages. Immediate response (less than 0.5 seconds). Advanced features: The users can unlock more advanced features with the professional iVMS-4200 access control software, such as alarm linkage, anti-passback, and much more. Facial recognition: Combined with the swing gate through RS232, Prama Hikvision facial recognition terminal DS-K5603-Z provides an intelligent facial recognition access control solution: 10,000 faces. HD face picture with 2MP camera Up to 99% recognition rate with excellent performance under backlight, dim light, and strong light environments. Fast facial registration. Live human face detection with 3D function, distinguishes live faces from pictures and videos. 1-meter recognition distance Target height between 1.4m-1.9m (4’7”-6’3”). Customizable swing gate direction and working modes Always open: Allowing access to all.  Always closed: Limited access.  Verification: Access by verification only.  Adjustable open interval fits various throughputs.  Gate opens automatically if power is interrupted.  Works off- and online with remote management via software.  Prevents unauthorized break-in and tailgating. Tripod Turnstile Stable mechanical components and turntable design. Bidirectional (entering/ exiting) lane. When the power is down, the barrier will be dropped automatically for emergency evacuation. System will cancel the passing permission if a person does not pass through the lane within the valid passing duration. LED indicates the passing direction (forbidden or available). Adjust the passing time duration via DIP switch on the control board. Multiple people can pass through the lane at a time after the continuous authentication of the passed people. Standard system input; wires with different kinds of card readers. Remote control and management. Stable system operation and low noise operation. Flap Barriers 32-bit high-speed processor. Permissions validation and anti-tailgating. Remaining open/ closed mode selectable. Bidirectional (entering/ exit) lane, the barrier opening and closing speed can be open or stop according to the visitor flow. The barrier will be open or stop working when people are nipped Anti-passback accessing. Self-detection, Self-diagnostics, and automatic alarm.  Audible and visual alarm will be triggered when detecting intrusion, tailgating reverse passing, and climbing over barrier. Remote control and management. Online/ offline operation. TCP/ IP network communication, the communication data is specially encrypted to relieve the concern of privacy leak. LED indicates the entrance/ exit and passing status. Fire alarm passing.