Security Management Highlights

Have you identified all of your trade secrets? It feels like table stakes, but it’s a critical first question to get all parties on the same page about trade secret protection, says Thomas Stutler, CPP. Then, ASIS Content Development Director Scott Briscoe shares some of the findings from the latest ASIS research report, sponsored by FacilityOS—including key takeaways about compliance, security co...

Little can prepare security teams for the sheer noise, pyrotechnics, national pride, and fan enthusiasm around FIFA World Cup events, but in this episode of Security Management Highlights, we’ll give it a shot. First, Anton Kalaydjian shares how his experience on close protection details for celebrities and VIPs at World Cup events translated to a broader career in soccer security. Then, Efrén Ver...

Agentic artificial intelligence (AI) solutions are here, and they can both streamline and endanger your operations. In this episode, sponsored by global security integrator Northland Controls, the chair of the ASIS Emerging Technology Community, Quang Trinh, PSP, discusses some of the bad habits agentic AI can pick up from its users and how to help correct those assumptions. Then, Jordan Hill of H...

Are your presentations falling flat, even though they’re chock full of metrics? You might be missing some human connection. Peter Rudge, CEO of HumanStory, explains how the effective and efficient use of storytelling structures makes your concepts hit home. Then, freelance journalist Rachel Muller-Heyndyk shares some of her research into the risks faced by extremism researchers in academia and bey...

Is finding sufficient staffing a challenge for your organization? The U.S. Bureau of Prisons has been in that boat for years, and its staffing shortages have had notable effects on correctional facilities’ safety and employees’ security, says Gretta Goodwin, director of homeland security and justice at the U.S. Government Accountability Agency (GAO). Corporate security functions are also scramblin...

At high-profile basketball games, VIPs and celebrities are often in coveted courtside seats, making executive protection challenging. Players also face risks from fans within arm’s reach, and unruly behavior can spill over quickly onto the court. Security leaders Darcy Leutzinger and Larry Thompson share their insights on EP, crowd dynamics, and risk management in sports security. Then, luxury hot...

In an uncertain world, it can be difficult to see past the next 48 hours. But future-proofing exercises can help security and business leaders get more strategic about what they want to achieve in the next few years and how to get there, says futurist Heather Vescent. She helps outline how to step back and take a different worldview to uncover emerging risks and opportunities. Then, Scott Fitzsimm...

Chemical and biological attack attempts can be hard to detect, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t happening, including at major events and sports games, says Jeff Brodeur in this month’s Security Management Highlights podcast, sponsored by Acoem. We look at other blind spots this episode, including in multitenant building security with René Reider, CPP, PSP, who explains how changing perspectives f...

Have you ever felt manipulated into doubting yourself and your abilities, even though your track record shows that you’re doing well? You might have encountered a gaslighter, says Michael Gips, CPP. These individuals’ manipulative shenanigans can be costly to personnel and productivity unless managers intervene promptly. Also in this episode, disruptive behavior extends beyond the office. Yan Byal...

Your mindset makes a huge difference in proactively managing change at work, rather than just reacting to it, says Mohammed Shehzad in the October 2025 episode of SM Highlights. When security technology and processes get involved, resistance and confusion can impact the overall progression and success of the change. Also in this episode, Rachel Briggs from The Clarity Factory outlines some of the...

With nearly a million people participating every year, Mardi Gras is a massive economic and cultural engine for the city of New Orleans, Louisiana. While the festivities—and the many other major events hosted in The Big Easy—can make security efforts more complex, community outreach and partnership enable law enforcement to keep the good times rolling, says Captain Anthony Micheu, New Orleans Poli...

In the aftermath of school violence incidents, security professionals are often looking for ways to help. That turned into a three-year effort for Jeff Slotnick, CPP, PSP, who co-led the ASIS International effort to develop the new ASIS School Security Standard. By facilitating discussion across 50 multidisciplinary volunteers and collecting input from non-security professionals, the team was able...

From snide remarks that set off office arguments to physical threats connected to a CEO’s social media post, political polarization has put workplace tensions on a hair trigger. Melissa Muir and Raymond Fleck of Pinkerton’s Comprehensive Risk Management Group join the GSX Daily edition of the SM Highlights podcast to talk about their upcoming GSX session on mitigating risk amid workplace incivilit...

Security professionals have to be integrated into operational resilience efforts and business continuity planning to prevent disruptions of all kinds, according to new research from the ASIS Foundation. In this episode of the SM Highlights podcast, report co-author and ResOrgs principal consultant Joanne Stevenson shares why security gets left out of resilience discussions and what they can do abo...

This month’s Security Management Highlights episode features three compelling conversations with industry experts, starting with a chat with Ontic’s Cynthia Marble about a new step on the pathway to violence—step zero—and how it provides an even earlier opportunity to prevent escalation, if you’re paying attention. Then, Jeff Krull from Baker Tilly outlines some of the risk management challenges w...

Does your EP program account for cultural sensitivities, legal shortcomings, and evolving conditions? In this episode of the SM Highlights podcast, Jessica Ansley explains how cultural awareness can make all the difference in harmonious low-profile travel security and executive protection. Then, lawyer Timothy Sini outlines the limitations across U.S. states around protective orders and proactive...

Brandon Payne, executive director for the National Council on School Facilities, joins this month’s episode of Security Management Highlights to discuss how to integrate security and safety into school facility planning and funding during both retrofits and new builds. Then, Kevin Jones, CPP, PCI, addresses key considerations for arming security professionals, from legal liability to insurance to...

Security benefits can come from unexpected sources, especially in community-centric organizations like schools and colleges. Melinda Heikkinen from Saint Louis University (SLU) explains how the college’s history of open dialogue and philosophy of meeting peace with peace helped it weather a wave of mass protests on campus. Then, Jason Stoddard with the National Council of School Safety Directors (...

Business travel is back, and travel risk is back right with it. In this episode of the SM Highlights podcast, Robert Dodge outlines the growing threat of wrongful detention during business travel, his own experiences being detained abroad, and how to educate travelers about risk. Gene Petrino shares proactive strategies for preventing workplace violence incidents, including threat assessments and...

In 2021, the ASIS Foundation published research about how social media and artificial intelligence can be leveraged to proactively identify new security issues. Now, we check in with one of those researchers—Chelsea Binns from the John Jay College of Criminal Justice—to see what has changed in the field, the ethics of researching social media, and what’s she’s looking at now. This episode is broug...

Whether you’re considering a career change, debating how to get more involved in your industry, or want to connect more thoroughly with community stakeholders about your security program, this SM Highlights episode has something for you. Security leadership recruiter Kathy Lavinder outlines pathways—and pitfalls—on the journey into private security careers. To celebrate ASIS International’s 70th a...

Everybody enters facilities through parking lots or parking garages, but these areas are often an afterthought for security, says lawyer Michael Haggard. But considering crimes of opportunity as well as liability issues, that uneven focus can be costly for organizations and commercial property owners. Also in this episode of SM Highlights, Eddie Sorrells, CPP, PCI, PSP, president of DSI Security S...

When the UnitedHealthcare CEO was killed in New York City in early December 2024, executive protection and corporate security professionals worldwide had to grapple with increased fear, criticism, and demands. Chuck Tobin and Caleb Gilbert from the International Protective Security Board join the SM Highlights podcast to discuss close protection and pre-attack indicators. But growing pressure on p...

Are there holes in your security program? Quite likely. In this episode of SM Highlights, host Brendan Howard speaks with red team expert Gary DeMercurio about how to develop a testing program and scope that deliver actionable results and value. Also, Marc Weber Tobias outlines the concept of insecurity engineering in locks and the basic awareness security practitioners should leverage. Then, Mark...

How does the tone from the top influence fraud investigations, organizational culture, security training, and technology upgrades? Scot Walker, PCI, Manish Mehta, and John Rodriguez join this episode of the SM Highlights podcast to talk through how proactive relationship-building and partnerships can drive tactical and strategic success. Additional Resources Join the ASIS International Investigati...