Security Management Highlights

Security Management magazine Senior Editor Megan Gates talks about elections on our publication’s radar—especially which ones risk unrest and violence before, during, and after voting. Then, Andrew Cheatham, corporate counsel at Global Guardian who also teaches a course on disruptive technologies and state governance at Boston University, explains a philosophy of clear-eyed recognition about probl...

Security Management magazine Senior Editor Megan Gates talks about the online frauds we’re seeing personally and professionally, as well as the serious costs involved. Then, cybersecurity expert Tom Cross, head of threat research at GetReal Security, gets into deepfakes: AI-tech-enabled recorded or live audio and video that looks so legitimate the world thinks fake news is real, fake job applicant...

GSX 2026 wraps up today, so we’re taking a look back at another major event that concluded recently: The FIFA World Cup 2026. James Weston, a team-base camp security specialist for FIFA, kept the Croatian team safe as it trained, practiced, and rested in Alexandria, Virginia, for its North American matches. He shares how he got the gig, what he learned on site, and why he found the players particu...

GSX 2026 is in Atlanta, Georgia, and one of the city’s world-class attractions is the Georgia Aquarium. Attending the ASIS Celebrates networking event on 15 September? You’ll be there, and the man in charge of your safety is Jonathan Thomas, the aquarium’s senior manager of security and compliance. One of the biggest challenges for him and his team? “Trying to give our guests, along with our team...

Angela Lewis, PhD, vice chair of the ASIS Intelligence Standard Technical Committee, will be sharing details on 14 September at GSX 2026 about her work with dozens of others creating an ANSI-certified international intelligence standard. In this podcast episode, Lewis breaks down the value of intelligence for driving influence in enterprise decisions, where the new intelligence standard is in the...

Security Management magazine Editor-in-Chief Claire Meyer spills the tea on a big crisis-communications package, the content calendar for 2027, and the first step to getting published online. Then, management and leadership consultant Gregory Shea, PhD, author of the recent Rising From Ground Zero: 9/11 and the FDNY’s Path Through Crisis to Transformation, shares leadership lessons gathered from a...

Two professors—Jillian Peterson and James Densley—are combing through thousands of incidents of violence in workplaces, healthcare facilities, and schools to find actionable advice to prevent future crime. Then Security Management senior editor Megan Gates follows the trail of violent cases working their way through the justice system and a new U.S. federal rule on drone take-downs. Finally, we he...

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 (...