Ensuring the security of your most valuable asset
When you read the title, what came through your mind? Stakeholders? Triple bottom line? Share price? Or did you think, our people. Our staff. Those who make the machine turn, the collective knowledge and intellectual property. Those who ultimately steer the ship.
It has been said many times before that any person could be replaced. And yes, to a large extent that is possible. But to what extent has it been determined what the impact would be to loss of productivity due to recruiting and training a suitable replacement. What about the potential social media fallout?
Having a critical individual resign is one thing, but what about the physical security of your most valuable assets, your staff, in a country where there are more murders per day than in the current Russia / Ukraine war? Living in South Africa is marred by violent crime, social disorganisation and even travel risk. We all know a coworker who could not come into the office due to one or more of the above events.
Take it a step further, in a criminal or unrest scenario, many companies face immense security risk towards their key individuals. Unemployment is high, economic pressures even more so. The community wants answers, jobs, business opportunities and they want it NOW. Those individuals are nothing more than a hurdle they would be willing to “cross” to ensure their demands are met.
This brings us to the management of the above risk. How to ensure the security of your most valuable assets. Risk managers tend to be so focused on risks affecting the bottom line that the persons responsible for making that wealth happen are often overlooked. This is more than a mere Human Resource risk. Welcome to the world of Security Risk.
The only way a risk can no longer be a risk, is when the objective is removed. But, as long as we as people are in the mix, Security Risk remains. As such, herewith a call to risk managers to take a step back, and assess together with the security team what the true threats to operations are:
- When is the last time you as risk managers had a detailed look at the Crime Statistics released by the SAPS for the areas in which your business operates?
- Do you have crime awareness training for foreign staff assigned to a local project?
- How about a hijack prevention course?
- Have you considered the assignment of a close protection officer for your CEO and other at-risk individuals?Do you have support for survivors of gender-based violence?
- Do you have a team in place to assess their properties and determine key security risks threatening their personal safety?
- How about a dedicated team responsible for the collection, interpretation, analysis, and reporting of social disorganisation and crime trends to assist top management to decide on safe travel arrangements?
- The list goes on.
Risk managers, a new ball has just been placed in your hands. Act wisely.
Written by Chris du Preez.