THE CRISIS READY INSTITUTE BLOG

Establishing an Effective Threat Management Program (Part 1 of 5)

Part 1: Defining and Categorizing Threats for your Organization

When I learned that the Crisis Ready™ Community Monthly Mastermind session for July will discuss threat and risk assessment from a law enforcement perspective, I registered for the event immediately. Primarily because I am always interested in learning how other people approach threat assessment, but the fact that Deputy Chief of Police, Chris Hsiung, is an engaging and expert speaker who is a master of his craft may have played into that decision as well.

Threat and risk assessment is a crucial piece of becoming Crisis Ready™, but it is essential to remember that the assessment is only one step in a more extensive process of threat and risk management. To maximize the value of investments in threat and risk assessments, organizations should consider a proactive and prevention-focused Threat Management Program. This approach can help to define specific threats, detect and identify those threats within a particular environment or context, assess the risk that they pose, and manage that risk before the threat creates a hazard or manifests in an incident.

What you can expect from an effective Threat Management Program

Comprehensive and effective Threat Management Programs:

  • Tailor their approach and risk appetite to the unique mission, culture, assets, and threat environment of an organization.
  • Build a culture of shared accountability and prevention that reinforces a positive organizational focus on the health, safety, and well being of its people, as well as its overall operational effectiveness and resilience.
  • Employ multi-disciplinary capabilities based on the characteristics of the organization and the operational ecosystem.

This is all accomplished through a structured process that clearly defines possible threats, establishes a methodology to detect and identify a threat within the organization’s ecosystem, assesses each threat and its associated risk, and then actively manages the threat.

Today I am going to talk about Defining a Threat. This is the first of five planned articles discussing threat management as a component of a Crisis Ready™ Program. In the coming weeks, I will also discuss Detecting and Identifying a Threat, Assessing a Threat, Managing a Threat, and then Developing and Maintaining a Threat Management Program. For today, let’s begin with diving into what a threat is and means for your organization.

What is a Threat?

The basic definition of the word threat, as presented in the DHS Lexicon is an “indication of potential harm to life, information, operations, the environment, and/or property.” The critical element of this definition is the word “potential.” A threat exists in the future. It is something disruptive that may happen.

Some common pitfalls to avoid when defining threats

Expecting future threats to look like past threats

Focusing solely on what has happened in the past when defining the threats that will be included in a Crisis Ready™ Program is a frequently occurring mistake that can result in significant blind spots in the related planning and preparedness activities. When you are defining your threat environment, it is imperative to think broadly about the realm of the possible – what could happen vs. what is likely to happen.  Limiting the scope of your environment based on probability comes later in the process when you begin assessing the identified possible threats.

Solely associating threats with negative events

Another point to recognize in the definition of threat is the word “harm.” In large part, people consider a threat to be associated with adverse incidents or events (e.g., natural disasters, the collapse of infrastructure, or targeted violence) and the related destructive consequences. From a holistic point of view, there can be threats associated with positive occurrences as well. Think about things that people look forward to – landing the most significant contract that your business has ever targeted, the birth of a child, or a local Super Bowl or World Series victory, to name a few. All of those experiences can be disruptive as well – an immediate demand for services or products exceeds existing capacity, a senior executive takes a maternity or paternity leave without delegating their authorities, or celebrations for a sports team that turn into riots and do tens of thousands of dollars in damage to buildings and infrastructure. That potential for disruption can harm “life, information, operations, the environment, and/or property.” This is your threat associated with what would otherwise be thought of as a positive incident or event.

Interchanging the terms ‘threat’ and ‘hazard’

When a threat is actualized and interacts with your operations, it becomes a hazard. Sometimes the terms threat and hazard are used interchangeably, but they are not the same. A hazard is always associated with a threat, but a threat does not necessarily always become a hazard. Consider the example of a flock of birds at an airport. If the birds are close to an aircraft attempting to take off or land, then they are both a threat and a hazard. If there are no aircraft in the area, then the birds are a threat – representing the potential to cause harm, but they are not a hazard because their potential has not been realized.

Types of Threats

Threats can be natural, technological, or human-caused.

Natural threats

Natural threats are naturally occurring incidents or events caused either by rapid or slow-onset processes. Those processes can be geological (earthquake, landslide, tsunami, and volcanic activity), hydrological (avalanche and flood), climatological (extreme temperature, drought, and wildfire), meteorological (lightning, wind/tornado, hail, hurricane/cyclone, and storm/wave surge) or biological (disease epidemic/pandemic and insect/animal plague).

The continued expansion of the human/nature interface as the human population grows and technology allows people to live places that were too inhospitable or difficult to build means that our collective exposure to natural threats is increasing.

There is a growing school of thought that there are no natural threats. Nature is following its established pattern. The potential for harm is centered on humanity and our interactions with our environment. This approach holds that all threats are human-caused because of a collective failure to exist in harmony with nature.

Technological threats

Technological threats are related to technical problems or failures with infrastructure and its ability to provide planned and desired technical functionality (mechanical failure/structural collapse, software or application failure, and hazardous materials release). With modern society’s increasing dependence on technology to support daily life, these threats are becoming more prevalent. The dynamic and emergent nature of technology means that depending on history to predict future threats is particularly problematic.

Human-caused threats

Human-caused threats are incidents or events that are caused by humans and occur in or close to human populations. This can include environmental changes (pollution), business incidents or occurrences (loss or gain of business, changes to reputation, change in employment status), behavioral concerns (criminality, targeted or intimate partner violence, insider activities, and physical/emotional/mental health concerns), and accidents (complex emergencies/civil unrest, violence/warfare, famine, displaced populations, theft, industrial accidents, and transportation accidents). Yes, civil unrest, violence, and warfare are considered to be accidents. Scholars have suggested that behaviors leading towards any of those types of actions are, for the most part, not intentional. Therefore, they classify them as unintentional, or accidental occurrences.

Threat commonalities

While there are a variety of types of threats that we must be aware of and take into consideration when developing and utilizing a threat management strategy, the commonalities are essential to note:

  • A threat is an indicator of the potential for harm – it is not based on past events or what is currently happening (that is a hazard).
  • Consider threat in terms of what is possible. Probability comes later in the process.
  • How a threat evolves into a hazard will depend on the nature of the threat (natural, technological, or human-caused) and the point of intersection between the threat and an organization’s mission and operational practices, and how prepared the organization is to deal with that actualization.

Your first step in structuring an effective Threat Management Program

Clearly characterizing and categorizing the range of threats faced by your organization is the first step in structuring an effective threat management program. A threat is an indication of the potential to do harm to life, function, information, the environment, or property. We live in a world where the potential for harm, resulting in crisis, is complex and dynamic. It is my hope that this article has helped explain what a threat actually is, and what it is not, and that you step away with a better understanding of the fundamental role that defining threats plays in creating your Crisis Ready™ Program.

Read the other parts of this 5-part series on developing your Threat Management Program:

Part 2: Designing the Ability to Properly Detect a Threat
Part 3: Properly Assessing a Threat and Analyzing its Risk
Part 4: Best Practices for Threat Management
Part 5: Building Your Threat Management Program

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    Paul Damaren is the Global Director of Strategic Accounts for LRQA, a global Assurance Provider. Paul also holds the position of Chief Commercial Officer and Partner at StepUp Solution Services. Paul has worked as a Senior Executive in the Certification space for 10 years and has over 39 years’ experience in the Hospitality, Certification, Service, Retail agri-food and Technology sectors. Damaren is skilled in sales, marketing, certification, operations and software applications and he possesses an MBA from McGill University.

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    Paul was formerly a board member and Treasurer for the Ontario Food Protection Association (OFPA) and is a currently an Advisor & Council Member with The GW University School of Business and the Crisis Ready Institute.

    Before working in the Certification industry, Damaren was a professional Chef/consultant for 20+ years working in major hotel chains, restaurants, private golf courses and food service organizations. Further, Damaren was a member of the National Canadian Federation of Chefs and Cooks (C.F.C.C.) for 14 years, member of the Region of Waterloo Culinary Association (R.W.C.A.) for 14 years, President of R.W.C.A. (Region of Waterloo Culinary Association) for 3 years, special Events chairman - R.W.C.A. – 1998 – 2000 and National Culinary Ambassador to Russia for 5 years.

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    An expert in public affairs, policy and diversity and inclusion, with over twenty five years of experience at the international, national, state and local levels across the nonprofit, philanthropic, corporate and government sectors, Licy is an accomplished, values-driven leader with unparalleled experience in developing and leading integrated public affairs campaigns combining strategic communications, public relations, political/legislative initiatives, policy, coalition building, grassroots efforts and advocacy.

    Before joining BCW, Licy built and lead a nationally recognized minority owned strategic public affairs and communications firm, served as Health Practice Chair and Principal at The Raben Group, was the Chief Executive Officer of The AIDS Alliance for Children, Youth and Families, and managed and helped set the leadership direction for strategic policy, communications, and advocacy investments in executive and senior government affairs roles for the American Cancer Society and the nation’s Community Health Centers.

    Before joining the private sector, Licy was domestic policy advisor to U.S. Congressman Barney Frank and served in several capacities in the Office of Senator Edward M. Kennedy. During his extensive tenure in Washington, D.C., Licy has played a leading role in efforts to draft, shape and enact legislation and policy to improve the public health, health care safety net and the lives, livelihoods and well-being of the nation’s disadvantaged and underserved communities. 

    Licy also has worked with Moet Hennessey to drive diversity and inclusion on Wall Street and corporate America. He has partnered with Vice President Al Gore, senior government officials, scientists, NGOs and activists, on global climate change impact and sustainability across Africa. And he was appointed by Republican and Democrat governors to oversee the conservation, preservation and management of a prominent U.S. national historic landmark.

    Licy is a graduate of Duke University and holds a certificate in public health leadership in epidemic preparedness and management from the University of North Chapel Hill—School of Public Health and Kenan Flagler Business School, and is the recipient of multiple industry awards and citations for his leadership, policy and public affairs acumen, including being named to The Hill Newspaper list of most influential  leaders in Washington, D.C. consecutively over the last ten years. As a global citizen, Licy has lived in Turkey and Spain, and is fluent in Spanish and Cape Verdean Portuguese.

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    As Executive Vice President and Managing Director in the BCW Public Affairs and Crisis practice, Licy drives healthcare and social impact policy and strategy, and helps shape strategic direction on diversity, inclusion and belonging for the firm and its clients across North America, in public and corporate affairs, government relations, communications, crisis and reputation management. Licy also leads the BCW Healthcare Team in Washington, D.C.

    An expert in public affairs, policy and diversity and inclusion, with over twenty five years of experience at the international, national, state and local levels across the nonprofit, philanthropic, corporate and government sectors, Licy is an accomplished, values-driven leader with unparalleled experience in developing and leading integrated public affairs campaigns combining strategic communications, public relations, political/legislative initiatives, policy, coalition building, grassroots efforts and advocacy.

    Before joining BCW, Licy built and lead a nationally recognized minority owned strategic public affairs and communications firm, served as Health Practice Chair and Principal at The Raben Group, was the Chief Executive Officer of The AIDS Alliance for Children, Youth and Families, and managed and helped set the leadership direction for strategic policy, communications, and advocacy investments in executive and senior government affairs roles for the American Cancer Society and the nation’s Community Health Centers.

    Before joining the private sector, Licy was domestic policy advisor to U.S. Congressman Barney Frank and served in several capacities in the Office of Senator Edward M. Kennedy. During his extensive tenure in Washington, D.C., Licy has played a leading role in efforts to draft, shape and enact legislation and policy to improve the public health, health care safety net and the lives, livelihoods and well-being of the nation’s disadvantaged and underserved communities. 

    Licy also has worked with Moet Hennessey to drive diversity and inclusion on Wall Street and corporate America. He has partnered with Vice President Al Gore, senior government officials, scientists, NGOs and activists, on global climate change impact and sustainability across Africa. And he was appointed by Republican and Democrat governors to oversee the conservation, preservation and management of a prominent U.S. national historic landmark.

    Licy is a graduate of Duke University and holds a certificate in public health leadership in epidemic preparedness and management from the University of North Chapel Hill—School of Public Health and Kenan Flagler Business School, and is the recipient of multiple industry awards and citations for his leadership, policy and public affairs acumen, including being named to The Hill Newspaper list of most influential  leaders in Washington, D.C. consecutively over the last ten years. As a global citizen, Licy has lived in Turkey and Spain, and is fluent in Spanish and Cape Verdean Portuguese.

    Melissa Agnes

    Recognized globally as an expert, thought leader and visionary in the field of crisis communication, Melissa Agnes has worked with global players, including NATO, the Pentagon (DoD), Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defense, financial firms, technology companies, healthcare organizations, cities and municipalities, law enforcement agencies, aviation organizations, global non-profits, and many others.

    In 2020, Melissa founded Crisis Ready Institute, a public benefit corporation dedicated to teaching advanced crisis communication skills.

    She's currently passionate about providing dedicated support to crisis communication consultants. Through her programs, she’s focused on helping them strengthen their crisis communication skills and credibility in the market, and supporting them in growing and scaling their business. The work they do is important and she's passionate about helping them amplify the positive impact they have in the world.

    Her book, Crisis Ready: Building an Invincible Brand in an Uncertain World, is taught in dozens of universities around the world, including at Harvard University; is ranked amongst the leading crisis management books of all time, by Book Authority; and was named one of the top ten business books of 2018 by Forbes.

    Melissa is the creator of the Crisis Ready® Model, which is recognized and being taught as leading industry best practice in the fields of crisis management and crisis communication.

    As an in-demand international keynote speaker and a TEDx alumna, Melissa has traveled the world helping organizations and leaders further strengthen their crisis ready mindset, skills and capabilities.

    In 2019, Melissa founded the Crisis Ready® Community, a space for professionals to come together to support one another, collaborate and strengthen their crisis ready skills.

    Melissa sits on the Board of Directors for ZeroNow, a non-profit committed to ending harmful events in schools.

    She also sat on the Board of Trustees for D'Youville University for four years until the end of her term, where she also serves as a visiting scholar for the course she co-created and co-teaches on Crisis Leadership.

    Passionate about serving law enforcement and bridging the trust divide between agencies and the communities they serve, Melissa is a former member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP). In 2021 she co-chaired a committee tasked with developing a strategy and plan of action to begin resolving the trust crisis in the U.S.

    In 2019 and 2020, Melissa sat on the panel tasked with developing the International Standard for Crisis Management— ISO 22361, Guidelines for developing a strategic capability.

    Born and raised in Montreal, Quebec, Melissa currently lives in New York City and enjoys weight-lifting, sailing, and exploring new cities, countries, and cultures.

    Erick Anez

    Erick Anez is the Global Head of Business Resilience at Finastra. Erick is a proven leader with well over a decade of experience leading change and transformation in the Operational Resilience field.

    His hands-on approach focuses on operational learning, culture, and reputational management. Erick holds a Bachelor of Emergency & Homeland Security, Graduate studies in Security and Disaster Management, is a Certified Business Continuity Professional (CBCP), Certified Risk Management Professional (CRMP), graduate of the FEMA institute in Incident Management and Command, and is a respected member of Public-Private partnerships within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) and  the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

    Some of his most notable achievements in the field include leading the private sector response to Hurricane Maria as well as working with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in Continuity of Operations (CCOP) projects for mission-critical facilities in the United States. Erick has also trained with the Center for Disease Control (CDC) in Infectious Disease Planning and community response, including Point of Dispensing initiatives.

    From 2016 to 2019, Erick held several roles at Crowley and, most recently, was the company’s Managing Director of Safety & Resilience. During this time, he was responsible for resilience operations supporting all business segments as well as leading the organization’s safety culture improvement journey. At Crowley, he led the Occupational Health & Safety, Business Continuity, and Crisis Management teams.

    Before joining Crowley, Erick held similar roles at Southwest Gas and Third Federal Savings & Loan.

    Aaron Marks

    Founder and Principal, One Thirty Nine Consulting
    Global Advisory Council Member, Crisis Ready® Institute

    Aaron Marks is the founder and principal of One Thirty Nine Consulting, providing services for small and large businesses in Risk, Crisis, and Consequence Management.

    Supporting both domestic and international clients, he provides operational and subject matter expertise in readiness and preparedness, crisis and incident management, and business and operational continuity for complex systems and organizations.

    Aaron has provided in-depth review, assessment, and analysis for technology, policy, and operational programs for clients in healthcare, critical manufacturing, and entertainment and hospitality, as well as for state, local, tribal, territorial, and federal governments in the United States, Europe, and the Middle East. He is a recognized authority on the application of nontraditional techniques and methodologies to meet the unique requirements of training, evaluation, and analytic games and exercise.

    Prior to entering the readiness and preparedness field, Aaron was the Director of Operations for a commercial ambulance and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) provider in western New York State where he participated in the integration of commercial EMS and medical transportation resources into the local Trauma System.

    During his 30-year career, Aaron has worked in almost every aspect of EMS except fleet services. This includes experience in Hazardous Materials and Tactical Medicine, provision of prehospital care in urban, suburban, rural, and frontier environments, and acting as a team leader for both ground and aeromedical Critical Care Transport Teams.

    Aaron is a FEMA Master Exercise Practitioner and received a B.A. in Psychology from Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas, and a master’s degree in Public Administration with a focus in Emergency Management from Jacksonville State University in Jacksonville, Alabama. He is also a Nationally Registered Paramedic and currently practices as an Assistant Chief with the Amissville Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department, Amissville Virginia.

    Chris Hsiung

    Chris is the 11th Police Chief of the Mountain View Police Department, located in the heart of Silicon Valley. For more than 25 years, he has served the Mountain View community, and as the department’s leader, is passionate about maintaining MVPD’s role as a progressive law enforcement organization in the 21st century.

    Chris is an internationally recognized speaker and columnist on the areas of crisis communications, critical incident management, leadership, and engagement with stakeholder groups. In his time with Mountain View PD, Chris has held a variety of investigative, tactical, and leadership roles, serving in every division in the organization. He is a graduate of the Harvard Kennedy School of Government Senior Executives in State and Local Government program and has a master’s degree in eBusiness Management from Notre Dame de Namur in Belmont, CA.

    Chris also serves in several leadership positions on multiple boards, including as president on the Government Social Media Leadership Council and committee member on the IACP's Professional Standards, Ethics, and Image Committee. Previously, Chris served as a board member for the Peninsula Conflict Resolution Center and two terms as a commissioner on the City of San Mateo Community Relations Commission.

    You can connect with him on Twitter @Chief_Hsiung or LinkedIn.

    Ashley Davis

    Ashley is a Brand and Marketing Strategist who partners with CEOs, executives and solopreneurs to grow their personal and professional brands. After spending over a decade working in strategic communications for multimillion dollar brands and startups, Ashley knows what truly drives conversations, builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their stakeholder groups and attracts strong strategic partnerships.

    Ashley has helped organizations and leaders increase employee awareness and overall understanding of the company vision. She has strong experience / knowledge of social media tools and techniques for driving awareness, reputation and brand—and is known for advancing a company's messaging in the marketplace by growing the following of now multiple multimillion dollar brands and startups.

    Ashley has served as the Editor of monthly all employee publications by managing the planning, writing and production. She is an integral part of new product launches and is frequently engaged to train entire sales teams along with channel / distribution partners on new product launches. In addition to her extensive experience, Ashley is a trained business coach.

    Ashley holds a BA in Global Business Management from the University of Phoenix.

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