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In: *Connecting the Dots Blog*

If it is possible to “connect the dots” AFTER attacks, why can’t organizations and communities “connect the dots” BEFORE attacks to intervene and prevent? They can and they are! (If they are equipped to do so.) Research-based data and practice-based data overwhelmingly proves PREVENTION IS POSSIBLE. Headlines like these appear almost immediately after tragedies: Supermarket massacre shooter left chilling online trail (article) Orlando shooting: ‘Disgruntled’ ex-employee had planned shooting, investigators say (article) AP Newsbreak: UPS gunman had filed overtime grievance (article) Friend reported suspected attacker to anti-terror hotline (article) On the FBI’s Radar: Shooter had been investigated before (article) The DOTS are out there. PreventionRead More →

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In: *Connecting the Dots Blog*, Connect the Dots, Emergency Management, Media, Risk Management

I am not a fan of watching or listening to TV news, however, after the recent attacks in England, I was interested to see how TV news was covering the attacks.  Buried in their biased views with the news, I was pleasantly surprised to hear a common thread emerge – TV anchors were asking their go to security experts the following question: How do we start preventing and getting ahead of these attacks/attackers? This is a great question, and a question everyone should be asking their organization and community leaders.  Terrorism, community violence, campus violence, workplace violence, cyber-attacks, ransomware, acts of evil, and numerous otherRead More →

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In: *Connecting the Dots Blog*, Hackers, Information Security, Prevention

You can’t prevent hackers and hacker threats, but you can prevent breaches like this! When you fail to apply the latest patches to your Systems, and when you fail to update People about new threats…you create GAPS for hackers. Hackers are like cockroaches… they only need one small GAP and they are in your Systems! Applying System patches to eliminate vulnerabilities and GAPS is not that difficult, however, it takes discipline to make System patches a priority and it requires ongoing awareness to know when System patches are available to be applied. WannaCry is an expensive and embarrassing lesson learned (a global lesson learned) forRead More →

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In: *Connecting the Dots Blog*, Business Continuity, Connect the Dots, Emergency Management, Financial, Government, Health Care, Human Resources, Incident Reporting, indicators, Prevention, Risk Management, Workplace Violence

Dangerous GAPS Evidence from hundreds of post-incident reports reveal almost every organization and community has a myriad of common GAPS and dangerous GAPS. At-Risk Individuals Evidence reveals almost every organization and/or community has at-risk individuals who could commit numerous types of disruptive incidents involving people, information, organizations, and communities. Disruptive Incidents Evidence reveals alarming trends involving numerous types of disruptive incidents including terrorism, homicides, workplace violence, gang violence, drugs, crimes, sexual assaults, human trafficking, suicides, and numerous others. Dangerous GAPS and Disruptive Incidents Unless (and until) dangerous GAPS are eliminated, disruptive incidents, tragedies, and numerous other unwanted, embarrassing, and costly consequences will be difficult ifRead More →

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In: *Connecting the Dots Blog*, Connect the Dots, indicators, Media, Prevention

Evil is immoral, wrong, sinful, corrupt, vicious, malicious, malevolent, vile, hateful, and bad. Terrorism, rape, racism, murders, drug dealing, pedophilia, harassment, etc. are all the acts of Evil Doers. Calling incidents (like the ones above and others) Acts of Evil would eliminate most of the arguing among politicians, media, activists, and others on whether an incident was a hate crime or not, an act of terrorism or not, gang violence or not, racism or not, domestic violence or not, bullying or not, etc. Calling these types of incidents Acts of Evil would eliminate confusion and make it easier for Good People to work together towards identifying EvilRead More →

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In: *Connecting the Dots Blog*, Campus Safety, Education, School Safety

What is more important and more valuable than a student’s life?  What is more important than an employee’s life? What is more important than any human life? Cameras to record the violence? A PC for every student? A football game? Coffee for Faculty/Staff? Hundreds of other lower priority purchases?  None of these are more important or more valuable than a human life, yet Education Leaders continue to fund hundreds of projects BEFORE funding is invested in proven strategies and tools for saving the lives and saving futures of students and others. How many more lives must be lost and futures ruined before Education Leaders adaptRead More →

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In: *Connecting the Dots Blog*, Campus Safety, Education, Financial, Government, Health Care, indicators, Legal, Risk Management

Disruptive Innovation is (DI) is an innovation that creates a new market and value network and eventually disrupts an existing market and value network, displacing established market leading firms, products, and alliances. Human Intelligence (HI) is the intellectual capacity of humans, which is characterized by perception, consciousness, self-awareness, and volition. Artificial Intelligence (AI) the theory and development of computer systems able to perform tasks and make decisions that normally require human intelligence, such as visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, etc. Artificial Intelligence has received a lot of attention as a new futuristic solution, however, it must be pointed out that Artificial Intelligence can only make “goodRead More →

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In: *Connecting the Dots Blog*, Connect the Dots, First Preventer, First Responder, Prevention

No matter who you were cheering for… the Super Bowl was exciting, history-making, and it provided super valuable lessons for anyone who is responsible for leading a team or an organization! First valuable lesson If you want to be a “winner” you need BOTH Offense and Defense. There is an OLD SAYING that “Defense wins championships” … but have you ever seen a team win a championship with the score 0 to 0?  No! To win a championship the Offense must do their part too. Second valuable lesson The Super Bowl showed how a good Offense can come back even after a horrible start andRead More →

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In: *Connecting the Dots Blog*, Connect the Dots, Prevention

2017 predictions for Information Security and Cyberattacks. People are and will continue to be the Weakest Link! Because most organizations only provide annual information security training and because most deliver the awareness training for the wrong reasons (one or more state/federal compliance requirements), they are not really addressing their weakest link – People’s lack of ongoing awareness. Annual compliance training efforts are not actually addressing the weakest link because people cannot, and do not remember a training session for the next 364 days. If people think the awareness training is just for compliance, they will continue to just get through it and not pay attentionRead More →

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In: *Connecting the Dots Blog*

Because 99.9% of people prefer PREVENTING over REACTING/RESPONDING to incidents, attacks, lawsuits, and tragedies. Dangerous Gap #1 – nearly every organization has invested almost 100% of Safety/Security budget in: First Responders (Security personnel, Emergency Personnel, etc.) Re-Active Shooter Drills (good drill for First Responders) Security Products Reacting to an attack (Alarms, Mass Notification, Signage, etc.) Security Cameras Reacting and “recording” the attack for forensics Emergency Response Plans Business Continuity Plans PR / Communications Responses Dangerous Gap #2 – What you focus on becomes your reality! What you focus on becomes your reality and therefore, most every organization is failing at PREVENTING because they are notRead More →