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Stage 5: Preventing Stage If you stay with what you have today, will your people feel safer, will you have improved trust and reduced fear? Will your organization’s and community’s preventing efforts and results be better? Will you be able to keep up with the increasing challenges, more and more at-risk individuals, and escalating consequences associated with incidents and tragedies? Based on the increasing numbers of at-risk individuals, incidents, and tragedies, logically and emotionally, most people would say no they cannot afford to stay with what they have today. More specifically, if you can’t achieve Stages 1-4 with your current “solutions” there’s almost no wayRead More →

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Stage 4: Intervening and Monitoring Stage Most everyone has heard of the “Pathway to Violence” where an individual may have a grievance and then begin to express thoughts and fantasies about violence and then plan, prepare, and execute their plan of attack. Failures & challenges at this stage The Columbine High School massacre is one of numerous tragedies where common gaps prevented the team(s) from intervening and monitoring and ultimately preventing. If the pieces of the puzzle had been collected, assessed, and connected more effectively, the team(s) would have been in a better position to intervene and monitor the at-risk individuals and prevent this horribleRead More →

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Stage 3: Connecting the Dots Stage Do you remember what the 9-11 Commission Report said? National intelligence is still organized around the collection disciplines of the home agencies, not the joint mission. The importance of integrated, all source analysis cannot be overstated. Without it, it is not possible to “connect the dots”. No one component holds all the relevant information.  The biggest impediment to all source analysis – to a greater likelihood of connecting the dots – is the human or systemic resistance to sharing information. The 9-11 terrorist attacks from nearly 20 years ago had more than enough indicators before the attacks, and theRead More →

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Stage 2: Assessing the Dots Stage Do you know what the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said about preventing gun violence? The importance of detecting and addressing concerning behaviors, thoughts, or statements cannot be overstated. In fact, preventing violence by detecting and addressing these red flags is more effective than any physical security measure. Collecting, assessing, and addressing indicators (concerning behaviors, thoughts, statements, suspicious activities, etc.) is more effective than any physical security measure (cameras, alarms, locks, metal detectors, etc.). Let that sink in for a minute. Failures & challenges at this stage The Assessing the Dots Stage requires more than laws requiring schools andRead More →

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6 Stages of Preventing Introduction Do you know what the US Secret Service found while studying 41 school shootings? All attackers exhibited concerning behaviors. Most elicited concern from others, and most communicated their intent to attack.  Yes you read that right, all 41 shooters exhibited concerning behaviors (indicators) BEFORE they attacked, so all organization and community leaders need to be asking and understanding how and why 41 different schools and communities failed in their intervention and prevention responsibilities… and if they are vulnerable to failing too? For 20+ years Rick Shaw has been doing just that, researching hundreds and hundreds of different incidents and tragedies.Read More →

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In: *Connecting the Dots Blog*

Hackers and breaches create huge costs and unwanted consequences, but most were preventable. Hackers – cyber criminals, corporate espionage, state-backed countries, insiders, ex-employees, and others want your organization’s information or your money. Every day hackers are successfully breaching organizations, taking advantage of gaps, and then taking the organization’s proprietary information or holding the organization’s information for ransom. Hackers are like cockroaches; they will enter wherever gaps exist. Hackers are successful because PEOPLE (employees, contractors, third-party service providers, vendors, remote workers, etc.) lack ongoing awareness about the latest phishing, business email compromise, and ransomware attacks, creating a gap for hackers. It only takes one gap, oneRead More →

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In: *Connecting the Dots Blog*, COVID-19

As organizations are reopening and returning to work, how are you managing all the new pains and liabilities related to COVID-19 challenges on top of all the existing challenges you were already dealing with? It’s time for reopening and returning to work, however, managing lots of new COVID-19 challenges on top of all the existing challenges can create lots of new pains and liabilities too. Some of the new challenges include new and different fears, stressors, confusion, phases, compliance, and safety.  For example: How will you manage fears of employees, students, and guests who fear they may be infected with COVID-19 at work? How willRead More →

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Nearly everyone has experienced or is currently experiencing pains and fears as more shootings, acts of violence, sexual assaults, child abuse cases, suicides, and numerous other incidents and tragedies continue to occur. Are you tired of it? Have you had enough? Sadly, most incidents and tragedies are increasing rather than decreasing in numbers, which is creating more pain, more fear, and more stress for leadership, employees, students, families, and community members. Now COVID-19 stressors have added even more pain and fear. What can be done? Perhaps a better question is, what can be done right now to help reduce and prevent the pains, fears, andRead More →

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In: *Connecting the Dots Blog*, COVID-19

Major events, like the Coronavirus (COVID-19), are major problems that can lead to more major problems beyond just the scope of health and health care. HACKERS (the Villains from the Dark Web) see major events (pandemic, sports, elections, natural disasters, etc.) as opportunities to take advantage of fears, emotions, confusion, and curiosity by sending phishing emails or fake emails to trick employees, perhaps even your employees. Recipients (your employees, staff, etc.) are tricked into clicking on web links, opening attachments, or taking actions that could lead to ransomware, viruses, business email compromises, and many other problems. With more of your employees are working from homeRead More →

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In: COVID-19, Uncategorized

Attention Higher Education Decision Makers: The Coronavirus (COVID-19) is causing a lot of fear, stress, chaos, and confusion with so many different sources of tips, guidelines, apps, etc. While most leaders are currently involved in lots of meetings discussing the immediate actions (suspensions, cancellations, working remotely, online education, safety, health, etc.), it is just as critical to consider numerous other short-term and long-term problems and liabilities that need actions and solutions to address: Awareness & Accountability Liabilities caused by quick short-term decisions (working remotely, online classes, etc.) Compliance with Privacy, Safety, OSHA, etc. Lawsuits from Students, Faculty, Vendors, others Awareness & Accountability With faculty andRead More →