Canadian security experts believe the greatest threat to national security and public safety is the lack of clear governance when responding to a threat, according to a Conference Board report.
 
“The greatest security threat is not natural disasters, terrorism, cyber-attacks or pandemics. It is establishing direction and control when the response to a disaster requires a wide range of public and private-sector organizations,” says Trefor Munn-Venn, Associate Director, National Security and Public Safety with the Conference Board of Canada. “If the relationships between these organizations fail, the human suffering and property damage due to an emergency could be prolonged and even exacerbated.”
 

Biometric technologies often provoke images of Star Trek or Big Brother. But, with more accurate, less expensive choices available, biometrics — a technique of analyzing an individual’s unique characteristics such as fingerprints or eye structure — is becoming a useful tool for verification and access control. While not a panacea, biometrics is finding a place within government and industry, from border control to secure banking.

Anyone responsible for corporate risk assessment knows that keeping tabs on the threat landscape is a much weightier task than it was a decade ago. From security and safety risks to environmental and brand protection documenting risk is a process that has moved beyond the realm of just a pen and paper checklist. It’s also a concern that feeds into virtually every business unit.