Validate the impact of terrorism on security management
Validate the impact of terrorism on security management in terms of access control and pre-employment screening.
Applicant screening is a vital process for organizations to choose a candidate that they feel best fits a given position or occupation. The screening process has evolved from a simple hand-written application and interview, to a highly complex and multi-faceted process including criminal background checks, financial investigations, character references and social media assessments. Depending on the job, applicants in today’s world can expect polygraph exams, drug screening and written exams. But where do we draw the line? When does applicant screening become too intrusive into one’s life? In post 9/11 America, it is very easy to see the impact terrorism has had on pre-employment screening. The screening process has become so much more in-depth; with the advent of background systems such as “E-Verify,” applicants can expect to undergo a multi-layer background investigation when applying to a new job. Some may even consider the pre-screening a bit intrusive and even reminiscent of The Patriot Act. Within the last few years, there have even been multiple legal developments about which employers must be aware and remain up-to-date in order to successfully screen their applicants while minimizing risk and avoid over-stepping their legal boundaries (Dwoskin, Squire, & Patullo, 2014).
With the rapid advances of digital technology in recent decades (more specifically, since 9/11), the capabilities of access control capabilities have drastically increased. Electronic key card readers provide uniformity, a sometimes overlooked element of access control. Fay (2011) writes “An electronic access control system is uniform because it conforms to rules and logic and treats transactions the same way every time.” With biometrics becoming increasingly prevalent among security infrastructures, the capabilities of security professionals become more effective. As we have discussed in earlier forum posts of this class, as technology increases, so does the ability for it to be breached.
Gone are the days where a facility or school is open to whomever may want to enter its doors. Terrorist attacks (i.e. active shooters) have eliminated the trust of the general public having access to specific buildings. You would be hard pressed to try to enter a facility (minus retail, grocery, banks etc.) that does not require some sort of access badge. It would be even harder to find a facility or public location that is not being monitored by closed circuit television (CCTV). These relatively recent evolutions in the realm of access control can predominately be contributed to 21st century terrorism. Much like pre-screening processes becoming more detailed and in-depth, access control is just another aspect of security management that has been forever changed by terrorism.
References
Dwoskin, L. B., Squire, M. B., & Patullo, J. (2014). Skeletons in the closet? – Legal developments in screening applicants and employees. Employee Relations Law Journal, 39(4), 24.
Fay, J. (2011). Contemporary security management (3rd ed.). US: Butterworth Heinemann.
(Need 300 word response to this forum with two references)
Terrorism is “the use or threat of violence to further a political cause” (Roser, Nagdy, & Ritchie, 2013). These include long terms goals such as “political change, revolution, nationalists fighting an occupying force, minority separatist movements” and short term to discredit the government, change public opinion on subjects, and to bring attention to a cause which might not have been previously known (Roser et. al, 2013).
Terrorists worldwide such as Islamic State and Al-Qaeda have a worldwide reach (Gunaratna, 2018) that can affect PMCs in the Arab world. Domestic terrorism in the United States could be classified as any acts of terrorism within the U.S, whether the attacker has international connections or is foreign born, however the U.S. has ecoterrorists that have attacked laboratories, animal rights’ terrorists, and lone wolf terrorists (Bjelopera, 2017). Domestic terrorism “can be described as a decentralized threat” (Bjelopera, 2017).
The impact of Terrorism on the security management since 2001 is that terrorism has expanded the industry in terms of employment and procedure with physical security. The terrorists could be near the assets (equipment, personnel, and internal networks) of security managers at any time overseas or domestically, so additional steps have been taken to scrutinize who is let in to secure areas. This includes access control measures around points of entry to guard against outsiders. Some measures include security lighting, fencing, armed security, surveillance, winding avenues of approach supplemented by barricades (Fay, 2011).
To guard against a future insider threat, companies have started screening employees prior to hiring. This protects the employees and assets from physical harm, and the company from “civil lawsuits and sanctions by watchdog agencies” (Fay, 2011). Insider threats can steal equipment, information and sell it to competitors or foreign governments, or be a simple case of workplace violence from a lone wolf terrorist. Screening may involve checking employment history, legal troubles in court, arrests, and clearance verification for federal jobs.
References:
Fay, J. (2011). Contemporary security management.
Gunaratna, R. (2018). Global Threat Forecast. Counter Terrorist Trends and Analyses, 10(1), 1-63. Retrieved February 3, 2019, from https://apus.intelluslearning.com/lti/#/document/1… B001 Win 19.
Roser, M., Nagdy, M., & Ritchie, H. (2013, July). Terrorism. Retrieved February 3, 2019, from https://apus.intelluslearning.com/lti/#/document/1… B001 Win 19
U.S.Cong. (2017). Domestic Terrorism: An Overview (pp. 1-59) (J. Bjelopera, Author) [Cong. Rept. R44921]. Congressional Research Service. Retrieved February 3, 2019, from https://fas.org/sgp/crs/terror/R44921.pdf.
Writer’s Note: listed last reference as “Congressional Publication” in APA style; reference was not an actual publication by Congress but for members of Congress.
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