5 Steps to Derail an Attack on a Soft Target

5 Steps to Derail an Attack on a Soft Target

Since the terrorist attacks overseas in November, United States officials are on high alert. The incidents in Paris, Beirut, Belgium and Mali have proved that terrorists are currently targeting areas populated greatly by civilians. Security experts call these kinds of places soft targets. They are easy for a terrorist to strike, and nearly impossible for heroic individuals to defend.

In the days following the threats overseas, many American cities have been under the threat of a potential attack. Washington D.C. was one of the first to be called out by name and in the subsequent weeks, New York City and Atlanta have also heard their named mentioned in conjunction with a terrorist attack.

While there is no concrete threat towards any place in the United States as of currently, authorities urge security professionals to engage with those in the vicinity in order to better to protect from a potential threat.

“Instead of just having a passive security guards who stand still, engage in conversation,” William Braniff, the executive director of the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism said. “Move around outside of a sports venue, outside of a shopping mall and engage with people. By doing this, you’re not off-putting, you’re not menacing. Instead, you are just probing a little bit.”

The idea is for security teams to ask questions about why people came to the venue and who they are all while looking for people who may be nervous or seem out of place. If someone is not able to provide basic answers or seems overly nervous, security can intercept a potential attacker before he is prepared to strike, giving security a better chance at disrupting the attack.

Minneapolis police, in conjunction with the NFL and terrorism experts have put together a set of instructions for people in the city explaining how to intercept terrorists before they can attack. These steps can be used by police, security officers, or civilians.

There are eight steps of instruction based on intelligence that suggests ISIS and al-Qaida terrorists have gone through great lengths to prepare their attacks in the past. Each step provides an opportunity to derail an attack before it happens.

The first step is Surveillance. Often, terrorists will observe the site of a planned attack well in advance, sometimes even with enhanced vision devices. Look out for those taking pictures of things tourists normally wouldn’t bother with – doors, security checkpoints, and staff areas.

The next is Information Gathering; the initial observations can include asking detailed questions of people onsite about things like shift changes, or access to facilities. Also, watch for people who seem to be testing the security officers, the next step in the sequence. Sometimes those who are leading an attack will conducts tests, like creating a disturbance just to see how long it takes for an official to engage.

Sometimes, terrorist try to disguise themselves as construction workers, hospital officials or even police to gain access to places they are not supposed to be. Be wary of those who seem to slip from place to place undetected and be on the lookout for reports of missing gear.

Last but not least, the final moment in which to derail an attack is right before deployment. In the last minutes before the strike, they will be gathering gear and transporting themselves to the scene. Look out for people who may be concealing weapons under their clothing or may be rushed to get somewhere.

As always, if you see anything suspicious, immediately call 911. The faster the police can arrive to the scene, the less time the attackers will have before someone stops them.

About the Author

Sydny Shepard is the Executive Editor of Campus Security & Life Safety.

Featured

  • New Report Reveals Top Security Risks for U.S. Retail Chains

    Interface Systems, a provider of security, actionable insights, and purpose-built networks for multi-location businesses, has released its 2024 State of Remote Video Monitoring in Retail Chains report. The detailed study analyzed over 2 million monitoring requests across 4,156 retail locations in the United States from September 2023 to August 2024. Read Now

  • Gaining a Competitive Edge

    Ask most companies about their future technology plans and the answers will most likely include AI. Then ask how they plan to deploy it, and that is where the responses may start to vary. Every company has unique surveillance requirements that are based on market focus, scale, scope, risk tolerance, geographic area and, of course, budget. Those factors all play a role in deciding how to configure a surveillance system, and how to effectively implement technologies like AI. Read Now

  • 6 Ways Security Awareness Training Empowers Human Risk Management

    Organizations are realizing that their greatest vulnerability often comes from within – their own people. Human error remains a significant factor in cybersecurity breaches, making it imperative for organizations to address human risk effectively. As a result, security awareness training (SAT) has emerged as a cornerstone in this endeavor because it offers a multifaceted approach to managing human risk. Read Now

  • The Stage is Set

    The security industry spans the entire globe, with manufacturers, developers and suppliers on every continent (well, almost—sorry, Antarctica). That means when regulations pop up in one area, they often have a ripple effect that impacts the entire supply chain. Recent data privacy regulations like GDPR in Europe and CPRA in California made waves when they first went into effect, forcing businesses to change the way they approach data collection and storage to continue operating in those markets. Even highly specific regulations like the U.S.’s National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) can have international reverberations – and this growing volume of legislation has continued to affect global supply chains in a variety of different ways. Read Now

Featured Cybersecurity

Webinars

New Products

  • AC Nio

    AC Nio

    Aiphone, a leading international manufacturer of intercom, access control, and emergency communication products, has introduced the AC Nio, its access control management software, an important addition to its new line of access control solutions. 3

  • A8V MIND

    A8V MIND

    Hexagon’s Geosystems presents a portable version of its Accur8vision detection system. A rugged all-in-one solution, the A8V MIND (Mobile Intrusion Detection) is designed to provide flexible protection of critical outdoor infrastructure and objects. Hexagon’s Accur8vision is a volumetric detection system that employs LiDAR technology to safeguard entire areas. Whenever it detects movement in a specified zone, it automatically differentiates a threat from a nonthreat, and immediately notifies security staff if necessary. Person detection is carried out within a radius of 80 meters from this device. Connected remotely via a portable computer device, it enables remote surveillance and does not depend on security staff patrolling the area. 3

  • 4K Video Decoder

    3xLOGIC’s VH-DECODER-4K is perfect for use in organizations of all sizes in diverse vertical sectors such as retail, leisure and hospitality, education and commercial premises. 3