This week we are discussing TSCM. For those of you who don’t know what that means….. this is from Art Lesser, 25 years in the security industry and President of Merit Security. “TSCM is a government term that stands for technical surveillance countermeasures. What that entails are things like de-bugging, sweeps, looking for devices that could be eavesdropping.” TSCM investigators look for audio or video devices that are surveilling you or your company. It’s essentially an audit to protect against loss or breach of privacy and confidentiality.
This is a concern in not only office buildings, where cell phones could very easily be leaking information unknowingly, devices could be planted….but also from someone’s home if that’s their new office. Working from home has increased the need to protect privacy and confidentiality because there isn’t that same level of security as the corporate environment. There are random people, cleaning and contracting, coming in and out of the house. That presents opportunities for listening devices to be easily placed throughout the home.
Lesser says there are so many things companies need to be thinking about. For example, telephone wiring could be running throughout the house that could be easily compromised. A reminder to also not forget about telephone boxes mounted outside the house. Those need to be frequently checked, as well as any other type of boxes outside.
As technology progresses, so does the opportunity for hackers to invade. With new 5G technology, there is a larger spectrum which means much higher frequencies for monitoring. There is an exponentially larger space to keep track of essentially, and with that, new and much higher costs of equipment to meet that challenge. Art gives this food for thought, if your company is trying to decide whether to outsource this kind of job. “You have not only the cost of equipment itself, which quickly becomes outdated, but you also have the costs of training someone to use it.”
Lesser gives more specific details on exactly what kind of devices his team looks for in the video link. Be sure to continue to check out our weekly video series on our website!
The discussion began with the selection process. How does a company go about picking the right vendor? It was suggested a score-card system be used to eliminate all bias. This way the job goes to the vendor that can accomplish what the company actually needs. Vendors were urged to be realistic when pitching themselves for jobs. Rather than overpromising, make it clear what services can and cannot be provided for the client. Transparency all the way around leads to a better chance of success with all parties.
The presentation matters a great deal when vendors are vying for a job. One tip was to rethink how that presentation is done, anything over an hour could be too long. In the event of not wasting anyone’s time, make sure the right people are in the room for the presentation on both sides. The question came up about whether an RFP (request for proposal) is necessary, instead maybe aiming for an RFI (request for information). For vendors, it was suggested they have clear reasons as to why they are different from their competitors.
This has all been selecting the vendor, but what about when you inherit one? It was agreed that a regular check-in and clearly communicating expectations is a must, even with existing relationships. It’s important not to come in and disrupt processes but all three agree sometimes relationships reach the end and you can’t be afraid to break up. The duration of the contracts also came into play. It was suggested that maybe one option is to not have contracts lasting more than two years. That allows all parties to check back in and make sure everyone’s needs are being met. Something to remember when drafting contracts, make sure all deliverables are clearly stated.
A great emphasis was placed on the importance of investing in humans. Specifically, paying thriving wages, instead of living wages for security personnel. This helps ensure employees will stay put and have more of an allegiance to the company.
Below are the takeaways from all three panelists on how to make vendor management more seamless. Click on the link and it will take you to the PP designed for panel.
There has been a 42% increase in white powder incidents in mailrooms across the country. According to RaySecur’s Will Plummer, that includes drugs, powders that are meant to disrupt and cause shutdowns and powders that are designed to do harm to those opening the piece of mail. Plummer says mail is often thought of as just mail and not properly assessed as a risk.
In this week’s edition of video series, “Strong, Safe & True,” Plummer says with the pandemic, drug dealers switched distribution from the street corners to the mail, using small enough packages that don’t get screened. In turn, corporations that don’t have proper mailroom security have unknowingly become drug traffickers. Plummer says that is a direct result of companies allowing personal mail deliveries to work.
Plummer points out that mail is something we all get delivered to our homes or/and work everyday, so it’s normal and viewed as normal, not a potential threat but in fact, it is. There are things Plummer says you can do to avoid having a costly shutdown, injury or PR nightmare on your hands.
Turn your mail delivery into a logistical system, so you know exactly when and what is arriving
Verify chain of custody
Makes sure mail screeners all follow same steps and process
Let screeners know what to look for
Keep a list of potential threats from within, because they know the system and will have the best chance at having a successful delivery
Consider purchasing scanning equipment
Watch the video for Plummer’s complete interview. Continue to come back to our website for more videos!
In a world where a lot of people are working from home, companies are still trying to figure out how exactly to keep their assets safe. In this week’s edition of our video series, “Strong, Safe & True,” we sat down with Ray Montalvo. We stepped away from interviewing someone directly in the security sector and instead, talked with Montalvo, who leads major corporations through the acquisition of real estate from inception to completion of process.
Montalvo talked to us about how he works directly with security to ensure whatever spaces are chosen are safe and can protect the company’s assets. The normal thought processes around that have changed because of COVID-19. Montalvo says they now have to consider the fact that assets are at random places, in homes, collaborative workspaces, and on unsecured networks. In addition, it also creates security concerns for employees. With a more come and go approach and collaborative workspaces, it’s hard to know who will be where and when. Hear what Ray has to say in our video. Be sure to check back on our website regularly for more videos like this one!
There’s no question the landscape of downtown Seattle has shifted and that has some employees worried about their safety. In this week’s edition of our video series, “Strong, Safe & True,” we sit down with Scott Kelly, Security Manager for Fred Hutch in Seattle.
Kelly says people coming back to the campus for work have many concerns. They are worried about what it’s going to look like to get on public transportation. Will it be safe? That’s on both the COVID-19 front and on physical safety in general, considering the increased crime in the downtown area.
Echoing the same sentiments as most destinations in the downtown area, Fred Hutch has had quite a few more incidents over the past year. Kelly says they’ve upped patrols, escort employees to and from cars and keep watch of known problem areas. Fred Hutch also offers security updates so employees are in the know. However, he offers this appeal to city leaders who continue to cut police resources that used to be available to help deal with persons in crisis. “You have to leverage the concern for individuals in crisis with people who are working to find a cure for cancer and patients who are coming onto this campus who are immunocompromised and who are at great risk.”
