2020 Travel Security Special Edition

In an increasingly global and connected world, understanding the broad spectrum of travel security threats organisations and employees will face in 2020 and beyond is crucial.

editorial

Understanding industry-specific threats and their commercial implications will remain a focal point for our team in 2020. When the worst happens, it is vital to know that the people responding to your crisis have the knowledge, experience, and expertise to see you through. We will continue to assist our clients develop appropriate measures to counter the travel security threats they face, whether this is through timely and accurate intelligence, the correct insurance policies, or tailored journey management plans. Read the article. 

Held to ransom: Kidnapping and extortion in the extractive sector

Mining, oil, and gas sites based in isolated and sparsely populated locations can expose the extractive sector to operational vulnerability. These lucrative industries have been known to pay large ransom and extortion sums, making it an attractive target to would-be assailants. In this article, we highlight emerging travel security trends in the sector by looking at kidnapping and extortion case studies in Burkina Faso, Libya, and Mexico. Read the article.

Braving the high seas: Threats to commercial shipping

Piracy and kidnap incidents continue to impact commercial shipping. The number of incidents has declined only marginally over the past year and piracy, terrorism, and geopolitical tensions remain persistent threats. In this article, we analyse global incident hotspots and speak to Patrick Rogers, a maritime security expert at S-RM, who shares his knowledge on the security issues in the maritime sector. Read the article.

Providing aid in conflict environments: Security threats facing NGO workers

Exposure to insecure operating environments means that humanitarian workers are frequently at risk. The motivation behind attacks varies significantly depending on the regional or country-level context, and can be financial, political or even incidental in nature. With commentary from Gabrielle Reid, a Senior Associate on S-RM’s Africa desk, we delve into a selection of case studies from countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan where NGO workers are targets. Read the article.

travel troubles: Emerging Crime trends in the tourism sector

This year has seen the development of numerous crime, kidnapping and scam-related trends that have had a significant impact on both tourists and the hospitality industry globally. In this article we highlight recent crime trends and incidents, and ask Peter Dolamore, one of S-RM’s security consulting experts, to share some actionable insights on how to better protect against security threats while travelling internationally. Read the article.

lessons learned: Active assailant attacks in schools

While improved preparation and response capabilities can limit casualties, predicting the occurrence of specific violent attacks remains a challenging issue for the education sector. In this article, we explore the often arbitrary and unpredictable nature of active assailant attacks in schools. Read the article.

Expert insight: Kidnap and extortion

Responding to kidnap and extortion cases can be a testing exercise, and some recent changes in incident dynamics have added to the complexity. Shorter kidnap durations, technological developments, and the need to liaise with government agencies each present their own challenges for responders, but the underlying principles of successfully resolving incidents remain unchanged. We speak to David Lawson, S-RM’s Deputy Head of Crisis Response, about how these issues impact the way kidnap responders operate. Read the article.

Read our 2020 Political Violence Special Edition for more global security insights.