Understanding Personal Security and Risk

Charles Goslin is a retired CIA operations officer who served throughout the world in a wide range of capacities that bridged covert technical and HUMINT operations. He continues actively consulting in retirement on international intelligence, security and risk issues faced by multinational corporations operating in some of the world’s most hostile regions. Charles experience offers unique value for the business traveler that must, out of necessity, venture into "Indian Country." His perspective is one drawn from years working in the trenches of the third-world, rather than the relative comfort of a Washington office. Charles has authored and published numerous white papers on the security threat and business risk issues, and lectures regularly on terrorist radicalization and the threat of jihadist groups to Europe and the U.S. He has worked abroad in India, Africa, Central & South America, Europe and the Middle East with personal experience in crisis management and evacuation of facilities and personnel on numerous occasions. His expertise has been solicited by national media, both broadcast and print.

• Table of ContentsAcknowledgements * About the Author *Charles E. Goslin, CPP, CISSP *Introduction *Chapter 1 – Important Personal Security Concepts *Concept of Effectiveness *Concepts of Threat, Vulnerability and Risk *Concept of Time *Committing a security plan to memory *Threat Agents and Threat Actors *Chapter 2 – Personal Security Principles *The Principle of Preparation *Principle of Detection *Principle of Deterrence *Principle of Delay *The Principle of Defense *Selected Threat Actor Profile: Street Gangsters *Chapter 3 - When travel plans go sideways *Arrival at the Airport *On the road: checkpoints and roadblocks *Selected Threat Actor Profiles: Roadblocks and Military, Insurgents and Police *Chapter 4 - Kidnapping *Classifying Types of Kidnap/Abduction Operations *Tip of the Iceberg: Keeping Kidnap Threat Trends in Perspective *Measures to Counter the Kidnap Threat *Recovering from Kidnap *Executive Protection: Key Elements of a Program *Selected Threat Actor Profile: The mindset of a Kidnapper *Chapter 5 – Patterns of threat in the environment *Cover of darkness *Alcohol, Drugs & the Environment *"Broken Windows" *Natural Disasters *Civil Disorder and Rioting *Chapter 6 - Hotel and Residential Security *Considerations when choosing a hotel *Residential Security *Selected Threat Actor Profiles: Pickpockets, Thieves and the World’s Oldest Profession… *Chapter 7 – Cyber Security On The Road *"Darkhotel" Threat *Foreign Intelligence Service Threat *Identity Theft Abroad *Chapter 8 – Shopping, the Sports Stadium, Theatres…Soft Targets *Preparation *Detection *Considerations about the threat *Response Countermeasure 1: Active Shooters *Response Countermeasure 2: Suicide Bomber *Selected Threat Actor Profiles: The Jihadist Suicide Bomber *Chapter 9 - Risk Assessment for Personal Security *Step 1: Asset Identification and Impact of Loss *Step 2: Identify & Characterize the Threat to Specific Assets *Step 3: Identify & Characterize Vulnerabilities *Step 4: Assess Risks & Determine Priorities for You and Your Team’s Protection *Step 5: Identify unacceptable risks and determine Risk Mitigation priorities *Chapter 10 – Personal Security and Transportation: Securing Your Movement *Introduction *Ground Transportation: Vehicle and Rail *Air Transportation *Chapter 11 – Managing Your Team’s Personal Security *Authority *Communications *The Team Briefing *On The Ground *Roadblock Protocol *At the Hotel *Managing Crisis Situations *Conclusion *

"[W]hy choose this [book]? Two reasons at least. First, Goslin has been there and done that, and he relates it and draws sensible and useful conclusions. For instance, he recalls the two 'genuine in-flight emergencies' that he has experienced. Second, from start to finish he puts his finger on what he calls 'the red-headed stepchild of the overall discipline of security', namely personal security training and awareness. He states the obvious, which does want stating: that personal security comes down to you, the traveller, and no other; tracking devices are all very well, but if you are the 'tip of the spear' of business development, in some obscure part of the world, you have to apply thought, beyond that 45 minute briefing you had before setting off from corporate security (or HR). Third, something else Goslin shrewdly points out; the world is 'increasingly insecure': for instance, kidnappers may go after mid-level employees, for smaller ransoms, rather than take longer to get millions for the senior exec captured…it takes homework, watching the terrain, and being observant for your self-defence." – Professional Security Magazine Online, Summer 2018"When you start using the information in a book you're reviewing before you even finish reading it, that's a sign the book has great value. That is what happened with Understanding Personal Security and Risk by Charles E. Goslin." -- Terry V. Culver, CPP, CMAS, Security Management, June 2018