The subject of internet security is often overlooked. It’s true everyone knows that you need to protect your computer from viruses, but what about the threat of employees stealing your data, or your children talking to people via the many different instant messenger programmes or social networks?

Being content thinking that you know your employees wouldn’t steal your data or spend all day on the internet does nothing to protect you if that does happen. It’s the same just trusting your children to not talk to strangers online or visit adult related sites. The chances are they could be doing ot now!

I recently attended a seminar where I got chatting to a very nice lady about the internet. On finding out that I worked in personal security, she told me that a family member had recently bought a laptop computer for her son who is 12. She went on to tell me that she had spoken to him regarding internet protocol for children and ensured that he only surfed the net when there was an adult present … then one night she found him chatting to people in secret on MSM and she had no idea who they were! This worried her and now she was asking me what she could do to change this.

Fortunately this is an area I have covered before with clients, so I recommended that she looked at a product called Net Nanny, Security Software.

Net Nanny from Content Watch is simple to use, fully customizable software that you can install on any PC or Mac. You can use the simple set-up assistant to help you determine what online activities (Web sites, chat, gaming and social networks) are appropriate based on your family member’s age. What is also quite amazing is that the Net Nanny software also monitors IM (Internet Messenger) and can alert you via email if it deems something to be inappropriate.

There are many other features to this software so it’s definitely worth checking out. The company that produces this software has also moved with the times and have now released a version for mobile phones. You now never have to wonder about who your children are talking to again.

So that’s home covered. But what about protecting your business interests? Well you can also use similar software produced by Content Watch, the same company that makes Net Nanny.  As with the home version, the software sits quietly in the background filtering content and increasing productivity while reducing liability.

The internet has changed our lives forever. It has become such a part of our lives that it is the first place people turn to when they need something. But what people often forget is that the internet is a semi-policed other world. You can find anything and everything there. You can be anyone you want to be there and more worrying, people can be any age they want to be. It brings people together from every corner of the world and because we use the internet every day, we sometimes forget that bad things happen online as well.

If you’re a parent, taking a small step like installing a $40 piece of software can dramatically reduce the risk of your child doing things online that they shouldn’t be.

Most training companies today are happy to take anyone’s money, teach them the very basics and then show them the door. As such, the security industry today is flooded with personnel who have no experience and generally no skill. This has had a knock on effect to the industry as a whole. Whereas the Close Protection industry was a once specialized area that you could only crack with hard work, it’s now open to anyone who can pay £1500 for a course. Looking in from the outside, my years of experience means nothing as I now have the same licence as the shelf-stacker from Tesco who fancied being a bodyguard, did a course and got a licence.

So what has this done to the industry? The person who has just obtained his licence now need some experience. I have personally seen people offer their services to companies for free to get this experience. Some companies see this as an opportunity to create more profit, so they are happy to supply less-experienced security officers on tasks that may require a more suitable person. Once again, it’s the client who pays the price at the end of the day.

With the influx of people into every licensing sector, the security industry standard has dropped significantly.

It Starts With The Training Providers

As security training providers, it is possible that we can do our part to raise the standard of security officers. I offer a Close Protection Course, but I select every person who attends. My goal is to be able to say that I would work with every single person that attends my course. Selection is not a difficult process, just an informal chat about your expectations for your close protection career, what you have done to prepare and a few other simple questions. But if I feel you are not ready, then I’ll tell you. We do tell people what they can do to better prepare but they are more than welcome to use a different training provider if they wish. People who do attend my course will find it both physically and mentally challenging.

People who work in Close Protection need to be fit. They need to be able to communicate in English. They need to be able to work on their own and they have to be dedicated to what they are doing.

Security Training Is A Business

There are many people who make a living from the security training business, but since the introduction of the Security Industry Authority (SIA), sadly it has been to the detriment of the security industry.

If you are a person serious about Close Protection Training, make sure you get the very best training you can afford. Ensure that your instructor has at least got some real-world experience. Visit the many different security forums and ask questions about training providers. If you use the search facility you will find hundreds of posts on the subject of Close Protection Training. There  are some great courses available for between £1,400 – £2,000.

So Is Selection Really Necessary?

I think so for two main reasons.

1. It raises the level of Close Protection Officers entering the field.

2. For our course, it ensures everyone is 100% dedicated to the training and knows where they are going and what they want. As we offer a residential course they will live and breath close protection for two weeks. This ensures everyone gets the most from their training.

The bottom line is that it would be an uphill struggle to make any changes to the security industry as it is at the moment … But nothing is impossible! One step at a time, one training provider at a time.

Having worked in security for most of my life, it is now second nature for me to look at what security is in place when I visit somewhere. This usually takes the form of just having a look at how the security officers operate.

If you are going to employ security service, then you obviously have something specific in mind that you want them to do. I recently visited a well-known high-street supermarket that I have been to many times in my local area. I know that they employ one security officer.  On entry there was no security – nothing wrong with that so far. Having a quick look around I couldn’t see security anywhere. I could however, see who I thought was a traffic warden thumbing through the newspapers. However, on closer inspection I noticed a tiny badge on her hat that said security. By the time I left the supermarket, she was standing by the front door looking totally disinterested in what was going on. She looked in a world of her own.

I understand that this store uses security as more of a deterrent rather than to catch shoplifters, but for this to work your security officer needs to be seen as being alert and proactive. Having a security officer completely disinterested in what they are doing can have the reverse effect, making your premises an easier target.

Security in this store would have been arranged by head office, who possibly have never even been to the shop. The store manager won’t get a say and will just have to make do with whoever he gets sent.

Security officers are still ambassadors for the store / business they are working in. They may be asked for their recommendations on how security can be improved, and if the security officer doesn’t know, who does?

The security company who hold this contract are a recognized company. The problem today,  is that it is more important for large companies to secure the contract and protect the bottom line, than supply quality security officers who actually have an interest in what they are doing.  Protecting the bottom line usually comes at a cost to the client. Just because someone holds an SIA licence, doesn’t necessarily mean they know anything about security.

But sometimes security can be misunderstood. You have proactive security officers but the person arranging security doesn’t really know how to deploy them properly.

Take my recent visit to the cinema. It was a large 15 screen cinema with a bar and a few uniformed male security officers. On the front door to the cinema was one officer standing at a table just inside the doorway looking in women’s bags as they entered. The first problem was that there were two separate ways in to the building, so if you wanted to bring something in, you could just take the lift from the car park! There were also no signs posted on the way in informing people they may be subject to a bag search. It was good that security were being proactive, but they did need some direction from a person who understands how security works.

I once heard someone say ‘If I can’t get a job, I’ll just go and work in security‘. That is the person who will work for minimum wage for a large security company, who will then be posted at a clients premises expected to look after their best interests.

Over the years, the way security contracts are procured has changed. Clients are now more likely to be talking about their security requirements with a salesman, rather than with someone who actually understands what they need. A key accounts manager in charge of securing new contracts will start on a salary of £42,000, while the person you really need to look after your business could be working for £5.75 per hour and have no interest in what they are doing.

It’s not just about supplying ‘bodies’

There is of course a place for the large security companies, but sometimes it might be better to work with the smaller professional security companies who are usually able to offer the same services as the larger companies, but who keep their emphasis on the work rather than the profit margin.

The SIA (Security Industry Authority) is a UK Government body that was started in 2004 to oversee the security industry. The SIA have two main purposes, one of which is to licence security officers. This is done by sector and being a Close Protection Officer is subject to this requirement.

To gain a licence to work in Close Protection you are required to complete 14 day Close Protection Course and hold a First Aid At Work qualification. At the end of the course you will have to take and pass an exam in order to apply for your Close Protection Licence. Subject to your application being approved, you will then get you SIA Close Protection Licence. Close Protection courses are a minimum of 150 hours and cover core competencies as set out by the SIA.

Since the introduction of Close Protection licences, there have been a large number of training providers springing up all over the place. With courses costing in the region of £1500, the CP training arena has become a crowded market place.

Personally, I strongly believe that if someone is going to teach me something, then I at least want them to have first-hand experience in what they are teaching. How could someone teach a Close Protection Course having never worked in close protection? Well unfortunately it happens on a regular basis.

As a Security Operations and Training Company, Capitol Risk has now put together a fully comprehensive SIA Close Protection Training Course.

As an operational security company who offer professional security training, we are in an ideal position to teach you exactly what you need to know to work in Close Protection.

We have put together a FULLY RESIDENTIAL 14 day Close Protection training course in Spain. We have made this course residential in order to provide you with the very best learning experience.  Our Close Protection Course also INCLUDES the First Aid at Work (FAAW) qualification (usually £200) AND incorporates our Krav Maga for Close Protection course which usually costs £297 but we have included FREE on this course.

WARNING: You Will Work Hard On This Course

The Capitol Risk Close Protection Course goes above and beyond the SIA core competencies.

Included in the cost of this course are:

• Return Flights from Stansted Airport
• Transfers in Spain
• Insurance
• High Standard Accommodation
• 3 Fully Prepared Meals Per Day (Spain Only)
• All Training Materials
• First Aid At Work Course (Usually £200)
• Krav Maga for Close Protection Course (Usually £297)

But that’s not all…

On our Close Protection course we do actually talk to you about creating CV’s and applying for work. We want to help point you in the right direction once you have your Close Protection licence, so we have put together a COMPREHENSIVE RESOURCES PACK to help you in your Close Protection career. As far as we know, we are the only security training company to offer you this. Our resources pack contains:

• List of over 200 security companies with web site links
• Ebook on how to create  professional CV’s
• Ebook on how to create professional cover letters
• Professional CV templates
• HUGE selection of security form templates that we have used when planning operations
• Colour head shot and full length body shot

Our students are always welcome to call us if they need help or advice after their course.

As per SIA requirements, your exam will be taken in the UK on the final day of your course at a recognized training facility. The awarding body for this exam is Edxcel.

The cost for this course is £1650inc

If you hold a valid SIA licence or are entitled to our 10% discount, the price for this course drops to just £1485inc

Professional Security Training By Professional Security Operators

As security operators and trainers, we see things from both sides, which is why we believe in bring you outstanding training at a sensible cost. We let out training do the talking by keeping our costs low while not holding back on the things necessary to give you the very best learning experience.

Honesty, Integrity and Loyalty

Our core security business is built on the foundation of Honesty, Integrity and Loyalty. We want you to be sure that our close protection course is the right one for you and that it is the right time for you to do it. We will not talk you into completing our course. We will not lie to you about our courses. We will do everything we can to help you along the way if you choose to train with us.

We treat you the same way we would like to be treated ourselves.

For more information, please call us on +44 (0)5601 56 8485 or email us at training@capitolrisk.co.uk

There are many documented cases of famous people who have been away from home and had their houses targeted by thieves. More serious cases have reported the persons family being held at knife-point.

Stories such as these could have been avoided by means of a simple risk assessment. If you are going on holiday or leaving town for a couple of days and half the world know where you are, then you should put together a simple security plan to safeguard your home and/or family. What people sometime forget, is that it’s not just the law-abiding citizens who are reading the news papers and magazines.

For celebrities who need the media for their careers, they must remember that the thing that keeps them in the public eye can also be their enemy. I remember seeing a large photo in a tabloid news paper of a football player leaving his house, wallet in hand, and it was clearly stuffed with £50 notes! Possible future target?

Its not a case of surrounding yourself with bodyguards. It’s about making yourself aware that being in the public eye can make you a target, and raising your personal security awareness could dramatically lessen your chances of becoming a victim of crime. Just because something hasn’t happened, doesn’t mean that it won’t happen in the future.

The number one rule of personal security is that YOU are responsible for your own personal security!

This rule doesn’t mean you have to undertake every aspect of your own security. Just recognizing that you need to make some changes and reporting them to the security manager is a great start. If you work for a large corporation or are a celebrity in your field, you will usually have an in-house  security manager you can ask for advice.  They should then be able to make some recommendations  for you. If you don’t have an in-house security manager but still recognize you might need to make some changes, then contacting a trusted, professional and experienced company like Capitol Risk is a good place to start.

Building a relationship with a good security company can be an invaluable asset.  It’s assuring knowing you have someone to turn to if you really need help any time of the day or night.

Supplying security services now days is more than just about supplying security officers. Capitol Risk for example can organize for you to be picked up, driven to a private airport to meet a private aircraft and then flown to an exclusive luxury paradise island. Then once you are fully relaxed, bring you all the way back home to your door step. If you would one day be on holiday and happen to find yourself in the middle of a political uprising, then we would also be in a position to get security officers to you and get you out of the country.  Extensive networks and connections enable us to bring you fully managed security services for every aspect of your life.

I once had a client say to me that he wasn’t going to call me about a specific task as it was only small and he thought it would be too much trouble. I told him that it doesn’t matter what the task is, it’s always best to call as that’s what we are here for; and I would say that to everyone who might think the same. Every security task we undertake gets 100% of our dedication, nothing is ever too small.

Remember – There is no such thing as random crime.

Making arrangements and using security services before something happens is never a waste of time or money.

The great thing about this training device is that unlike training with a live blade, the person wielding the shocknife doesn’t mind making contact with you!

See the Capitol Risk Personal Security Training courses HERE

This will be the first personal security training course in the UK to use the shocknife.

This will be an intensive day and will start at 0930hrs and finish at 1700hrs.

The cost for this course is £97 BUT if you sign up with your name and email address on the Personal Security Training web site home page, you will be offered this course for A VERY SPECIAL PRICE!

I can honestly say that we will probably never offer a course at this price again. Please note that if you sign up you will have to reply to an automated confirmation email.

Sign up today and 24 hours later you will get the offer. Places are strictly limited so to avoid dissapointment please book early.

This  really is a genuine, one-off course we are doing so please don’t miss out.

We at Capitol Risk believe that training should be as close to the real thing as possible, which is why we are happy to invest in  training aids that we genuinely think will have a positive effect on the courses we offer.

This  excellent training device brings knife defence training to a whole new level!

The great thing about the Shocknife is that the level of shock is adjustable … and let me tell you now … I have been hit with this thing on full (7,500 volts) and it probably feels as close to being stabbed as you’d ever want to get! And after you get hit once, you don’t want to get hit again! With the electrical cracking sounds (similar to a stungun sound), it’s a pretty intimidating device too!

As far as we know, we are the only Personal Security Training company to use this device in the UK.

We have a special one-off, one day knife defence training course coming up in London on the 11th October, where we will be introducing the shocknife.

The cost of this course is £97 with a standard  10% discount for SIA licence holders and frontline public sector workers taking the price down to £87.

Check out a few of the courses we currently offer at www.personalsecuritytraining.co.uk

You can now get all the new course dates sent direct to your inbox so you never have to check back on the site to see when a specific training course is being held.

Not only that, we will send you the dates first, BEFORE we even put them on our own training calendar. You never have to miss a training course again!

Look out for this great new feature on the new Personal Security Training website home page … Coming soon.

+44 (0)5601 56 8485

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