All ASIS Pandemic Resources

Airports have seen a drastic reduction in international travel due to the coronavirus pandemic. Once traffic resumes, however, security screeners will need to hit the ground running.

As organizations double down on remote work policies, security leaders shift their management, communication, and mentorship styles to foster team wellness and personal resilience.

Incoming ASIS President John Petruzzi, Jr., CPP, shares his thoughts on the challenges presented by 2020 and their continuing effects on the security industry and the Society.

With the proliferation of connected homes, virtual assistants, and smartphones, abusers have more tools than ever to track and control victims. When the workplace enters the home, however, this puts employees and employers at increased risk.

After COVID-19 is resolved, 37 percent of organizations worldwide expect more than half of their workforce to continue to want to work remotely, compared to only 19 percent pre-pandemic, Cisco found. But, the turn to decentralized workforces presents security challenges.

Even as the coronavirus pandemic continues its third wave in the United States, the Las Vegas casino and gaming industry works to reopen responsibly, keeping in mind its duties to guests and employees, as well as its status as an economic engine for the state of Nevada.

“As witnessed in the past, economic crises are fertile ground for the growth of organized crime in terms of its scope of activities and its influence,” according to a report from Europol.

As companies begin readying their workforce for a new normal in anticipation of use of widespread COVID vaccine, eLearning can offer a safe, flexible, and perhaps more efficient method of ensuring business travelers are appropriately versed in risk mitigation wherever they go.

The travel and tourism industries—and those organizations looking to relaunch business travel—must be flexible enough to deal with the uncertainty of the virus as well as the constantly shifting regulatory landscape of every country.

For a few fortunate companies, the coronavirus pandemic has spiked demand for their goods and services. The urgency of getting more people on the job—paired with the delay in getting background information from courts and other institutions—has put some organizations in a bind.

The USS Midway Museum’s video management platform gives its IT and security departments flexibility in terms of tailoring hardware to the site’s warship surroundings and allowing individual access to select camera views.

As shopping habits evolve, are retailers ready to deal with shifting shrink and fraud trends both in-store and online?

All in all, 25 percent of Gen Z American employees surveyed said they will be worse off when the pandemic is over.

NIST researchers put facial recognition software to the test and found that face masks seriously stymie accuracy rates of pre-pandemic algorithms.

Monitoring tools can track productivity and guard against security threats, but employers should weigh the benefits against the legal risks.

Not all risk mitigation measures are made equal. When managers deploy countermeasures without first understanding and addressing the company’s own specific risk posture, they are contributing to “security theater”—a concept that refers to security measures that make people feel more secure without doing anything to actually improve their security.

Global lockdowns forced supply chains to hit the brakes. Cargo thieves hit the gas.

Security awareness training can fill two roles: educating the workforce and reinforcing company culture, especially during a crisis.

Extreme challenges present opportunities to do things better. Leaders are at a major inflection point, affording the chance to reroute connections and revise how they lead industries, endeavors, and teams—which has implications for safety and security.

Emerging technology, changing client demands, and multigenerational staff management were already changing the hiring process for security staffing companies. Then COVID-19 came along.

“The push for companies to show what they are doing for the greater good will only intensify through the lens of the pandemic; the public will want to know whether companies put people or profits first during this global crisis,” says Allison Wood, an associate director at Control Risks.

As in-person classes resume, pandemic-triggered stressors may take their toll on student behavior and security’s response.

The wide scale of the coronavirus pandemic, which has touched six continents, presents a wide stage for corruption, backroom deals, and fraud.

Alongside the COVID-19 pandemic, a less-publicized public health crisis is surging across the globe—domestic violence. This guide for employers can help address employee needs and workplace concerns during remote work and return-to-work settings.

Updated 23 July: This technical university in southeast Asia—which has a 75-acre campus and serves about 15,000 students—initially treated the COVID-19 outbreak as an influenza event, activating its business continuity practices and assembling its executive level crisis management team.

Updated 23 July: The pandemic has had a significant impact on all of this NGO's operations around the world. Office and administrative staff now work from home, and travel has been largely shut down, putting connectivity and technology to the test.

Updated 6 July: The COVID-19 social distancing and stay-at-home orders have ravaged the restaurant industry in the United States, and part of that loss has been borne by food and agriculture companies. As restaurant demand has slackened, this food and agriculture company has pivoted to retail, pumping much more product into supermarkets to match demand.

Updated 2 July: This financial institution focuses on underserved populations—individuals and businesses that would not be able to get loans or credit elsewhere. COVID-19 and the subsequent economic downturn has hit this bank’s clients the hardest.

Updated 7 August: The economic downturn has savaged retail businesses, though stores with significant online operations have been able to keep some operations going. That is the case for a U.S.-based clothing retailer with close to 1,000 corporate-run brick-and-mortar locations throughout North America, as well as franchised locations globally.

As organizations reopen their facilities, they must be aware of threats that may arise from a lack of human presence during shelter-at-home orders, such as the opportunity for Legionnaires’ disease outbreaks.

A long-term push for digital transformation paid off for Microsoft’s security department when COVID-19 disrupted global operations.

Employees are an organization’s most valuable asset. Businesses that implement robust and sustainable strategies to take care of their people during the COVID-19 pandemic will fare better than those that do no not.

Updated 17 June: A Europe-based polymer company with hundreds of facilities around the world has taken a glocal approach when responding to the coronavirus pandemic. Country security managers have established their own crisis management teams, so they could pull information from local plant and site managers.

Updated 28 July: Because this Canada-based global financial institution has major operations in Asia, corporate security was alerted to the coronavirus early on. Business continuity, HR, legal, corporate security, real estate, and executives came together to sort out roles and responsibilities.

Updated 28 July: Many retailers of nonessential goods have been forced to close up shop and concentrate on online sales, and this global retailer is no exception.

Harding University Assistant Director of Public Safety Kevin Davis discusses how security at his school managed the pandemic-related campus closure and what they doing to prepare for what comes next.

In this Security Snapshot video, Nicole McDargh, CPP, Regional Director, Physical Security, Health, Safety, and Building & Offices Services, Richemont Europe, shares how existing emergency management plans stacked up against COVID-19 and how reopening plans require flexibility, agility, and quick innovation.

Laying off employees is always painful, but having to do so when they are completely remote adds a new wrinkle: What should employers do to protect the company's data on laptops and other devices when letting remote workers go?

Threat actors tend to be one-step ahead of corporate security. Scams that prey on fear and concern related to the coronavirus show how they’re taking advantage of the pandemic.

The coronavirus pandemic has been used by some to promote false explanations for destabilizing purposes.

PODCAST: Andre Simons and Terri Patterson of Control Risks join SM Highlights host Chuck Harold to discuss leadership practices and how to build team resilience during times of crisis—particularly during the current pandemic.

VIDEO: Machiel toe Water, global head of physical and personnel security for Philips, joins Colm Clarke for a discussion about how effective preexisting emergency management plans were in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, how changes in manufacturing priorities affected security initiatives, and more in this Security Snapshot video interview.

At this time, there is tremendous value in briefly pausing to reflect on the organization’s COVID-19 journey to date and conduct an “in-flight” incident review as a means of optimizing the approach going forward.

WEBINAR: In this webinar, presented jointly by ASIS International and Security Industry Association (SIA), panelists will discuss a risk-based approach to infectious disease response planning and propose a series of enhanced physical security measures that can assist organizations in protecting key areas of their facilities.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) gave employers the green light to take employees' temperatures to try and ward off the spread of the coronavirus. But will taking temperatures really work?

For international business services company PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), managing business continuity and crisis response to the coronavirus pandemic has tested its international, regional and national capabilities. However, key steps—such as the early creation of a dedicated task force for information sharing—have driven a more streamlined, agile crisis response.

Security directors add value when they find data-based leading indicators that can help an organization prepare in advance for the risk factors unfolding as a result of COVID-19.

In this series of five videos, Sarah J. Powell, director of emergency management at Temple University, shares insights and experiences on the psychosocial impacts of managing your teams and yourself through critical incidents.

In the face of the coronavirus pandemic, many companies shut down their offices and told people to work from home. As they begin to reopen, companies will face several major hurdles in their mail centers.

With U.S. unemployment now at record levels, Allied Universal and G4S are swimming against the current by hiring tens of thousands of new security professionals.

PODCAST: The Security Management podcast features an interview with Dr. James Cawood, CPP, PCI, PSP, on domestic abuse issues rising from the pandemic and Paul Mercer on the potential for increased civil unrest.

Using an ESRM-based approach can help organizations re-emerge after facing major, pandemic-induced disruptions.

WEBINAR: Presented jointly by the SIA RISE Committee and ASIS Young Professionals (YP) Working Group, this webinar discuss ways up-and-coming security professionals can take forward strides in their personal and professional development even in the midst of a global pandemic.

As news proliferates yet public interest wanes, security leaders face myriad challenges to present accurate, timely, and actionable information to key decision makers. Here, two CSOs share their tips for communicating and influencing perception during the pandemic.

The ASIS Cultural Properties Council white paper, available to ASIS members, provides a general overview of guidelines and policies museums and other cultural properties should consider as they begin the reopen process.

WEBINAR: This webinar will touch on critical legal topics, including personnel risk and duty of care, how to effectively manage staff designated as essential employees, front-line security officers working outside of their traditional scope, and hiring and onboarding new employees.

To help security professionals benchmark and learn from one another, the ASIS Foundation has launched a new project to track and share case studies illustrating security’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Effective leadership in the current crisis requires prioritizing your mental well-being alongside that of your employees.

Convention centers have played an important role in regional pandemic response. Here are some lessons learned from those put into use so far.

The coronavirus pandemic could stir further global destabilization even after the virus is contained.

On 24 April, President Trump enacted H.R. 266 to provide additional funding to the popular small business loan programs created under the “Phase 3” COVID-19 relief package in March. This brief summary outlines key replenishment levels available to small business owners impacted by COVID-19.

This short segment excerpted from a webinar describes the travel risks the pandemic exposed.

Security professionals are often considered essential personnel who must report to work during the coronavirus pandemic. Here’s what employers need to know to ensure staff is prepared to be at the job site.

WEBINAR: International School Safety and Security Community gathers a comprehensive panel to address the landscape of school and campus security during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Almost one-fifth of the world is under some form of lock down. Here’s how those measures are impacting security teams protecting services and sites.

ASIS, ANSI, and others open access to certain standards to help organizations in their pandemic response.

As the pandemic spreads through West Africa, a seasoned manager in Nigeria discusses the implications for security.

Amid floods of information, sales pitches, shifting risks, and staffing challenges, how are enterprise security leaders keeping up during the COVID-19 pandemic?

The preparation involved in enterprise security risk management (ESRM) enables organizations to act decisively and confidently in times of crisis.

Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe declared a monthlong state of emergency yesterday in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

A U.K.-based security risk consultant shares a collection of risk mitigations gleaned from the COVID-19 pandemic that security managers can include in future planning.

More organizations are shifting to allow employees to work remotely. Now is the time for enterprise risk managers to strengthen programs against new vulnerabilities unique to telework.

This guide to U.S. local and state COVID-19 programs has been compiled as part of the SIA and ASIS International partnership to create response-related resources and direct both organizations’ members to current information. The document is a state-by-state guide to programs, with web links and additional notes. Special thanks to Ntiva for their research and efforts in compiling this information.

Crisis response hinges on two factors: what the organization does and what the organization says. When these halves align, it results in trust and a more positively received and effective response.

On 27 March, President Trump enacted H.R. 748, known as “Phase 3,” to provide economic relief to critical American industries and government operations impacted by COVID-19. This summary addresses key provisions that impact the work of SIA and ASIS members in the U.S.

The pandemic has increased demand for security among many, and officers are being challenged with new duties and tasks.

The decisions you make today to mitigate the threat of the coronavirus pandemic will have significant impact on your operations in the future.

Brian Ishikawa, senior vice president and director of corporate security for the Bank of Hawaii Corporation, shares how the coronavirus has impacted the bank's business continuity.

WEBINAR: Learn best practices to train and equip your security team with the skills they need to respond and diffuse volatile situations.

Most organizations have activated incident management teams; fewer had practiced for an emergency situation in the previous 12 months.

WEBINAR: This webinar on 25 March drills down on the impact the pandemic is having on the supply chain and mass transit systems. Supply chain and mass transit share a common thread—both demand a coordinated response to infectious threats.

Scott Stewart from Stratfor explains how security professionals can leverage their creative problem-solving skills and preparedness to diffuse panic and secure operations and assets during the coronavirus pandemic.

The chief information security officer for Fullerton Health, based in Singapore, discusses his organization's experiences dealing with the pandemic.

Whether employees are working at home or on-site, employers should be aware of various workplace and employment issues raised by COVID-19 mitigation efforts.

WEBINAR: Learn what healthcare security teams should consider during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In light of potential shortages and rising value of personal protective equipment (PPE), healthcare security professionals can take additional steps to protect these newly high-value items and shore up supply chain vulnerabilities.

Jerry Hauer, PhD, visiting professor at the Defense Academy of the United Kingdom, Queensford University, and associate editor of the Journal for Special Operations Medicine, discusses the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.

WEBINAR: A panel from the GTPIIC Council reviewed the current situation. They provided information on the virus, the global response and an outlook on broader implications. The panel also discussed what organizations are doing to minimize the threat and what security professionals need to consider.

New research finds that the world is not prepared to prevent or respond to a global pandemic. But lessons learned from previous outbreaks can help address vulnerability gaps.

The world has changed since the 2003 SARS outbreak. Has your pandemic preparedness plan changed with it?

Learn how the spread of COVID-19 is affecting businesses and security's role in crisis management and response in this segment from a recent ASIS webinar.

As COVID-19, the coronavirus outbreak centered in China, is spreading and beginning to effect companies whose supply chains and markets involve China, security professionals should examine their organization’s pandemic preparedness plans.

U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) guidance to assist organizations in developing a Pandemic Influenza Continuity of Operations Plan.

This session, originally presented at GSX 2019, reviews the components and practices of a successful crisis management teams from the moment they are notified of the incident through de-escalation.

In this GSX session, learn emergency management practices, relationships, responsibilities, and general strategic considerations for multi-location organizations integrating emergency management plans and processes.

The growing concern around COVID-19 may have you questioning your business continuity plans. This session, originally presented at GSX 2018, provides an overview of business continuity and a step-by-step outline of the professional practices used to build and maintain an effective business continuity program.

From its epicenter in southern China, SARS went on to infect 8,096 people around the world and kill 774. National and international public-health resources were stretched to the breaking point.

As natural disasters increase in frequency and force, supply chains lengthen, and interconnectivity raises complications, traditional business continuity doesn’t cut it anymore.

WEBINAR: This free webinar from August 2019 looks at business continuity planning from a critical incident perspective.

As the measles outbreak spreads in the U.S., security professionals and healthcare providers reassess how to keep business travelers healthy.

To one company, keeping employees safe while they travel means more than just a number to call in an emergency.