Butterworth-Heinemann; Elsevier.com; 242 pages; $59.95.

Security managers and directors who already possess a basic understanding of the industry and its components will find this book to be a valuable reference. Providing far more than basic definitions, it breaks down the individual processes of transnational corporations and the security challenges that result from these processes. The author's extensive international experience serves to enhance the book's global viewpoint, and it may prove refreshing for U.S.-based security professionals.

Author Marko Cabric organizes the material using the five Ws of report writing: who, what, where, why, and when. These set the tone for everything, including corporate structures, hiring practices, fraud investigations, and risk assessments. Several pages devoted to common security and corporate acronyms serve as a handy reference. These pages are especially helpful in finding out what professional credentials exist in the industry for purposes of job postings, resume reviews, and hiring decisions.

Another great feature is the references included at the end of many chapters citing statistics and other facts mentioned inside the chapter. These references not only build credibility in the author's material, but also provide the reader a place to go for additional information about the discussed topics. Statistics also illustrate the author's points, but there are virtually no charts or tables and no illustrations.

The book covers a significant amount of information in a fairly compact space. Experienced security practitioners will find that much of the information is a review of international best practices, and they are bound to pick up a few ideas about how to improve their programs. Unfortunately the sheer volume of information being presented makes some sections seem rushed and underexplored. This may pose a challenge for novice security practitioners, especially if they lack fundamental knowledge of those security practices and principles that are quickly covered to make room for other topics.

Overall, Cabric delivers an excellent resource for security managers from multiple industries with information that can be useful to any number of people from risk managers to human resource specialists to corporate security directors. There's little fluff, there are few distractions, and the well-written book is easy to navigate.

 

Reviewer: Yan Byalik, CPP, is the security administrator for the City of Newport News, Virginia. He has 15 years of security experience including higher education, theme parks, and critical infrastructure. Byalik is the ASIS assistant regional vice president for Region 5A.