Attacks against crowded spaces, or soft targets, are on the rise worldwide, perpetrated by terrorists and other violent actors. This webinar will provide viewers with an overview of current and emerging soft target threats, examine past failures, and discuss unique hardening techniques, tactics, and best practices through completion of a scored assessment. Special topics of discussion will include psychological aspects of security adding to vulnerability such as fatigue, complacency and denial. The speaker will also explore ways to mitigate against insider threat and lone actors.
The session is for security practitioners, law enforcement, first responders, business managers, and cultural property administrators. As we rise to the challenge of increased workplace safety and security, these practices will help all of us mitigate similar concerns in our personal lives. How do we identify vulnerabilities and take a proactive approach to enhance our own safety? Do we pre-assess venues and discuss emergency plans before attending an event? How can we become security force multipliers?
This live event will challenge your existing security measures to see if they rise to meet current and emergent threats. We will provide prescriptive information, tools and best practice information to assist. We plan to ask tough questions about your approach to safety and security. What proactive measures do you take to protect your employees and your workplace? What systems are in place to protect infrastructure and people from attack? What are your emergency plans and how familiar are employees with procedures? Is there appropriate crisis response training and programmed drills?
Participants should attend the webinar with a specific soft target property or public event in mind. The presenters will assist with conducting a scored assessment to evaluate that target's vulnerability to attack. Come away with a greater knowledge of soft target threats and vulnerabilities, a scored instrument for any venue of concern, and unique ideas for hardening against attack.
Course Objectives:
• Identify the psychology of security such as fatigue, complacency and denial and impact on vulnerability and susceptibility to attack.
• Review the emergent threats and recent soft target attacks.
• Examine improvements made to strengthen soft targets.
• Discuss unique techniques for hardening soft targets against terrorist and violent criminal attack.
• Review best practices through the use of a scenario, assessment tools and government guidance.
Following the workshop, students will be able to:
• Understand soft targets and their inherent vulnerabilities.
• Conduct a vulnerability assessment of a soft target and enhance security measures.
• Utilize an assessment instrument to identify, deter, and mitigate attacks on soft targets in their community.
About your presenter: Dr. Jennifer Hesterman is a retired Air Force colonel who served in three Pentagon tours and commanded in the field multiple times. Her final assignment was Vice Commander, Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland, where she led installation security, including protection of Air Force One. Dr. Hesterman is a counterterrorism and soft target hardening expert, working with businesses, sports venues, schools, houses of worship, malls, hospitals, convention centers, and critical infrastructure sites to identify and mitigate security vulnerabilities. She advises the Homeland Security Training Institute, the Crisis Response Journal, and 2 DHS Security Centers of Excellence. Her book Soft Target Hardening: Protecting People from Attack was the ASIS Security Industry Book of the Year in 2015. The second edition received the same honors in 2019 and was the Social Sciences Book of the Year for Taylor & Francis. Dr. Hesterman is an analog astronaut and participates in human spaceflight training and deep space simulations. She conducts human factors research and tests food, spacesuits, technology and tools. She is training for her lifelong goal of space travel.
