The Security Consultant's Handbook


Book Description

A compendium of essential information for the modern security entrepreneur and practitioner The modern security practitioner has shifted from a predominantly protective site and assets manager to a leading contributor to overall organisational resilience. Accordingly, The Security Consultant's Handbook sets out a holistic overview of the essential core knowledge, emerging opportunities and approaches to corporate thinking that are increasingly demanded by employers and buyers in the security market. This book provides essential direction for those who want to succeed in security, either individually or as part of a team. It also aims to stimulate some fresh ideas and provide new market routes for security professionals who may feel that they are underappreciated and overexerted in traditional business domains. Product overview Distilling the author’s fifteen years’ experience as a security practitioner, and incorporating the results of some fifty interviews with leading security practitioners and a review of a wide range of supporting business literature, The Security Consultant’s Handbook provides a wealth of knowledge for the modern security practitioner, covering: Entrepreneurial practice (including business intelligence, intellectual property rights, emerging markets, business funding and business networking)Management practice (including the security function’s move from basement to boardroom, fitting security into the wider context of organisational resilience, security management leadership, adding value and professional proficiency)Legislation and regulation (including relevant UK and international laws such as the Human Rights Act 1998, the Data Protection Act 1998 and the Geneva Conventions)Private investigations (including surveillance techniques, tracing missing people, witness statements and evidence, and surveillance and the law)Information and cyber security (including why information needs protection, intelligence and espionage, cyber security threats, and mitigation approaches such as the ISO 27001 standard for information security management)Protective security (including risk assessment methods, person-focused threat assessments, protective security roles, piracy and firearms)Safer business travel (including government assistance, safety tips, responding to crime, kidnapping, protective approaches to travel security and corporate liability)Personal and organisational resilience (including workplace initiatives, crisis management, and international standards such as ISO 22320, ISO 22301 and PAS 200) Featuring case studies, checklists and helpful chapter summaries, The Security Consultant's Handbook aims to be a practical and enabling guide for security officers and contractors. Its purpose is to plug information gaps or provoke new ideas, and provide a real-world support tool for those who want to offer their clients safe, proportionate and value-driven security services. About the author Richard Bingley is a senior lecturer in security and organisational resilience at Buckinghamshire New University, and co-founder of CSARN, the popular business security advisory network. He has more than fifteen years’ experience in a range of high-profile security and communications roles, including as a close protection operative at London’s 2012 Olympics and in Russia for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games. He is a licensed close protection operative in the UK, and holds a postgraduate certificate in teaching and learning in higher education. Richard is the author of two previous books: Arms Trade: Just the Facts(2003) and Terrorism: Just the Facts (2004).




Becoming an Independent Security Consultant


Book Description

The demand for security consulting services is at an all-time high. Organizations of all types face unprecedented challenges in dealing with workplace violence, internal and external theft, robbery and crimes of all varieties. These organizations need help in dealing with these challenges, and are reaching out to independent security consultants to assist them. Operating an independent security consulting practice can be a profitable and rewarding business for those with the right skills. Many people retiring from law enforcement, military, or security careers would like to enter the security consulting profession, but don't know how. These people have extensive skills in security and loss prevention, but don't know how to translate these skills into a successful security consulting practice. While they have some idea about the type of services that they would like to provide, they have no idea of how to go about selling these services, what to charge for them, or how to run a profitable security consulting business. It is for these people that this book was written. Within this book, Michael A. Silva, an independent security consultant with over thirty years of experience, provides practical "how-to" advice on how to start and run a successful security consulting practice. Pulling no punches, Michael tells what it takes to be a successful security consultant, and explains why so many new security consultants fail within the first eighteen months. Chapters in this book include: Chapter 1 - What is an Independent Security Consultant? Chapter 2 - A Week in the Life of a Security Consultant Chapter 3 - The Skills needed to be Successful Chapter 4 - Planning Your Consulting Practice Chapter 5 - Determining What and How to Charge Chapter 6 - Selling Security Consulting Services Chapter 7 - Proposal Writing for the Security Consultant Chapter 8 - Selling to Government Agencies Chapter 9 - Selling to Architects and Engineers Chapter 10 - Security Consulting Services That Sell Chapter 11 - Creating a Business Plan Chapter 12 - Taking the Plunge Chapter 13 - Taking Your Practice to the Next Level Chapter 14 - Continuing Education Chapter 15 - Avoiding Pitfalls and Common Mistakes This book is crammed with practical tips based on the actual day-to-day experiences of a working security consultant. Within this book, Michael tells you what works - and more importantly, what doesn't work. This book is specifically written for the person starting a one-person security consulting practice, and answers questions such as: - What types of skills do I need to be successful? - What types of licenses and certifications do I need? - What should I name my business? - Do I need a website? - What types of insurance do I need? - Should I rent an office, or work out of my home? - How much should I charge? - How do I sell my services and get consulting jobs? - How do I write a proposal? - What consulting services should I offer? - How much money do I need to get started? - What steps should I take before I quit my present job? - Can I start my consulting practice part-time while I'm still working? - How do I grow my practice and take it to the next level? - What are some common mistakes made by new consultants and how can I avoid them? About The Author Michael A. Silva is an independent security consultant that has over forty years of security industry experience. Michael founded Silva Consultants, his independent security consulting and design firm, in 1985. In late 2001, Michael suspended the operations of Silva Consultants to accept a position with Kroll, the world's largest security and risk consulting company. From 2001 to 2006, he managed Kroll's security consulting and engineering practice in Seattle, and was responsible for projects throughout Washington, Oregon, California, and Nevada. In 2007, Michael resigned his position with Kroll and resumed the operations of Silva Consultants.




Handbook of Security Contract Negotiation


Book Description

Negotiating and understanding the nuance of IT threats and solutions is critical to all businesses, and professionals often need guidance when detailing IT security in contract negotiation. This handbook offers quicker and easier negotiation strategies for both buyers and sellers, and offers comprehensive insights into many issues as well as suggestions for resolutions. The business world is made of relationships between companies and their outside partners, such as suppliers, vendors, and customers. From a security perspective, these partnerships are not under the full control of any participant. Security strength is dependent on mutually-agreed upon solutions defined and provisioned in the contract language. The problem is how to ensure that these requirements are simultaneously mutually acceptable and thorough, delivering required protection to each partner. Every business wants to lower the cost of contract negotiation, and ensure a comprehensive agreement. This handbook is a guide to contract preparation, and is packed with wisdom only gained through extensive field experience and long-term work with the analysis of contradictions in security requirements.




The Consultant's Handbook


Book Description

Delivers the essential practical skills needed to consult and make sharp, well prepared interactions in a wide range of business situations This comprehensive handbook covers the fundamental skills and attitudes required by successful consultants from novice to practitioner level, irrespective of their specialist area. It untangles the key variables present in any consulting service and introduces practical ways to improve their effectiveness based upon the author's experience of helping consulting organisations to develop and excel in the marketplace. The book explores consulting ‘from the ground up' steering away from theory and focusing instead on practical application, providing a solid platform upon which to build further domain-specific competence. The Consultant's Handbook provides: An understanding of the key variables that can be addressed in order to improve one's own consulting performance A set of simple practices that can be implemented with immediate benefit to the reader Practical insight into day-to-day real life consulting interactions Confidence to implement the new ideas and approaches




The Healthcare Consultant's Handbook: Career Opportunities and Best Practices


Book Description

In an era of increasing complexity in healthcare, consultants can help organizations address inefficiencies, improve patient experiences, and set overall strategy. The most successful consultants do so through a lens of authenticity, recognizing that earning their clients' trust is key to achieving their full potential in this critical role. The Healthcare Consultant's Handbook: Career Opportunities and Best Practices offers insight into the essential role of the healthcare consultant. Author Scott A. Mason draws on more than 40 years of experience to reveal the realities of management consulting for healthcare organizations and the traits and strengths necessary for success. He looks at the common challenges healthcare consultants face and how best to overcome them. The book explores the role of the independent consultant, offers practical guidance on what to expect when working for a consulting firm and reveals what it takes to be an exceptional consultant. Various types of consulting are identified, along with types of consulting firms--profiling several prominent companies--and strategies for determining what type of firm is the best fit. Mason also provides a detailed look at: - Myths surrounding healthcare consulting - The client-consultant relationship from all perspectives - Unique elements of the healthcare sector that consultants often focus on - Differences between healthcare consulting and general management consulting - Key lessons learned from challenging client engagements With this book, new and prospective healthcare consultants will gain a greater understanding of the craft and practical insight into what truly makes a consultant exceptional.




Security Consulting


Book Description

Since 9/11, business and industry has paid close attention to security within their own organizations. In fact, at no other time in modern history has business and industry been more concerned with security issues. A new concern for security measures to combat potential terrorism, sabotage, theft and disruption -- which could bring any business to it's knees -- has swept the nation. This has opened up a huge opportunity for private investigators and security professionals as consultants. Many retiring law enforcement and security management professionals look to enter the private security consulting market. Security consulting often involves conducting in-depth security surveys so businesses will know exactly where security holes are present and where they need improvement to limit their exposure to various threats. The fourth edition of Security Consulting introduces security and law enforcement professionals to the career and business of security consulting. It provides new and potential consultants with the practical guidelines needed to start up and maintain a successful independent practice. Updated and expanded information is included on marketing, fees and expenses, forensic consulting, the use of computers, and the need for professional growth. Useful sample forms have been updated in addition to new promotion opportunities and keys to conducting research on the Web. - The only book of its kind dedicated to beginning a security consulting practice from the ground-up - Proven, practical methods to establish and run a security consulting business - New chapters dedicated to advice for new consultants, information secutiry consulting, and utilizing the power of the Internet - The most up-to-date best practices from the IAPSC




The Corporate Security Professional's Handbook on Terrorism


Book Description

The Corporate Security Professional's Handbook on Terrorism is a professional reference that clarifies the difference between terrorism against corporations and their assets, versus terrorism against government assets. It addresses the existing misconceptions regarding how terrorism does or does not affect corporations, and provides security professionals and business executives with a better understanding of how terrorism may impact them. Consisting three sections, Section I provides an explanation of what terrorism is, its history, who engages in it, and why. Section II focuses on helping the security professional develop and implement an effective anti-terrorism program in order to better protect the employees and assets of the corporation. Section III discusses the future as it relates to the likelihood of having to deal with terrorism. The book provides the reader with a practitioner's guide, augmented by a historical assessment of terrorism and its impact to corporations, enabling them to immediately put in place useful security processes and methods to protect their corporate interests against potential acts of terror. This is guide is an essential tool for preparing security professionals and company executives to operate in an increasingly hostile global business environment.- Features case studies involving acts of terror perpetrated against corporate interests - Provides coverage of the growing business practice of outsourcing security- Remains practical and straightforward in offering strategies on physically securing premises, determining risk, protecting employees, and implementing emergency planning




The Oxford Handbook of Management Consulting


Book Description

Management consultants of various kinds play an important role in the world of business, and within other types of organization. The Oxford Handbook on Management Consulting is a comprehensive overview of thinking and research on management consultancy with contributions from leading international scholars. The first section provides an account of the historical developments in management consulting research, and how current thinking has evolved from prior work. The second section focuses on disciplinary and theoretical perspectives, their diversities, areas of synergy, and parallel concerns. The following sections examine consulting as a knowledge business, consultants and management fashion, and the relationship between management consultants and their clients. The Handbook concludes with an assessment of areas of future research and debate. By bringing together a wide range of research and thinking on management consulting across different disciplines, sub-disciplines, and conceptual approaches, the Handbook provides a comprehensive understanding of both current thinking and future directions for research.




The Security Consultant's Handbook


Book Description

This book sets out a holistic overview of the essential core knowledge, emerging opportunities, and approaches to corporate thinking that are increasingly demanded by employers and buyers in the security market. It provides essential direction for those who want to succeed in security, either individually or as part of a team. It also aims to stimulate some fresh ideas and provide new market routes for security professionals who may feel that they are underappreciated and overexerted in traditional business domains. --




Cyber Security Policy Guidebook


Book Description

Drawing upon a wealth of experience from academia, industry, and government service, Cyber Security Policy Guidebook details and dissects, in simple language, current organizational cyber security policy issues on a global scale—taking great care to educate readers on the history and current approaches to the security of cyberspace. It includes thorough descriptions—as well as the pros and cons—of a plethora of issues, and documents policy alternatives for the sake of clarity with respect to policy alone. The Guidebook also delves into organizational implementation issues, and equips readers with descriptions of the positive and negative impact of specific policy choices. Inside are detailed chapters that: Explain what is meant by cyber security and cyber security policy Discuss the process by which cyber security policy goals are set Educate the reader on decision-making processes related to cyber security Describe a new framework and taxonomy for explaining cyber security policy issues Show how the U.S. government is dealing with cyber security policy issues With a glossary that puts cyber security language in layman's terms—and diagrams that help explain complex topics—Cyber Security Policy Guidebook gives students, scholars, and technical decision-makers the necessary knowledge to make informed decisions on cyber security policy.