Asda Top Ten

I’m glad to say that Max has made it into the top ten best seller list of books sold by Asda.   Asda is the UK supermarket chain that is owned by Wal-Mart

Introducing Sam Green

I’m pleased to say that Max is about to be republished in the UK.   This time those ingenious marketing people at my publishers decided to give me a pen name, and so from know on I will be known as “Sam Green” to the book world, and of course as “Juval Aviv” to my clients in the security world.  I suppose you could say that we are trying to keep fact and fiction as separate as possible !

I hope this isn’t too confusing to those of you who have been following “Max by Juval Aviv” from the beginning.

Now that the publishing schedule is on track, we are going to be putting the audio stories out more regularly, so keep listening !

Background Checks

In the past few weeks, 8 people employed by the British National Health Service, have been arrested as suspects in failed bombing attempts in London and Glasgow. Two of them, both doctors, had taken preliminary steps to work in the U.S. These arrests have raised a potentially thorny issue that hasn’t received a lot of attention until now. That is; how far do companies and government agencies need to go when doing background checks prior to hiring a new employee to check for ties to terrorist organizations or criminal backgrounds?

One big difference between the recent incident in the U.K. and most previous incidents involving terrorism is that the alleged perpetrators are highly educated, middle class and employed. Prior to this incident, the majority of people involved in terrorist organizations have been the opposite: poor, uneducated, unemployed and disenfranchised. It was thought that these frustrating conditions make people more likely to fall under the influence of fringe religious and political groups and cults and easier to radicalize. It was assumed that people, like the doctors accused in this case, wouldn’t be so likely to be attracted to these groups because they are financially secure, they are fully functioning, fully engaged members of their societies and, at the end of the day, they have a lot to lose if they were jailed or killed.

Times are changing, however. The war in Iraq rages on and consequently, according to the NIE report issued this week, Al Qaeda and the Taliban are regaining strength and anti-American and anti-Western sentiment is growing. At the same time other countries like Lebanon and Palestine, and some in Africa and Indonesia, are growing more chaotic every day. Millions are left with no jobs, no food and no hope and are forced to flee their homes for foreign countries, sometimes bringing people of highly conservative or extreme religious and political beliefs into confrontation with societies with more secular humanist belief systems. All of these factors are contributing to a sense of frustration, alienation and desperation in a growing number of people in Europe and even in the United States who are susceptible to radicalization.

Now we have a situation where 8 very educated people employed in highly responsible positions are accused of attempting to murder hundreds of their fellow citizens. That was followed, just this week, with news that a low-level worker at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the birthplace of the atomic bomb, was caught trying to sell information on how to make enriched uranium to a person who he thought was representing another country. That person, fortunately, was an undercover F.B.I. agent, but this serves to further illustrate the point that the possibility of a terrorist infiltrating a company through a legitimate position is becoming a reality that we all have to face.

The British government is currently reviewing their hiring procedures and the background checks that were done on the accused doctors. This review will necessarily focus on the practice of fast-tracking the immigration process on foreign-born skilled workers and the thoroughness of the background checks done on all employees. Many companies and governments will be faced with similar situations in the coming years. Industries ranging from finance to pharmaceuticals face very real threats from infiltration and the potential damage to companies, the economy and the public at large is enormous.

What do we do? It is clear that thorough background checks are now a necessity for skilled workers. Calling a few references and a credit check will not be enough to protect your company. Checks on where a prospective employee has traveled in the past few years, or where they have studied can raise flags. Affiliations with activist groups or extremist political organizations need to be looked into for ties to illegal or violent activities. A thorough check of the court systems everywhere the person has lived, including outside the U.S., for criminal records is a must. In short, the kind of background checks normally reserved for high level executives should be considered for any employee with a degree of responsibility and access to sensitive information or secured areas.

The government can not do enough to keep us completely safe. Terrorism is here to stay and it is no longer in someone else’s back yard. Terrorists and those who are susceptible to radicalization are here in our towns and communities. They could be our doctors, our bankers, our pharmacists and without igniting a single bomb, they could inflict catastrophic damage. We have to accept that fact and act accordingly.

Travel Safety Tips

Summer is here again, and many of us are planning trips abroad. While there is increased risk, there are steps that we can take to keep ourselves and our families safe when we travel. Here are a few that I recommend…

Do not Advertise your Nationality
If you are traveling abroad, or even in your own country, advertising that you are from out of town increases your chances of being a victim of crime or terrorism. Opportunistic criminals and terrorists look for foreigners, especially Americans, whom they perceive as wealthy. Leave the corporate logos, Blackberries, iPods, and expensive jewelry at home or at the hotel. If you typically wear shorts, brightly colored shirts, sandals and the like when you travel you will stand out. We recommend something like business casual attire, especially in cities. You look less like a tourist and it’s easier to blend into a crowd if you are dressed a bit more conservatively.

Trust your Instincts
Your instincts are often right. If a situation does not feel right then leave. If you don’t feel safe in a hotel, then move. If a taxi looks suspicious, wait for another. It is better to feel a bit silly and paranoid than to be the victim of crime or terrorism, or as the old adage goes, “It’s better to be safe than sorry.”

Locate Your Country’s Embassy or Consulate
No matter how brief your stay in a foreign country, always locate your country’s embassy or consulate and let them know that you are there. You can even pre-register before you leave. They can be an enormous help in the event of an emergency.

Copy Important Documents
You should leave copies of your passport, visa, driver’s license, and health insurance, bank and credit cards in a hotel safe as well as with a friend or family member back home. Better yet, scan copies into an emailable format. Should you become the victim of theft or kidnapping, this could prove to be invaluable.

Rent or Buy a Cell Phone with International Roaming
Rent or buy a cell phone with international roaming that will function at your destination. Most U. S. mobile phone providers offer a global rental service.

Never Take the First Taxi in Line in Developing/Volatile Countries
If a group is out to kidnap you, they may have a taxi waiting outside your hotel for your departure or a compatriot in the hotel who will signal them when you are about to leave. For this reason it is better to hail a taxi on the street or have your hotel recommend a reputable taxi or limousine service. Also beware of unmarked taxis.

Don’t Exchange Currency at the Airport
Criminals often target foreign visitors exchanging large sums at airport banks and foreign exchange kiosks.

London Car Bomb,June 29, 2007

The discovery last night of an undetonated bomb in an abandoned car parked in a busy London nightclub and theater district is a grim reminder that the threats that we all face from terrorism are not going away.  Hatred for Western governments and way of life is at an all time high and fringe groups are often encouraged by the panic that even an unsuccessful attempt like this can cause.

While there is nowhere that you can go to keep yourself completely safe from this threat, there are things that you can do to help.  Report abandoned packages or bags to the authorities immediately.  If you notice something unusual, like in this case where people saw smoke coming from the car, report it and get away from the area.  If you notice unusual behavior in a person in a public place, such as increased agitation or wearing bulky garments that are inappropriate for the weather and look to be concealing something, don’t be afraid to report it.  Law enforcement agencies can’t be everywhere at once, so there is only so much they can do to protect us.  We must act as their eyes and ears and realize that we must assume some responsibility and be active participants in increasing the safety and security of ourselves and our neighbors

Staying Safe

An interview I gave last year to “Your Turn” on Fox about the choices you can make in your life to survive a terrorist attack.

Capture

The capture of five Britons in Baghdad is yet another terrible reminder of the strain that private security contractors are working under in that country. The trouble is, it would probably be a lot worse if they weren’t there.

The Front Line

I think this video gives us a good idea of what it is like on the front line of the war on terror.

You can support the war or not. But you can’t dispute the guts of those on the front line