Jay Eidelman
This month we commemorate the fifth anniversary of
the
September 11th attacks on the World Trade Center
and the Pentagon, and the foiled attack of United
Flight 93, which crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
It is still too early for us to understand all the
ramifications of 9/11, yet no one can deny that the
event marked a turning point in world affairs. As we
struggle to find deeper meaning in the events of that
day, several practical matters present themselves:
- Public safety is a public matter. Though it might
sound obvious, individuals and organizations, as much
as government and police, have a responsibility to do
what they can to maintain safe and secure public
spaces. For companies this means implementing safe
hiring plans that provide sufficient due diligence to
ensure the safety of all employees and visitors.
Instituting preventative measures and proper
contingency planning is the best way to minimize the
impact of crises.
- There is no quick fix and there is no substitute for
human intelligence. Computers and the Internet are
powerful tools, but algorithms and search functions
do not provide the kind of definitive answers that old-
fashioned detective work can. For the screening
industry this means in-court research.
- Security is inconvenient but it is a price most are
willing to pay—up to a point. For companies in the
screening industry this bodes well. Growth
opportunities abound, particularly in the travel and
tourism industries and in employer immigration
compliance. Yet, there are also legitimate privacy
concerns that need to be addressed if, for no other
reason, than to avoid a public backlash.
- Security must be forward looking. As Paul Kurz, a
former Bush Whitehouse technology adviser who now
heads the Cyber Security Industry Alliance, has
noted, the “government's very comfortable fighting
the last war but not so comfortable planning for the
unexpected.” Preparing for the future is difficult but
not impossible. The screening industry will play an
important role in this effort but it must be
accomplished with precision and integrity.
Jay Eidelman is a marketing and communications
consultant.
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