Security Management Courses: Focus on Intelligence Studies
The competent security manager in today’s complex threat environment knows how critical continuing education is to stay on the cutting edge. While security management courses take many shapes and forms, it is important to find strategic security education programs that offer the right mix of security and intelligence studies
Security Defined
Security can be studied at the tactical or strategic level. Depending on current or desired job function, operational or tactical security training may be all that you need. Security managers and executive-level managers, however, seek to have a broad understanding of how to anticipate, mitigate, and respond appropriately to a variety of complex issues.
Active security professionals deliver solutions from a strategic, holistic perspective. Strategy is the linking of ends with means. In other words, objectives are effectively achieved when appropriately coupled with means that are explicitly justifiable given available resources, theoretical application, and historical precedent. When security is considered within this framework of understanding, then security managers can ascertain whether or not the costs of the means are worth the benefit of the ends.
Accordingly, the strategic manager through proper education and training knows what actions will lead to the best possible outcomes. The act of engaging in the development and implementation of security plans and directives is strategic; hence the development of the burgeoning strategic security industry. Strategic security takes into account non-traditional security management, intelligence, counterterrorism, and protection perspectives to formulate and develop comprehensive security solutions to complex threats.
Security and Intelligence Studies
Security education is relevant in law enforcement and counterterrorism investigations, corporate security and business intelligence, and other types of protection and strategic security industry jobs. Security and intelligence studies are the foundation on which to build effective leaders, decision makers, and security professionals. There are numerous intelligence studies programs that offer both classroom and online education programs geared toward every type of security manager.
Intelligence work is a discipline in and of itself, just like police work, and carries its own language, rules, and culture. Intelligence encompasses a broad range of disciplines and jobs including those that work in national security, law enforcement, and corporate security to name a few. State and local governments also have needs for certain types of intelligence. Those in academia research and teach fundamental courses in intelligence studies. Studies in intelligence are undertaken by think-tanks to support the views of special interests and to influence policymakers. Whether protecting American citizens and our way of life or preventing a corporate competitor from stealing secrets, intelligence plays a pivotal role across the public and private sectors.
Intelligence, Terrorism, Business, and Law Enforcement
Intelligence support can be a valuable tool to assist law enforcement agencies in the performance of their daily duties. As stated before, it’s especially relevant in counter-terrorism investigations and operations. Identifying, tracking, and arresting criminals require an integrated team of intelligence analysts and security professionals working in an integrated fashion. The success of such investigations depends deeply on competent and well-educated security managers.
Businesses rely heavily on confidentiality and secrecy to protect intellectual property such as patents on technology, systems, and processes that give them a competitive advantage in the market. Corporate security professionals at the highest levels aren’t only concerned with physical and personnel security, but all of a company’s assets.
For the counterterrorism professional, savvy intelligence skills are necessary to assess vulnerabilities that could lead to infiltration, investigation, and capture of terrorist group members. Indeed, the law enforcement community must develop transparent communication and intelligence links.
Conclusion
While the days of fighting conventional crime are still at the forefront, our modern foes have defiantly presented us with a challenge that must be met with extreme prejudice if we are to successfully protect our nation and its citizens. Security and intelligence studies will continue to prove invaluable in this success, but we must learn to properly use this important tool at the strategic, operational, and tactical levels and it starts with training and utilizing every facet of our law enforcement agencies as they continue to patrol and protect our neighborhoods.
This article was adopted from, “Intelligence and Its Role in Protecting Against Terrorism,“ by Richard J. Hughbank, Robert Hughbank, and Don Githens, published by Henley-Putnam’s Journal of Strategic Security, Vol. 3, No. 1, Spring 2010 on the Henley-Putnam University website.
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