hostile reconnaissance

There are many people that wish a company harm. For example, criminals, activists and terrorists all present a threat. They may attempt to attack a company online, in person or both.

Before launching an attack on a company these people will research its online and physical security measures. As part of this research they will visit its premises and look for any weaknesses in its security measures. This is the definition of hostile reconnaissance. It nearly always precedes an attack.

Share intelligence

A company will look to receive intelligence about attacks from as many sources as possible. Not only will they use public and private intelligence agencies but also, they will use their own communities. These communities will form because they share a common interest. For example, a community may form because of a shared location or, because they carry out the same type of work.

police-receive-hostile-reconnaissance-reports

Community intelligence

A company will share reports about different types of threats within their community. One of the reports that is most valued is about hostile reconnaissance. This is because it points to the planning of an attack.

Although the police encourage companies to pass these reports on to them, many will also share these reports with their community. They will do this by email and chat groups. However, neither email or chat groups are great for sharing important information.

Improve threat detection

Sharing information about hostile reconnaissance through email and chat groups is not great. It relies on people always being alert and using their memory to spot links. As a result, it is easy to miss a threat.

However, the Intelligence feature tackles this problem. It is always working in the background, scanning for threats in old and new reports.

help me to improve my decisions

How the hostile reconnaissance intelligence feature works. Using the Intelligence feature to tackle hostile reconnaissance is easy. If you already use SIRV then get in contact with us. We will provide you with any necessary training and install a special report for you to use.

How it works

Using the Intelligence feature to tackle hostile reconnaissance is easy. If you already use SIRV then get in contact with us. We will provide you with any necessary training and install a special report for you to use.

If you are new to us then joining is easy. Get in touch with us and we can get you access. If you would like a demo of the feature, no problem. Please let us know.

It’s not just about technology

Using new technology needs more than just a login. To be successful, people need to be trained not only on how to use it but also, on what to report. Most people receive little or no training on how to report or speak to a person suspected of hostile reconnaissance. As a result, they tend to avoid them. Moreover, if they do speak with a suspect it is usually handled poorly, leaving a bad impression of the company.

If hostile reconnaissance is to be tackled then people need appropriate training. This is available through both the UK government and us. In addition, publications are available here.

Along with training we provide users with our decision tree feature. This gives people an easy to follow guide on the subject. It sits on a user’s mobile phone and answers questions such as:

how to approach a suspect;
what to say to a suspect; and
what is a security guard’s rights under the law.

reconnaissance standard operating procedure - Learn about hostile reconnaissance Approach a suspect in a private space Approach a suspect in a public space

Approaching hostile reconnaissance - Remember In a public space the law does not allow a security guard to stop the individual from their current activity. But, the individual is under no obligation to answer your questions. You may make inquiries and record your findings. Police officers have the right to stop and search members of the public if they believe they are in possession of items that might be used to commit a crime. Next Steps You are encouraged to engage with the individual. If they are hostile they may recognise they have been identified and stop their activity or choose another target. Therefore, you are encouraged to engage with anyone you suspect of hostile reconnaissance. Approach the individual Smile and Introduce yourself, say something like: "Good morning / afternoon, my name is [first name], I’m a Security Officer working for [name of organization]" Ask about the individual’s purpose "Do you mind my asking why you are videoing / photographing / sketching / noting our premises?"

Suspected hostile reconnaissance report form - suspicious behaviour by possible hostile actor

Promote your hostile reconnaissance innovation

One way to deter an attack is to publicise the steps taken to detect it. Indeed, governments encourage the promotion of these steps. Therefore, using the feature is something to be proud of.