DISCLAIMER: If you believe in PRECAUTIONARY Care, This Is The Article for you. If you believe you or your family are safe and secure, you can skip this article for a few more months. But remember to come back and read when that sense of security and safety gets shaken. If you find anything in this article that feels wrong, please highlight it in the comments below. We will examine the same for intent.
The Modern History of Security Culture:
Security Culture became a buzzword after the International Civil Aviation Organization called for observing 2021 as the year of security culture. Following this, the Bureau Of Civil Aviation Security, the supreme authority in India that is responsible for the security of all civil aviation assets, observed the same for a week this year (2023). In the West, initiatives to build such a culture have long been initiated by various organizations & governments from time to time. However, their efficacy is only known to those who upheld the Culture during the trial and emerged as survivors.
Security is a concept widely prevalent in nature, its flora and fauna, as nutrition to survive. Every living microbe needs energy to survive, so a mechanism is built into it to secure its survival by the creator.
We've seen many videos on NatGeo or Insta Reels of animals successfully escaping their predators. And so are we seeing a trend of 'Caught On CCTV' reels (Instagram & YouTube) on our feed more often now, where those with a strong security culture intervene in a possible crime and prevent it from happening or even spoil an ongoing criminal activity.
While such a security culture has been common among those professionally trained and involved in the security domain, it has become necessary for everyone now. In this brief article, I'll share my experience and expertise on the subject. Something I ahve personally learnt from a civil society that was able to save many lives because of this Culture, thoughtout its fight for survival.
Please note that I've written this article for ordinary civilians—men, women, and children—who could become possible victims of crime by criminals and radicals. I advise you to circulate it to your family and friends for maximum impact.
What is a Security Culture?
I want to break this term into 2 to help you understand it better. So, let's first understand what Culture is.
Culture is a set of thoughts that ultimately translate into feelings and actions to deliver an intended result. One of the best examples I can share is 'Putting our palms together to greet people - Namaste.' The 'core thought,' and the feelingbehind such an action is our belief that the creator exists in each of us and that to such divine force is our humble submission and welcome. The result of such a culture is the respect the person feels who is being greeted by such an action. It was also noted that our Culture was widely accepted and appreciated during the #COVID19 pandemic, where shaking hands was considered risky.
Now that we understand Culture let's dive into realizing the powerful concept of a Security Culture.
I define Security Culture as a set of Thoughts, Feelings, and Actions an individual and/or a community chooses to observe that increase their awareness of their surroundings and everything in it. The 'core thought' here is to become aware of any threat to one's security and safety due to any Thought, Feeling, or Action, intentional and unintentional, of another.
Security Culture is being in a subconscious state of constant alert.It is a cumbersome task on the mind to constantly look for threats. For those who experience higher levels of anxiety, this is a complete turn-off. But trust me, it feels so only in the beginning, just like how it was when you started to learn to drive. Initially, maneuvering your vehicle through dense traffic felt exhausting. But once you are confident, sometimes you drive to your destination without realizing the stress because it isn't one now. Your subconscious mind handles the responsibility.
Security Culture: One Vs. Many
While the Security Culture observed by an individual is for their own benefit, it has compounding benefits when an entire family is trained in the subject and practices its corresponding behavior. I'm sure we all have cautioned kids while they are running around engrossed in their play. It has also happened that my 6-year-old cautioned me at some critical points and helped me save the day for both of us. It is now a standard feature that my wife cautions us in specific spaces where we let ourselves loose during play. Your entire family's holistic approach to security and safety helps all of you contribute to each other's well-being.
Now, amplify this to all the families around you in your community. Imagine each one of those looking out for the others. And now amplify this to a city, state, and an entire nation. The magnitude of the feeling of security and safety is unfathomable. The fact that Bharat today has an abysmal police-to-civil ratio (1:650+) will become an irrelevant statistic.
Securing India through Indians. This is what Building India's Security Culture is all about.
Why do we need a Security Culture?
While the above paragraph provides more than a hint of why we need to build such a critical culture into ourselves and our families, I'd like to share another vital point that very few talk about and the majority need to realize.
The Primary Target:
For any criminal/radical, it is critical for them first to IDENTIFY their target. Once identified, they must find a place where this target may find themselves ISOLATED to deny any help/assistance to escape or fight back. Criminals/radicals identify targets – who are NOT SECURITY AWARE. We all remember the 2017 incident ***TRIGGER ALERT***(click to view crime caught on CCTV) from New Year's Eve that went viral, of how the criminals had identified their victim and followed her all night, only to attack her in the most vulnerable place. In this case, had the victim been observing a Security Culture, the chances of becoming a victim would have been reduced significantly—80%.
I remember some calling such thinking as VICTIM SHAMING/BLAMING back then. And for those ignorant, I had one thing to say - If you don't study for an exam and fail, the one in the mirror is to be held responsible - FIRST. But imagine those telling you it was the one who set the question paper and who is to blame for your failure. Or it was too hot/cold to concentrate, or the teacher who taught you wasn't good enough. Such baseless and illogical excuses will make sure you fail repeatedly.
Any narrative that protects one's ignorance of one's own safety and security is a dangerous narrative to believe in. It will keep you ignorant, weak, and vulnerable forever.
Here's another case:
While I was in Israel, there was a terrorist attack (click to view crime caught on CCTV) in a restaurant where the terrorists dressed up as Orthodox Jews, and walked into a restaurant & opened fire at people sitting there. If you watch the video, people ran. But there was an order in their running. Nobody died in a stampede. They knew exactly how to evaluate in such situations. They were all security aware to different degrees. You could also see one who tried to hit the terrorists with a chair after noticing that his gun had jammed. This is an awareness to a different level (what we are building through our #TSoC_Bravo Program).
Whether it's criminals or radicals, their failure to execute their plans is certain against individuals and a society that Develops and observes Security Culture in a disciplined manner.
Security Culture: WHO is it for?
Most simply, if you want to stay secure and safe and keep your family secure and safe, building a Security Culture is your immediate necessity. None of us want to become victims, and none of us want to be tagged as prospective victims. Enrolling in a counter-crime education program is your logical first step. However, I have classified the population based on age to ensure the Counter Crime Education is tactically designed to suit their physical, mental, and emotional capabilities.
Security Culture for those above 16 years of age.
These individuals are primarily independent in their functioning. Physically, mentally, emotionally, and financially (for 16-20-year-olds, money is available with them in pocket expenses to spend at their discretion) and spiritually. For them, it is critical to be self-sufficient (#atmanirbhar) to secure themselves wherever they go. Due to the independence they exercise, the responsibility of personal security also comes along with them. This audience classification must be directly introduced to the Counter Crime Education in its purest form. I feel so only because of their direct exposure to criminal and radical intent and actions.
Security Culture for those between the age of 10 - 16 yrs.
This is our naive generation. Filling their minds with the concept of crime has never been my interest. In fact, at this age, kids spend most of their time either in their educational institutions or at home, with a couple of hours of playing in society (usually under adult supervision). However, looking at the rate at which they are being victimized is unacceptable. However, there is a way to train them in tactical life skills to transform them into situationally aware and sharp individuals with robust character—who cannot be victimized.
However, it's also critical to train the other two stakeholders responsible for the security of these kids—the Parents and institutions. We recommend counter-crime Education in its purest form to these stakeholders.
Parents, Institutions, and Society are responsible for their children's security. Putting that onus on the children themselves is accepting that we are not worthy of their respect as elders and mature people. Why would they show us any respect in such a scenario?
Security Culture for Senior Citizens
Another age group that needs special attention is those above 60. This is also a very vulnerable classification of citizens because of their physical, mental, and emotional incapability to secure and defend themselves against aggression. Educating our senior citizens with a completely different approach, content, methodology, tools, and tactics is critical. The need for tailored solutions for this classification is urgent and very demanding.
However, like the 10-16-year-olds, they will need counter-crime-educated family members to understand their security and safety needs better.
Security Culture: Where can you use it?
1. Workplace: A security culture in the workplace ensures the safety of employees, protects sensitive information, and prevents unauthorized access. Pilferage, misappropriations, and other such crimes can be significantly reduced. PoSH can become a 'Once Upon A Time' type of crime, with all women trained in counter-crime Education.
2. Educational Institutions: Implementing a security culture in institutions enhances the safety of students, teachers, and staff, reducing the risk of incidents like bullying, violence, gender-based abuse, substance abuse, and unauthorized individuals on campus. This is just to name a few. The cumulative effect of such a culture within the youth will reflect on the entire society.
3. Public Spaces: Displaying a security culture in public spaces like parks, malls, and transportation hubs helps deter criminal activity and ensure the safety and well-being of the general public. While only 3% of crimes against women are committed by strangers, this can be one of the biggest deterrents to such crimes.
4. Private/Personal Space: If you are wondering about only 3% being the share of strangers in gender-based abuse/violence, where is the rest of the 97% coming from? Well, it's from your inner circles. For children, teens, adults, or senior citizens, the violence/abuse from within the family and relatives is the highest.
The recent CrowdStrike incident (click here for an article on this one) was an insider threat that none of the IT masterminds predicted would ever happen. The disruption (maybe not intentional) came from a trusted source in a trusted packet (update) that should have been applied on standby systems to check for compatibility before being flagged GREEN for the entire network. All it needed was an additional terminal/computer/server that would cost a negligible price of the loss. Something I have advised many to do. For those who followed the advice, business is as usual.
Security Culture: When is the right time to begin?
As an Individual, if you decide right now to start your journey to build your Personal Security Culture, it would take you 12 to 36 hours to learn the dynamics of this subject and its content. The mere knowledge of this content will reduce your chances of becoming a victim by up to 30-40%. It will take at least 30 to 40 days before the characteristics of a Security Culture get imbibed into your behavior. By now, your chances of becoming a victim will be reduced by up to 80%. The rest 20% is all in your hands. This 20% will depend on the daily discipline of following the security habits you've learned and designed for yourself and the time you spend keeping your mind and body in sync and active.
As a corporation, if you are recording incidents of pilferage, theft, harassment/abuse, then it's probably too late for you to begin building your Corporate Security Culture, but better late than never. And if you are 100% secured, then it's time you get started as soon as possible. I say that only because you'd want your brand to be vaccinated before a malicious event can hit you.
As an institution, you are responsible for the security and safety of the young people who come to you for wholesome knowledge. The youth are particularly susceptible to becoming victims of crime. Criminal behavior experienced at a young age can have lasting and far-reaching effects on an individual's life. This is why it is crucial to provide them with comprehensive Education and resources to protect themselves from crime as soon as possible.
As a Resident Welfare Association, you are in a more challenging spot. Your service to the association is mostly a thankless job. But this is where you have a brilliant opportunity to showcase your integrity and leadership to enforce such an education to build a culture that will secure the young, the single, the parents, and the senior citizens living in your apartment complex. And when the failure of a couple of malicious intent and actions are caught on the cameras, people will realize your efforts.
Conclusion
I have been working on building India's security culture since 2017, and what I have shared is just a tiny Jupiter that we see from the Earth. I'd love to take you on a tour of the planet if you are interested. I hope this article has provided you with valuable insights into the concept of Security Culture. Remember, building a Security Culture is not just an individual responsibility but a collective effort we must all undertake. By empowering ourselves and our communities with the knowledge and awareness of security and safety, we can create a more secure and protected environment for everyone. If you're interested in learning more about counter-crime education programs and how you can further contribute to building a strong Security Culture, feel free to send me a message. Together, let's work towards a safer and more secure society for all.
To know how you can your first step towards building a robust Security Culture, drop me a 'Hi' on my DM.
Until my next piece, #StayICY™ (In Code Yellow).
Regards #ExCivilian #CRSpeaks
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