By:
On:
In: *Connecting the Dots Blog*, First Preventer

The First Preventers Playbook: How to Intervene, Disrupt, and Prevent Tragedy Before It Strikes. Enough is enough! Old playbooks and strategies depend on First Responders (defense), however First Preventers (offense) are needed too. It’s time to use a new prevention playbook to prevent more incidents and tragedies, The First Preventers Playbook is just in time to show you how. LAS VEGAS, NV – “For too long, we have ignored the signs of mass casualty attacks and refused to work together to “connect the dots”. Rick has given us a roadmap to do just that,” Captain Griger, Sarpy County Sheriff’s Office. Leaders in schools, higher education,Read More →

By:
On:
In: *Connecting the Dots Blog*

The Twitter hack is pretty alarming when you realize what a couple of teenage hackers were able to accomplish using one of the oldest hacking techniques in the hacker playbook. Twitter Attack What happened? Twitter employees were hacked by hackers using social engineering and exposing human vulnerabilities and lack of awareness. The result was several Twitter accounts of some very well known people were taken over by the hackers. Twitter said the hackers “successfully manipulated a small number of employees and used their credentials to access Twitter’s internal systems, including getting through our two-factor protections.”  Twitter released an update later and said the hackers “targeted aRead More →

By:
On:
In: *Connecting the Dots Blog*

Scary Indicators for School Leaders… Shootings, COVID, Mental Health & More Targeted Violence In a 2019 US Secret Service analysis, between 2008 and 2017 41 schools experienced targeted violence which is scary enough. However, it is also scary because BEFORE the 41 attacks occurred: ALL the individuals (attackers) exhibited concerning behaviors before the attack ALL the attackers experienced social stressors involving their relationships with peers and/or romantic partners Nearly all attackers experienced negative home life factors Sadly, none of the 41 schools were able to take advantage of the indicators (concerning behaviors, social stressors, home life factors, leakage, warning signs, red flags, etc.) to intervene,Read More →

By:
On:
In: *Connecting the Dots Blog*

16 years ago, on July 22, 2004, the 9-11 Commission Report was released. Do you remember one of the most important revelations in the 9-11 Commission Report? National intelligence is still organized around the collection disciplines of the home agencies, not the joint mission. The importance of integrated, all source analysis cannot be overstated. Without it, it is not possible to “connect the dots”. No one component holds all the relevant information. The biggest impediment to all source analysis – to a greater likelihood of connecting the dots – is the human or systemic resistance to sharing information. The 9-11 Commission Report revealed there wereRead More →

By:
On:
In: *Connecting the Dots Blog*

Hackers and breaches create huge costs and unwanted consequences, but most were preventable. Hackers – cyber criminals, corporate espionage, state-backed countries, insiders, ex-employees, and others want your organization’s information or your money. Every day hackers are successfully breaching organizations, taking advantage of gaps, and then taking the organization’s proprietary information or holding the organization’s information for ransom. Hackers are like cockroaches; they will enter wherever gaps exist. Hackers are successful because PEOPLE (employees, contractors, third-party service providers, vendors, remote workers, etc.) lack ongoing awareness about the latest phishing, business email compromise, and ransomware attacks, creating a gap for hackers. It only takes one gap, oneRead More →

By:
On:
In: *Connecting the Dots Blog*, COVID-19

As organizations are reopening and returning to work, how are you managing all the new pains and liabilities related to COVID-19 challenges on top of all the existing challenges you were already dealing with? It’s time for reopening and returning to work, however, managing lots of new COVID-19 challenges on top of all the existing challenges can create lots of new pains and liabilities too. Some of the new challenges include new and different fears, stressors, confusion, phases, compliance, and safety.  For example: How will you manage fears of employees, students, and guests who fear they may be infected with COVID-19 at work? How willRead More →

By:
On:
In: *Connecting the Dots Blog*, COVID-19

Major events, like the Coronavirus (COVID-19), are major problems that can lead to more major problems beyond just the scope of health and health care. HACKERS (the Villains from the Dark Web) see major events (pandemic, sports, elections, natural disasters, etc.) as opportunities to take advantage of fears, emotions, confusion, and curiosity by sending phishing emails or fake emails to trick employees, perhaps even your employees. Recipients (your employees, staff, etc.) are tricked into clicking on web links, opening attachments, or taking actions that could lead to ransomware, viruses, business email compromises, and many other problems. With more of your employees are working from homeRead More →

By:
On:
In: *Connecting the Dots Blog*, COVID-19

The Coronavirus (COVID-19) is causing a lot of fear, stress, chaos, and confusion with so many different sources of tips, guidelines, apps, etc. While most leaders are currently involved in lots of meetings discussing the immediate actions (suspensions, cancellations, working remotely, online education, safety, health, etc.), it is just as critical to consider numerous other short-term and long-term problems and liablities that need actions and solutions to address: Awareness & Accountability Liabilities caused by quick short-term decisions (working remotely, online classes, etc.) Compliance with Privacy, Safety, OSHA, etc. Lawsuits from Students, Faculty, Vendors, others Awareness & Accountability With employees working remotely and students accessing onlineRead More →

By:
On:
In: *Connecting the Dots Blog*, Warning Signs

May I Have Your Attention Please:  All CEOs, CISOs, CFOs, CROs, COOs, CDOs, Superintendents, Deans, Principals, Board Members, Trustees, Mayors, and other leaders too. A paradigm shift is taking place and leaders need to be aware because it involves a legal strategy that attorneys are using to win lawsuits and settlements. The legal strategy involves attorneys filing lawsuits that claim organizations are negligent because they “ignored red flags”. The legal strategy has been very successful and is being copied by private attorneys as well as multiple State Attorneys General and others who are winning lawsuits and settlements using this successfully proven legal strategy. In OpioidRead More →

By:
On:
In: *Connecting the Dots Blog*, Connect the Dots, Risk Management, School Safety, Threat Assessment Team, Warning Signs

How many times have you read a headline or story about an incident or tragedy and it mentioned how warning signs and red flags were missed, ignored, or not acted on? How many times have you had an incident at your organization and found out afterward that others were aware of warning signs and red flags before, but you and your team were not aware of them? Even though more than enough warning signs and red flags were observed, leaked, reported, and available before most incidents and tragedies, prevention efforts still failed again and again. Are you asking yourself why and how you can makeRead More →