How risk intelligence drives better decision-making

Contrary to misconceptions, intelligence is not a secret service for spies and sensitive subjects; rather, it's about leveraging understanding to make informed decisions. The RIC employs subject matter expertise and experience, combined with insights on security operations, geographies, and other relevant factors. This approach results in real-time actionable intelligence, enabling organizations to adapt swiftly to a constantly changing environment, staying ahead of market trends, technological advancements, and client demands.

With the rapid evolution of the digital landscape and the emergence of social media, information and data can be easily shared but also misused by threat actors. This underscores the importance of intelligence today, not only for businesses seeking to enhance their risk management but also for personal security reasons. 

“There’s a common perception that intelligence is a dark art or a dark science and that it’s something that’s reserved only for police or military intelligence agencies. But this is not the case. Intelligence is about understanding and assessing what matters to you as an organization or to you as a decision maker. There’s nothing secret about it,” says Michael Evans, Director of  Securitas' Risk Intelligence Center (RIC), a global function with headquarters in the UK.

The RIC consists of professionals from a variety of backgrounds with different skill sets, including analysts from public and private sector backgrounds, with a focus on increasing diversity in terms of ethnicity, language skills, and expertise. This approach allows the organization to access insights and local knowledge specific to each market, with a vision to establish follow-the-sun teams in different time zones. 

The RIC collects from and contributes to the global intelligence network within Securitas, which promotes a continuous flow of intelligence-sharing to enhance the ability to mitigate threats effectively. The RIC collects raw data, processes into information ready for exploitation, and analyzes and interprets this into actionable intelligence that can be used to mitigate threats, anticipate potential risks, and develop effective strategies and countermeasures.

"Whether you're a large corporation or a small local business, you can benefit from intelligence. Intelligence is about being informed on what is going on and understanding what this means for your organization, regardless of whether you're someone on the frontline or a C-suite decision maker," says Michael Evans, adding that the level of risk a business is facing will vary and depend on different factors.

"There are certain sectors that face greater threats than others and require a higher level of service from us. Industries such as aerospace, defense, life sciences, and technology are unfortunately more likely to be directly targeted by certain threat actors. While other sectors may not face the same level of threat, they still need to ensure there are no disruptions. By utilizing intelligence services, you’ll maximize the impact and effectiveness of your security and improve your return on investment, regardless of size, shape, sector, or location in the world," says Michael Evans.