Who is sitting next to you in a country where this level of security is needed? Do they have real experience behind them OR an on-line certificate of completion?

STORY: Today, you drive down the side streets of Nairobi, Kenya excited about the contract you are about to secure. You nervously look out the tinted windows at your surroundings. To reassure yourself you look to the private security agent on your right, and hope that you hired the right protection team. You look to the other security agent on your left, and hope that you will never have to need their protection. You glance up from your Blackberry and notice a truck blocking the road. Your SUV slows to a stop, suddenly you hear a scream and see a masked figure sprinting toward you gripping an AK-47. You are deafened by an explosion and the windows shatter. Your look to your right and your agent seems to be hesitating. You look to your left and he is fumbling with his magazine. Gunfire cracks outside the car. The combatants are fast approaching. What was the plan for this situation? Is the emergency plan clear to you? What should you do? Why isn’t your protection team reacting fast enough? You yell at them to do something. The combatants are fast approaching… This is not a scene in “Clear and Present Danger” but a real possibility in today’s world.

No one wants this situation to occur, but when it does you want to know that this is not the first time your private protection team has been shot at.  You need to know that you hired agents who have been tested in real combat situations prior to protecting you.  Sayeret Operational Solutions (S.O.S) seems to have all the right credentials and is made up of combat tested Israeli Special Forces, Secret Service, and Israeli intelligence personnel.  S.O.S offers an elite and highly professional international security option that supplies clients with some of the most highly skilled agents in the world.  Their agents are all full-time operatives who spend time their free time training, shooting, and keeping their skills sharp.

Aside from a strict training regiment and mission specific scenario training, S.O.S  has developed many military based techniques to certify that agents react extremely fast and with precision.  S.O.S has developed small organic tactical teams. These teams are made up of highly trained agents who have trained together, lived together, and taken fire together.  It is accepted that cohesiveness of a team is one of the most critical aspects of fast and appropriate responses.

A full service security company goes beyond kidnap and ransom insurance and can do all of the below.  For example, S.O.S is combat ready and able to supply a range of worldwide services. All services listed below include intelligence gathering, security and risk assessments as well as contingency and emergency planning where the client takes an active role in brief but comprehensive emergency contingency training to ensure that the client is trained in proper reactions as well.

• Executive and VIP Protection- Specializing in high-risk areas, providing organic teams which is trained to react evasively and decisively in event of a suspected threat.
• Industrial Maritime Protection- We protect shipments moving through dangerous waters and docking in unstable ports.
• Yacht Security- At S.O.S. the most personable agents are dedicated to Yacht Security providing a discreet, friendly and professional security team which is able to respond quickly and decisively to any threat.
• Corporate Asset Protection-S.O.S provides comprehensive protection for a corporate facility overseas, or a corporation’s supply lines. This includes risk assessments, emergency and contingency plans, on the ground security and comprehensive training for employees.
• Train and Phase-S.O.S will enter corporate facilities or supply lines, will evaluate threats, document emergency and contingency plans, then train local security or company security (dependent on cost effectiveness).   S.O.S will provide several agents to oversee security and then slowly phase out leaving only one supervisor. This is a more cost effective option for corporations with overseas business operations.

Buying kidnap and ransom insurance or executive “security services” is not enough.  Who is behind the program, from the kidnap and ransom insurance consultant to the security specialist sitting beside you, is 95% of what you are buying.  Anyone can put attractive terms on paper or a large kidnap and ransom insurance “benefit”, but what’s behind it?

1. Pre-departure security training for the expatriate;  What activities, locations, and behaviors should be avoided in the host country to stay out of trouble.  This should be integrated into cross cultural training.
2. Emergency security plan for expatriates.  Does the host country need an emergency security plan for expatriates in case they need to leave the country or stay safe during an incident?  For example, if expatriates are in the U.K. an emergency security plan may not be necessary.  If they are in India, after what happened in Mumbai a few years ago yes, an emergency security plan is in order.  No matter how “safe the country” we learned after 9-11 that expatriates should be given security instructions and guidelines for just about ANY host country.
3. Making sure expatriates don’t know about the existence of a Kidnap and Ransom insurance policy, yet expatriates should be ready and able to call the emergency phone number if they feel threatened.
4. Host country work site assessment by an international security professional.  Again, the urgency to assess the safety of the work site will vary by country, and even by region in the host country.
5. Misc expenses related to proper host country security.  Drivers | Alarms | Security enhanced SUV | Local body guards, etc.

Unfortunately, most employers that send people to work internationally as expatriates only score a C on the above, including kidnap and ransom insurance.  Universities sending faculty to travel or work abroad get the worst grade and do very little for their employees from a security perspective.

Employers generally do a good job on the “health” side of the equation.  International risk management and international insurance brokers are used to put in a variety of insurance and service products for expatriates and global travelers ranging from expatriate health insurance to medical evacuation and assistance in the event of a medical emergency.  The overall grade for is a B and most of these programs are widely accepted.

Regarding expatriate security, the grades get dramatically worse.  Kidnap and ransom insurance policies may be old and outdated and most risk managers and international human resources people are not exactly sure what they have or the exact coverage scope of their kidnap ransom insurance policy internationally.  Most lack “emergency security plans” for expatriates.  The overall grade is a C and unforunately, there are many Fs balancing out the As. 

Regarding expatriate safety, the grades get even worse.  What does that mean to keep an expatriate or global traveler safe?  Well, few organizations have fully taken this last step.  One example of expatriate safety is the use of programs like the Medex Airline Insider: 

Often times, corporate travel departments will liaison with travel companies to find the most convenient and cost-effective flight for their employees, without a thought as to how safe that airline actually is. Whether it is a newly-born airline in South America or an older one that has been around for a while in Asia, it is imperative that a thorough check into an airline’s safety and security record be performed.Airline Insider is an online, one-of-a-kind business intelligence tool which allows employers to make an informed judgment about the quality and safety of the airlines they place their employees on. Flying safe is not just a duty of care issue. Don’t risk your employees’ safety and the productivity of your firm without first consulting Airline Insider.

Airline Insider provides a brief history of the airline in question, as well as information on routes, hubs, alliances, operations and destinations. It can also inform if and when an airline has been re-bought and renamed – and who the new owner is.

Most importantly, the airline’s financial standing will be analyzed. Is it in debt? Does the airline outsource its maintenance to someone else (who may be willing to do the job for less, and thus run the risk of cutting corners in order to save money) – or does it perform all maintenance checks in-house, and cling to high standards? Sometimes, airlines have been known to “cannibalize” spare parts for lack of funds. Also, does the airline have the funding to properly train its personnel and update pilots on new procedures?

This is one example of expatriate safety that goes beyond just kidnap and ransom insurance.  Other examples include the following:

• using bullet proof glass in cars in some countries
• using established and reputable drivers and driving companies (avoiding taxis)
• site assessments of both where the expatriate will live, and the office location.
• pre-departure training for both the expatriate and the family on being safe
• cross cultural training focusing on safety not just being polite!  

The Jerico Group has a unique expertise in the security of luxury yachts

Piracy and Maritime Kidnap and Ransom is not limited to the Gulf of Aden and is not only suffered by commercial shipping lines. Owners of luxury yachts can be especially susceptible to attacks both at sea and in foreign ports; and due to the success of the Somali pirates, piracy may well increase worldwide.  Yacht security should be taken seriously if the yacht is sailing internationally.

Criminal activity targeted at vessels and her passengers can include, but is not limited to: thefts while in port or at sea; assaults and kidnappings of the vessels owner, crew and passengers, while at sea or in a foreign port; theft of the vessel for salvage; or destruction of the vessel to conceal a criminal activity.  Even if the owners carry kidnap and ransom insurance, you want to stop an attack before it happens of course.

To help prevent criminal activity aimed at luxury yachts The Jerico Group advises a multi-faceted security plan. 

1.       First and foremost, the vessel should undergo a security refitting and the training of the crew to repel boarders and protect the vessel and its passengers. This might include: advanced lighting systems for the vessel and its surrounding waters while in port; vessel access denial systems; emergency crew warning systems; installation of a safe room; non-lethal defensive weapons; and the training of crew and owners in the applicability and use of all security systems. 

2.       The purchase of comprehensive vessel insurance that covers thefts of the vessel’s equipment and the passenger’s personal possessions. 

3.       The purchase of kidnap and ransom insurance that covers all waters and ports the vessel may visit. 

4.       Passengers should be briefed as to the vessel’s security measures and the duties and responsibilities of the security team. 

5.       The vessel’s crew should include a security team capable of protecting the vessel while at sea and in foreign ports. Because firearms can be a sensitive issue in foreign ports, the security team must be proficient in close combat and the utilization of improvised weapons. The Jerico Group recommends a security team primarily comprised of militarily trained special operations personnel with field operational experience or former law enforcement officers with documented personal protection training and experience. 

6.       The security team should be trained and experienced in personal protection operations. Vessel owners and passengers are at their greatest risk while onshore at visiting ports. Depending on the port’s risk factor, the security team leader may want to temporarily employ local military or law enforcement personnel for additional armed security and to help deter any legal problems which may be encountered if an attack takes place. 

This article is merely a primer on vessel security for luxury yachts. Additional information may be obtained through www.thejericogroup.com website.

Expatriate security planning and preparation is similar to what Toyota drivers are being told to do regarding runaway exceleration; prepare in advance.  All it really takes is to tell yourself three times, if my car starts to race shift into neutral, don’t panic, worst comes to worse I can turn the key off.  Panic and lack of preparation have left many dead.

Having someone walk expatriates through the possible situations and actually spending one full day on expatriate security can be the difference between life and death or kidnap and ransom.

Expatriate security and pre-departure preparation means running each possible scenario through… ahead of time.

If you are going to Mexico city here are your expatriate security issues.  Are most employers dealing with these expatriate security concerns in advance?  No.

1. Should I get in a green taxi.. ever?
2. Has there been an international security site assessment both on where I will work and where my family will live?
3. What do I do if someone enters my car?
4. What to do if someone enters the house?
5. Do I have a security emergency number, and who can I reach in an emergency?
6. Is there a political evacuation plan?
7. Who is my security contact back in the home office or locally in Mexico City?

Effective risk management and expatriate security (against violent crime,  political unrest, medical emergencies, kidnap and ransom, hotel fires, extortion, auto accidents etc.) is dependent on effective decision making and making good choices through preparation.

The expatriate policies and procedure manual should have an entire section on expatriate family security, it should not be mentioned just in passing.

However, the kidnap and ransom scenario is the classic “it will never happen to me case.”  No matter how much one reads up on the need for kidnap and ransom insurance for the expatriate family, there is that little voice inside us that says, it will never happen and that is the next guy’s problem.  A movie like Taken is one of the few things that can get the adrenaline pumping and can make us actually consider, “what if that was my child.” 

We find it amazing how many high net worth individuals take their entire family to places like Kuwait, Mexico, Philippines, Egypt and 20 other highly dangerous places without even checking up on kidnap and ransom insurance.  Many won’t even question their own employer about what security plans may be in place in the event of an incident. 

Of course, under a real kidnap and ransom insurance program the company is not at liberty to discuss the particulars and even inform the expatriate about the existence of a kidnap and ransom insurance plan, but the point is very few even ask, at least this is our experience.

It’s too late to make plans once something happens.  A private kidnap and ransom insurance plan may only cost a family $2,000 a year.  If you are a high net worth individual working away from home, this is money well spent.

The results are very surprising because it’s expected that United States citizens would be the most at risk for kidnap and ransom.  The reasons the Chinese are at risk is simple, they have the largest number of people traveling to high risk locations for kidnap and ransom around the world.

Of course, from this fact we can form several conclusions, most notably that the country of the kidnapping victim and how their country treats kidnappers is of no concern to the kidnappers.  The United States made a strong case on how it will treat kidnappers in 2009 when the Navy Seals shot and killed maritime pirates on the Maersk ship Alabama.  We suspect the Chinese special forces would not treat the kidnappers of their citizens with any gentler gloves than the Americans.

For more information on kidnap and ransom insurance for expatriates and travelers please contact McKinley International Risk Management.

The FARC activities always puts Colombia in the top 10 worst for International Travel!

We are often asked to list the very worst countries for travel, not necessarily for kidnap and ransom insurance risk, but in general, encompassing all possible factors involving health, safety, and security.

Here is our list for 2009 for the highest risk for international travelers.

Haiti, Afghanistan, Iraq, Chechnya, Somalia, Congo, Yemen,
Nigeria, Philippines, Mexico / Brazil / Colombia (A three way tie.)

We all understand the general risks of traveling to Iraq and Afghanistan which goes beyond the need for kidnap and ransom insurance.  However, other countries on the list require more explanation.

It’s very unusual how bad  Haiti is, and continues to be from a traveler and tourist perspective.  The Dominican Republic, the other side of the island, is becoming a large tourist destination but Haiti can never seem to get it’s act together and ranks worst on our list this year.  From the U.S. Deptartment of State on Haiti:

Travel in Haiti can be dangerous and all visitors are urged to exercise vigilance and caution. In some cities and towns ordinary services such as water, electricity, police protection and government services are either very limited or unavailable. While a U.N. force has provided assistance to police  in Haiti since 2004, their presence does not guarantee absolute security for residents or visitors.

The U.S. mission in Haiti issues security related messages warning U.S. citizens of violent or unstable conditions and has been forced to suspend service to the public or close the Embassy because of security concerns.  These concerns have also prevented Embassy personnel from traveling to or through some areas. Since October 2004 Embassy personnel have been prohibited from entering central Port-au-Prince after dark due to security concerns. The Embassy has also imposed a curfew on its officers. As a result, the ability of Embassy officers to come to the aid of U.S. citizens in distress may be limited.  If situations occur where the Embassy must suspend operations or when officers are unable to travel freely, the Embassy will continue to be available by telephone to offer emergency services to U.S. citizens.

Incidents of violent demonstrations, looting, and transportation disruptions in Les Cayes and Port-au-Prince   resulted in several deaths.  In 2009 the Embassy issued several security related messages advising U.S. citizens to avoid downtown Port-au-Prince near the universities (Avenue Christophe, Rue Capois, and Avenue John Brown) when student demonstrators barricaded streets and threw rocks at passing cars, attracting a large police presence, which responded with tear gas and other forceful measures.  Demonstrations in Haiti often result in violence and require police intervention.  U.S. citizens are advised to avoid all demonstrations.   As a result of such civil unrest, U.S. citizens have been temporarily stranded in isolated locations and could not safely travel until calm was restored.  U.S. citizens are strongly advised to thoroughly consider the risks before traveling to Haiti and to take adequate precautions to ensure their safety if traveling to Haiti.

U.S. citizens in Haiti should avoid all large gatherings, as crowd behavior can be unpredictable. Visitors encountering roadblocks, demonstrations, or large crowds should remain calm and depart the area quickly and avoid confrontation. The Haitian National Police increased their visibility in 2009 and are gradually contributing to improving public security, especially in the metropolitan area of the capital,  However, assistance from Haitian authorities is often unavailable. U.S. citizens must be particularly cautious on days when there are political activities planned in Haiti. U.S. citizens are urged to take common-sense precautions and avoid any event where crowds may congregate.

Kidnap and ransom insurance is essential for anyone traveling to, or living in Haiti as an expatriate.

The Philippines is the land of 7,000 islands.   Some areas of this country are not recommended for traveling like North Cotabato, Mindanao, Zamboanga peninsula, Basilan, Tawi-Tawi and the Sulu archipelago. Apart from robberies and kidnappings there are other threats as well. Local people mix drugs in the drinks of the visitors which can make them unconscious in minutes. Some cases are reported where the tourists not only lose their wealth and also lose their body parts like kidneys.

We should mention Nigeria.  It is the most populous country of Africa. The people living here belong to over 200 different races which is the major cause of shaking economy. This country is also famous for its emails scams.  More than 220 oil workers have been kidnapped in this country and the issue had always been resolved by ransom money. According to reports, these foreign workers were working near the Niger Delta. The areas like Bakassi Peninsula, Bayelsa or the Delta are famous for kidnappings and habitat of armed gangs. There is high risk of getting infected by Malaria and AIDS/HIV. Travelers are also advised to be vaccinated against yellow fever before entering in the country.  Kidnap and ransom insurance is essential for anyone working or living, as a foreigner, in Nigeria especially if involved in the oil trade.

Juarez Mexico Kidnappings affecting America

Kidnap and ransom insurance is not just for fat cat expatriates globe trotting the world.  The market right here in the U.S. is growing and for good reason.  Most Americans are not aware of the extent of kidnappings in Phoenix.

In what is now a dangerous and deadly crime wave, Phoenix, Arizona has become the kidnapping capital of the United States, with more incidents than any other city in the world outside of Mexico and over 370 cases last year alone.

Do most people in the U.S. even consider KnR insurance, now.  Most of the kidnappings are related to the drug trade and the ridiculous problems they have across the boarder in Juarez Mexico, however, ordinary people are not left out of the problem.

Kidnappings and other crimes connected to the Mexican drug Cartels and are spreading across the border, from Texas to California. A  news investigation uncovered horrific cases of chopped-off hands, legs and heads when a victim’s family doesn’t pay up fast enough (basically, the worst parts of the movie Scarface).

To combat the crime, the Phoenix police have created a special unit to handle the kidnappings called the Home Invasion Task Force, which has pulled more than a dozen officers off other assignments. The crimes are occurring across the valley and in all types of neighborhoods.  Kidnap and ransom insurance is actually being purchased by U.S. citizens living in their own neighborhoods.

This group had a poor showing regarding the international security of faculty and staff that leave the country

A recent survey conducted by McKinley International Risk Management finds that most universities and colleges are not taking the steps to adequately protect employees that work or travel internationally on university business.  Many may even have a kidnap and ransom insurance policy but there are several problems and disturbing trends found in international faculty security.  These include all of the following:

1. University Human Resources Departments not knowing where employees were around the world, and having no good way to keep track of when and where employees work and travel internationally.  For example, many commented that university employee benefits, risk management, and human resources “have no way of knowing if the college of business is sending someone to work or travel internationally.”  (This is far from best practices in 2009 where it really is the employers business to absolutely know where employees are around the world.  In most cases HR took very little effort to combat this or did not even see the problem).
2. Kidnap and Ransom insurance strategy is all over the place.  Policies range from stand-alone k&r insurance to programsembedded in other policies like general liability.  Many universities send employees into very high risk locations like Eastern Africa, and have no kidnap and ransom insurance in place whatsoever.
3. University employers were very unfamiliar with the particulars of their kidnap and ransom insurance policy, even where one existed.  Many did not exactly know who is covered, what the country exclusions were, and exactly how to put the plan into action in the event of an abduction.  Most did not know what other potential threats the kidnap and ransom insurance policy would cover like extortion or express kidnap.

Overall, we give universities a D- grade when it comes to kidnap and ransom insurance and other types of measures that should be taken to protect employees traveling or working internationally.  This is the lowest rank of any group we rated including non-profit organizations, missionaries, large corporations, small corporations, and universities.  One of the reasons for the very poor rating was a general lack of coordination between the risk manager, employee benefits, human resources, and what each “College” was doing inside the university. 

In addition, the many State schools brought down the overall rank of colleges and universities in general because of the need to coordinate all risk management and insurance procurement with the State’s capital (in most cases.)  For example, a large State University may have employees in Tanzania for six months but of course, none of the needs of these employees are addressed by the State’s capital, providing insurance benefits for all State employees.  We understand it can be extremely difficult for State universities to make these risk management moves on their own, but we found too much of a prevelance and attitude of “we can do nothing about the situation” and most never truely pursued creative ways they could use to protect employees internationally, without the State involvement. 

Overall, the smaller private universities ranging from Yale to Bucknell rank much higher in international faculty security and kidnap and ransom insurance for universities.