Interviews

Security Commonwealth meets

by Mark Rowe

On page 28 of our March print issue we previewed the ‘Security Commonwealth’, as part of an interview with the outgoing chairman of the Security Institute, Emma Shaw

Security organisations and associations attended the first meeting of that new umbrella body, hosted by UBM in London on February 4. The Security Institute initiated the gathering, which included representatives from the Defence Industry Security Association, the Royal United Services Institute, the British Security Industry Association, ASIS UK Chapter 208, the International Professional Security Association, the Register of Chartered Security Professionals, the Association of Security Consultants, the Association of University Chief Security Officers, the Pharmaceutical Industry Security Forum, the Worshipful Company of Security Professionals, the City of London Crime Prevention Association, the Fire and Security Association, the Womens Security Society, and the Security Awareness Special Interest Group.

Also in attendance was Bill Butler, the CEO of the regulator the Security Industry Authority (SIA), and the Director General of the sector skills body, Skills For Security, Terri Jones.

The concept of a gathering of security organisations working together for the benefit of the sector is not new, and has been tried, as organisers point out. Some will remember the Joint Security Industry Council (JSIC), and in more recent times, the Security Regulation Alliance which campaigned in autumn 2010 in support of the SIA, briefly threatened with abolition by the Coalition Government in a proposed cutting of quangos.

The key to success, all agreed, is maintaining a fair balance, and making sure there is a job to be done. The Manifesto for Professional Security, published by the Security Institute in November and featured in the January issue of Professional Security, provides many challenges and ideas for the group to develop. Their next meeting will start to look at common themes amongst commonwealth members; to set priorities and targets for the group.

Emma Shaw CSyP, chairman of the Security Institute, led the first meeting’s discussions, which she hopes to be the start of a new era in collaboration in the security sector.

She said: “We received an excellent response to the idea of setting up a “Security Commonwealth” and I am pleased that all of the organisations involved are able to see the benefits of sharing ideas and pooling efforts where it is practical to do so. The profession is currently perceived by some as disjointed and lacking a single authoritative voice that represents the broader security community. The benefits to the sector, businesses and more importantly, the general public, could be significant and I welcome any opportunities where members and leaders of our profession can come together to discuss and share common ideas to develop our profession further. The inaugural meeting was successful and I am delighted there was a very real spirit of cooperation; I hope this forum will grow, and become even more representative.”

Any organisation interested in joining the security commonwealth should contact the organisers at [email protected] to register their interest.

Pictured from ST15 at Nottingham: Some of the industry representatives at the Security TWENTY 15 event last month, left to right holding copies of the Institute’s manifesto: Mike White, IPSA chairman; Justin Bentley, IPSA CEO; Neil Wainman, for ASIS UK chapter; Emma Shaw; Nick Johnson, Association of Security Consultants; Andrew Brown, SSAIB; and Nigel Aitkin, NSI. Photo by Mark Rowe

Related News

  • Interviews

    IT deficit

    by Mark Rowe

    A survey of nearly 5000 global IT security people found a deficit in enterprise security systems, a disconnect in how confidential data…

Newsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to stay on top of security news and events.

© 2024 Professional Security Magazine. All rights reserved.

Website by MSEC Marketing