Safe Passage Security Training Blog

Terror threats are a real concern and they’re not going away anytime soon. Many would actually agree that attacks have been steadily increasing in number all around the world.

Unfortunately, we’re constantly seeing media coverage and reports of plots, attacks, and aftermaths. We’ve learned quite quickly that virtually any organization in any industry could fall victim to an attack.

That’s why it’s important to stay informed on the latest security threats and attacks happening around the world. Here’s a timeline of notable events from over the past three months.

Everyday security screeners at airports all over the world have a very difficult job to do. Security screeners often lack up-to-date threat information as they screen hundreds of passenger bags each day. They rely on any current information provided by local authorities and their own historical knowledge to make the best decisions possible.

Talking with security screeners from a wide variety of international airports about this issue, one common theme prevails. There is no formal mechanism for sharing such threat information. In most cases, the best sources for getting information about new or emerging security threats are via the media or when items are found at the checkpoint where the security screener works.

It seems like over the past fifteen years, we’ve heard a lot about the Improvised Explosive Device, otherwise known as IED. An IED is a homemade or noncommercial explosive device used to cause pain and mass destruction. It has been a prominent threat tactic used largely by terrorists in package, suicide, car, and roadside bombs to target both soldiers and civilians.

Despite recent media spotlight on these IED attacks in the past few decades, you might be surprised to learn these were originally devised over a century ago. Since then, the terminology has changed and the device itself has evolved, but the core concept of the Improvise Explosive Device remains the same.