News
News Round Up — AI Anti-Scammer Granny is a Gift to Us All
There’s a lot going on in the world of physical risk and vulnerability; it’s nearly impossible to keep up with the latest news and developments. We’ll keep you informed with the best content to keep your organization safe and secure. Check out the top news and headlines from the past month.
Suspect in UnitedHealthcare’s CEO killing charged with murder as an act of terrorism
From the Associated Press: The man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare’s CEO has been charged with murder as an act of terrorism, prosecutors said Tuesday as they worked to bring him to a New York court from a Pennsylvania jail. Luigi Mangione already was charged with murder in the Dec. 4 killing of Brian Thompson, but the terror allegation is new.
Our take: It’s time for enterprises to re-evaluate the security of their leaders, and take a renewed look at executive protection, especially since high-profile violence tends to create copycats. We’re already seeing threats being made against other executives in the health insurance industry, so this is the time to invest in risk analysis and executive protection
Meta spends more than any other US public company on keeping its boss safe outside of work
From Sherwood News: Since the assassination of UHC CEO Brian Thompson on Dec. 4, there’s been a major uptick in personal-security outlays in large enterprises. The median amount spent by S&P 500 companies that disclosed security spending doubled from 2021 to 2023 to nearly $100,000, according to an analysis by executive-compensation data provider Equilar. This includes a whopping $23 million compensation for Meta’s $1 salary CEO Mark Zuckerberg. That’s more than 3 times spent on the not-so-close runner-up, Alphabet’s Sundar Pichai, and doesn’t include any security spending during work travels or at offices. The social-media giant is obviously concerned about protecting its chief executive, who “is synonymous with Meta” and as a result is exposed to any “negative sentiment” associated with the company, per its SEC filing.
Our take: It’s probably not surprising that Mark Zuckerberg is so well-protected, but it’s always interesting to see the range of executive protection provided to various CEOs. This can be a touchy subject for many executives — some don’t want protection at all, and some want a robust team. It’s critical, however, that these decisions are not only guided by the wants and needs of CEOs, but also by risk analysis data.
As drones are spotted in New Jersey and other states, here’s what we know so far
From NBC: Mysterious drones have been hovering in the skies above New Jersey and other states in the Northeast for weeks, alarming residents and prompting lawmakers to demand answers.The drones were first spotted in New Jersey on Nov. 18. They appear to show up in the late hours of the night, though it is not clear whether they are present every single night. In a joint statement about the New Jersey reports, the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security said they “have no evidence at this time that the reported drone sightings pose a national security or public safety threat or have a foreign nexus.
Our take: Concerns about drones are nothing new, but the worries about the East Coast drones seem to be proving some of our past predictions correct. Drones can be (and are) used for many legitimate purposes, but they’re also easily weaponized and used for espionage. We will be watching the news around these drone sightings with interest.
A phone company developed an AI 'granny' to beat scammers at their own game
From NPR: British mobile phone company O2 has unveiled a new creation, Daisy, a chit-chat and kitty-cat loving artificial intelligence "granny" who talks to scammers to keep them away from real people..O2, the company behind the scam-baiting granny, said the AI technology can keep scammers on the phone for 40 minutes at a time. Daisy was trained with the help of YouTuber and software engineer Jim Browning, who has made an online career exposing scammers to his community of 4.4 million subscribers.
Our take: Is there anything more heartwarming than an AI grandma frustrating scammers and wasting hours of time that might have been spent extorting victims? This is truly the holiday gift we all needed.
Last month’s Top Security Grants
Fiscal Year 2024 Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) Swift Current: This grant aims to better align the delivery of FMA flood mitigation funding to the disaster survivor experience. The purpose of FMA Swift Current is to reduce or eliminate the flood risk to NFIP-participating communities and repetitive flood damage to structures and buildings insured by the NFIP following a flood-related disaster event, and to enhance community flood resilience within NFIP-participating communities. It does so by providing funding for mitigation opportunities immediately after a flood disaster event with the aim of delivering mitigation outcomes. Grant closes: January 15, 2026
The Nonprofit Security Grant Program – National Security Supplemental (NSGP-NSS): The Nonprofit Security Grant Program – National Security Supplemental (NSGP-NSS) supplements one (1) of three (3) grant programs that support the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)/Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) focus on enhancing the ability of state, local, tribal, and territorial governments, as well as nonprofit organizations, to prevent, protect against, prepare for, and respond to terrorist or other extremist attacks. These grant programs are part of a comprehensive set of measures authorized by Congress and implemented by DHS to help strengthen the nation’s communities against potential terrorist or other extremist attacks. The NSGP provides funding to nonprofit organizations at high risk of a terrorist or other extremist attack for facility hardening and other physical security enhancements and activities. Grant closes: Jan 24, 2025
Want more important security information and news delivered straight to your inbox? Subscribe to our blog.
About the Author
