Security Management Highlights

GSX 2026 wraps up today, so we’re taking a look back at another major event that concluded recently: The FIFA World Cup 2026. James Weston, a team-base camp security specialist for FIFA, kept the Croatian team safe as it trained, practiced, and rested in Alexandria, Virginia, for its North American matches. He shares how he got the gig, what he learned on site, and why he found the players particularly inspiring. Additional Resources Weston says security teams for soccer events watch out for so-called “soccer ultras,” passionate fans who sometimes take their love for teams too far. Check out recent content this year covering tactics and strategies to protect staffers, athletes, and other spectators from fan misbehavior: https://www.asisonline.org/security-management-magazine/articles/2026/01/fan-misbehavior/ In the race to the World Cup, Security Management shared a raft of content on the international government and corporate security preparation for the global event: https://www.asisonline.org/security-management-magazine/articles/2026/05/world-cup-security/ See who Weston was protecting by checking out how Croatia did this year at the World Cup: https://www.fifa.com/en/tournaments/mens/worldcup/canadamexicousa2026/teams/croatia/team-news The practice of court-storming or field-storming remains a problem: https://www.asisonline.org/security-management-magazine/latest-news/today-in-security/2024/january/dangerous-court-storming-tradition/ Explore all of our GSX coverage in the GSX Daily here: https://www.asisonline.org/security-management-magazine/articles/2026/gsx-daily-2026/

GSX 2026 is in Atlanta, Georgia, and one of the city’s world-class attractions is the Georgia Aquarium. Attending the ASIS Celebrates networking event on 15 September? You’ll be there, and the man in charge of your safety is Jonathan Thomas, the aquarium’s senior manager of security and compliance. One of the biggest challenges for him and his team? “Trying to give our guests, along with our team members and our animals, the top-level security without them feeling like they have the top-level security,” Thomas says. Hear more from Thomas about aquarium security and, yes, his favorite picks for must-see animals on a visit (he didn’t want to play favorites—we made him). This special GSX episode is generously sponsored by Wavelynx. Additional Resources Sign up for the new school-facing pilot program from Wavelynx here: https://wavelynx.com/shield-our-schools Thomas sometimes works closely with other major venues as part of Atlanta’s down Pemberton Place area, which includes World of Coca-Cola and the National Center for Civil and Human Rights: https://www.worldofcoca-cola.com/plan-your-visit/pemberton-place Want a sneak peek of Thomas’ picks? Check out the Ocean Voyager exhibit, home to a whale shark, manta rays and more. And check out the live video for African penguins or a beluga whale (can’t promise they’ll swim by, but maybe): https://www.georgiaaquarium.org/gallery/ocean-voyager/ Security practitioners need to know how to deal with difficult feelings for visitors and staffers when bad things happen to animals in zoos and aquariums: https://www.asisonline.org/security-management-magazine/articles/2025/09/violent-incident-recovery/critical-incident-stress-management/ The Columbus Zoo family of parks, which includes an aquarium, went through an extensive rekeying project in 2024: https://www.asisonline.org/security-management-magazine/articles/2024/05/zoo/columbus-zoo-rekeying/ A series of swatting incidents and hoax threats hit zoos this year. Read the Security Management analysis here: https://www.asisonline.org/security-management-magazine/latest-news/today-in-security/2026/may/zoo-swatting-hoax/ Explore all of our GSX coverage in the GSX Daily here: https://www.asisonline.org/security-management-magazine/articles/2026/gsx-daily-2026/

Angela Lewis, PhD, vice chair of the ASIS Intelligence Standard Technical Committee, will be sharing details on 14 September at GSX 2026 about her work with dozens of others creating an ANSI-certified international intelligence standard. In this podcast episode, Lewis breaks down the value of intelligence for driving influence in enterprise decisions, where the new intelligence standard is in the process, why now is a good time for it, and when it’s (tentatively) planned for release. I can feel our intelligence about intelligence growing as we speak … This special GSX episode is generously sponsored by Knightscope. Additional Resources Learn more about Knightscope here: https://knightscope.com/ Angela Lewis is speaking at GSX 2026 about intelligence standards and how they can elevate physical security and influence executive decisions. If you’re at the conference, make sure to check out her session on Monday, 14 September, at 10:00 a.m.: https://gsx26.mapyourshow.com/8_0/sessions/session-details.cfm?scheduleid=85 This ASIS webinar covers work on the new intelligence standard in even more detail. Watch it here: https://community.asisonline.org/viewdocument/developing-an-intelligence-standard Are you in the know about ASIS standards? You can find out more—including standards on executive protection, school security, and cannabis security—here: https://www.asisonline.org/security-news/standards-guidelines/ Explore all of our GSX coverage in the GSX Daily here: https://www.asisonline.org/security-management-magazine/articles/2026/gsx-daily-2026/

Security Management magazine Editor-in-Chief Claire Meyer spills the tea on a big crisis-communications package, the content calendar for 2027, and the first step to getting published online. Then, management and leadership consultant Gregory Shea, PhD, author of the recent Rising From Ground Zero: 9/11 and the FDNY’s Path Through Crisis to Transformation, shares leadership lessons gathered from another notable, much-older story: The Endurance’s captain Ernest Shackleton and his nearly fatal expedition in the early 1900s to Antarctica that saw him and his crew survive against all odds. It’s a preview of the CSO Center Secure Horizons two-day seminar at this month’s GSX in Atlanta, Georgia. This episode is generously sponsored by Belfry. Note: Shea’s interview does include a mention of suicidal thoughts. If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health struggle, emotional distress, or just need someone to talk to, the International Association for Suicide Prevention provides a helpline assistant to connect you with a crisis helpline in your country: https://findahelpline.com Additional Resources Learn more about Belfry, this episode’s sponsor, here: https://www.belfrysoftware.com/ Dig into Security Management’s Focus on Crisis Communication content package here: https://www.asisonline.org/security-management-magazine/articles/2026/08/crisis-communications/ In the package above, Pamela Meyer’s “Why ‘Never Go Off-Script’ is Advice for Amateurs” especially caught the eye of Senior Editor Megan Gates. Check it out here: https://www.asisonline.org/security-management-magazine/articles/2026/08/crisis-communications/never-go-off-script/ Explore the Security Management editorial calendar and other guidelines for potential authors here: https://www.asisonline.org/security-management-magazine/resources/writers-guidelines/ Gregory Shea shared some of the key incident response and leadership lessons from the New York City Fire Department during 9/11 in this article with Security Management: https://www.asisonline.org/security-management-magazine/articles/2026/08/crisis-communications/FDNY-leadership-lessons/ Want a crash course in what made the Shackleton expedition so noteworthy? Narrated by Liam Neeson, the documentary The Endurance is Gregory Shea’s No. 1 recommendation to newbies to the explorer: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0264578/ Antarctica has shown up in security news recently, too. Read about environmental activists ramming a fishing boat in waters between the tip of South America and Antarctica here: https://www.asisonline.org/security-management-magazine/latest-news/today-in-security/2026/april/aggressive-environmental-activism/ Did we mention that GSX 2026 happens this month, 14-16 September, in Atlanta, Georgia? The team at Security Management hopes to see you there for a special “Meet the Editors” session on the first day of the conference: https://www.gsx.org/special-events/

Two professors—Jillian Peterson and James Densley—are combing through thousands of incidents of violence in workplaces, healthcare facilities, and schools to find actionable advice to prevent future crime. Then Security Management senior editor Megan Gates follows the trail of violent cases working their way through the justice system and a new U.S. federal rule on drone take-downs. Finally, we hear from Christian Poonwah, who offers drone-safety training in Ukraine to humanitarian and other nonmilitary staffers living and working in a 21st-century war zone. This episode is generously sponsored by Acoem. Additional Resources Learn more about Acoem, this episode’s sponsor, here: https://acoematd.com/ Find out more about Peterson and Densley’s data and takeaways on lethal violence at work, in hospitals, and on campus in their article for Security Management: https://www.asisonline.org/security-management-magazine/articles/2026/07/lethal-violence-databases/ Explore the full datasets from the Violence Prevention Project online here: https://www.theviolenceproject.org/ Organizational culture plays a large role in violence prevention. Look into recent ASIS Foundation research and other analysis about security culture here: https://www.asisonline.org/security-management-magazine/articles/2026/07/security-culture/ Culture can help change the pathway to violence into a pathway to hope, says Dr. Karie Gibson from the FBI. In the ASIS North America Conference, she explained the mindset shift and how it can mitigate targeted violence threats: https://www.asisonline.org/security-management-magazine/latest-news/today-in-security/2026/june/pathway-to-hope/ Recent high-profile incidents have sparked notable interest in targeted violence risks. Reexamine what happened in the deaths of a United Healthcare CEO (https://www.asisonline.org/security-management-magazine/latest-news/today-in-security/2024/december/alleged-unitedhealthcare-assassin-captured/) and a right-wing activist (https://www.asisonline.org/security-management-magazine/latest-news/today-in-security/2025/september/kirk-death-suspect/). How did executive protection change a year after Luigi Mangione allegedly killed United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson? https://www.asisonline.org/security-management-magazine/articles/2025/08/threat-assessment/tackling-online-radicalization/ The U.S. Supreme Court justices asked for more physical and cybersecurity, citing increases in threats, writes Security Management senior editor Megan Gates: https://www.asisonline.org/security-management-magazine/latest-news/today-in-security/2026/july/Supreme-Court-Funding-Executive-Protection/ Security practitioners are adopting drone technology and drone detection solutions to better protect their organizations. Read more about these efforts in the August issue of Security Technology: https://www.asisonline.org/security-management-magazine/monthly-issues/security-technology/archive/2026/drones-august/ Learn more about the new drone take-down guidance in the United States: https://www.asisonline.org/security-management-magazine/latest-news/today-in-security/2026/july/US-Issues-Rule-On-Local-Law-Enforcement-CUAS/ Did you hear that a drone collided with a plane in New York? https://www.asisonline.org/security-management-magazine/latest-news/today-in-security/2026/june/drone-jetblue-jfk-collision-droneshield-2026-report/ The Global Peace Index says things are getting worse. https://www.asisonline.org/security-management-magazine/latest-news/today-in-security/2026/june/Global-Peacefulness-Deteriorates/