Articles with threat

The Parking Lot: The First Part of a Security Incident

The International Protective Security Board (IPSB) is an independent, nonprofit entity devoted to promoting the protection industry’s interests by focusing on protective security trends, best practices, and professional development.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Protection Book Review: Just 2 Seconds ]

With its Latin motto of “Vigilate” (keep watch or stay alert), “Semper Discentes” (always learning), and “Et Honorem” (and honor), it encompasses all public-facing sectors requiring security attention, including faith-based organizations.

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Its semiannual publication is The Close Protection & Security Journal. Volume 2, Issue 1 includes the article, “The Parking Lot: The First Part of a Security Incident” (PDF) by Greg Williams and Brian Marren of Arcadia Cognerati, the principles of which can be applicable for church security teams.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, The 5 Lines of Defense in Church Security, Beginning Outside ]

It begins, “Before a school shooter can start killing, before a bank robber can pass a note to a teller, and before someone can rob a gas station, they have to pass through a parking lot. In the parking lot, the element of time and distance between the perpetrator and their victim already exists. You need to learn to exploit it to yield opportunity.”

Preparation Warnings from Former CIA Analyst, Sarah Adams

Sarah Adams is an award-winning CIA targeting officer and global threat advisor with extensive domestic and international experience. Ms. Adams held positions in the government and non-profit sectors and has worked overseas on behalf of the US government’s intelligence mission in Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia. She is the co-author of Benghazi: Know Thy Enemy.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, 2025 Annual Threat Assessment of the US Intelligence Community ]

Her frequent posts on X concern current events and offer insightful observations on the terrorism threat landscape worldwide. She posted the following caution and preparation warning on X Oct 13, 2025, the day President Trump declared the war in Gaza was over and the terrorist cabal Hamas finally freed the last living 20 Israeli hostages:

AlertMedia’s October 2025 Quarterly Threat Review

AlertMedia helps organizations respond to critical events with emergency communication solutions. It’s Global Intelligence Team monitors global threats 24/7/365.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Spiritual Fitness Self-Defense: Seeing Temptation as a Threat ]

After tracking threats between July 2025 and September 2025, its October 2025 Quarterly Threat Review analyzes 5 critical events during that period with significant and lasting impacts.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Chart: The Spectrum of Potential Threat Personas in Self-Defense and Church Security ]

Its focus is primarily businesses, but by extension, can be applied to general self-defense environmental situational awareness and public safety in the church security arena, providing insights into how similar threats might affect their operations—and how to prepare.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, A List of Active Killer Incidents at Houses of Worship and Religious Schools ]

Here are the 5 analyses with brief annotations:

Mitigating Attacks on Houses of Worship Security Guide

Terrorists, criminals, anarchists, and disrupters are attacking houses of worship (HoW). They assume HoW are soft targets; gun-free zones where media coverage and notoriety can be easily achieved through defenseless active killing.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, A List of Active Killer Incidents at Houses of Worship and Religious Schools ]

In response, more HoW are establishing and training their own armed volunteer security teams.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Enroll in the Sheepdog Church Security Academy Safety Member Certification Program ]

One resource for these teams is the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)‘s 116-page PDF, Mitigating Attacks on Houses of Worship Security Guide.