​The most common threat that security and protection enterprises encounter is that of theft. It is in most cases impossible to recognize a thief before the plan to commit the crime is put into motion; even a suspicious and obviously out of place character could be just a decoy to draw the attention of the defenses in place away from the real theft as it is committed. 

As is often the case, the worst damage is done from unexpected sources that are allowed unchecked past the defenses. The US Chamber of Commerce estimates that annual losses from employee theft are greater than equivalent period losses from burglary, robbery, and car theft put together. The same operational security procedures can help minimize both of these issues - constant vigilance in observation combined with complete accuracy and objectiveness in documentation will reveal many theft attempts before or as they happen, if the observer knows what to look for.

It is an unfortunate aspect of the human psyche that any vulnerability will be preyed upon by opportunistic thieves, vandals, and con artists. In the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, with Hurricane Irma days away from assaulting the Gulf Coast, countless criminals are looking to take advantage of the victims when they are at their most vulnerable.
 
Multiple cases of impersonations of federal and emergency response personnel have been widely reported, including supposed FEMA employees looking for fraudulent payments to cover nonexistent insurance. Attempts to scam money in similar ways are widespread, a common attempt being door to door solicitors claiming to be contractors that remove water or repair damage, that in fact disappear after receiving a down payment.
 
The recovery process for Harvey alone has been estimated to take three years. Many properties will be too damaged to function for an extended period of time, yet contain materiel too valuable to leave unattended, and pose an insurance risk in the case of vandals or trespassers. There are many invaluable security lessons that will surface as new forms of intrusion and deception are studied and the unique difficulties presented during recovery are overcome.
 
Our hearts and prayers are with all the victims and their families of hurricanes Harvey and Irma, and we hope they can all remain as safe as possible.