Dennis Lindström, Security Expert for Swepo Security, offers insight to Security on Screen about security companies and professionals can deal with intrusive and threatening cyber behaviour

Is your personnel security policy known within your company?

Unauthorised influence is a concept within municipal and public activities that is about protecting civil servants in the performance of their duties.

It can be about everything from verbal threats to relatives being mapped and the officials receiving veiled threats such as “you have made a good choice in choosing preschool X for your children, they have good educators, but perhaps too many children per educator” after announced a decision.

But this also happens outside the municipal and public sector. Maybe not as a result of a decision in the exercise of duty, but could be a response from a dissatisfied customer, business partner or former employee.

In step with our increased presence on social media, the threat has also increased.

Not being face to face with the other party together with how easy it is to create an email address that is anonymous without having to verify one’s identity means that the phenomenon of “Trolls” has arisen.

A troll engages in putting down or harassing others in social feeds. And they are frighteningly often successful.

Many profiles today refrain from being controversial or innovative because it is now so much easier for haters to spread their own message.

During my years as a bodyguard, I have often had to work with business leaders, media profiles, government officials and political representatives who were exposed to direct and indirect threats against themselves and/or their relatives. Many times, the purpose has been to either silence the individual or change the individual’s decision.

That it should go so far as to require personal protection means an extensive impact on the individual and their relatives, but may in some cases be necessary for a period to guarantee the safety of the individual.

Therefore, it is important for you, who are responsible for other individuals, to ensure that they feel safe and know how to report incidents that may be classified as unauthorised influence and receive support at an early stage to avoid personal security measures.

As an employer, you have a great responsibility for the safety of your employees, and your own, and that everyone knows how to act if they are exposed to threats of violence, or violence, in their work.

So, do you have a staff safety policy that is well known within your organisation?