Updated Your Travel Briefings Lately?

Are you aware when your staff travels?  Are they aware of specific contractual requirements regarding foreign travel?  Do your travel briefings include threat analysis and suspicious contact refreshers?

As the Facility Security Officer (FSO) you should know when your staff is planning on traveling to foreign countries whether or not they have a clearance.   The places your staff visit may be of interest not only to you (as part of the threat awareness/risk assessment for your facility), but your customer as well.

Some contracts require those with a certain eligibility and higher to report plans (or even request prior approval) to travel to certain countries.  Other contracts specify that foreign travel needs to be reported so that the client can send a briefing for the traveler.  Best practices suggest that all staff should report their travel plans to the security department and receive a foreign travel briefing.

What do you include in your travel briefings?  Depending upon the position of the staff member traveling and what he or she may have access to you might include:

• Briefings provided by customer or DSS
• Briefings provided by FBI
• Applicable targets described the the DSS Publication Targeting Trends
• Articles reporting on the area(s) to be visited or on TSA Guidelines
• Travelers Provide Birthdate & Gender
• 8 Things an Airline Would Never Tell You
• Hi-jacking 'dry run' Testimony Mounts
• The High-Flying Bin Ladens
• Massive TSA Security Breach
  
• Risks During Foreign Travel (Employee's Guide to Security Responsibilities: Foreign Threats to Protected Information)

Remember to debrief the traveling staff member upon his or her return.  Did he or she notice anything unusual?  Did someone attempt to make connections or exchange business cards?  Is there anything he or she feels like reporting -- even if it was only a feeling.

Forward your debriefs to your DSS Security Representatives and your customers if there is anything to report.

While this is one of many cleared individual reporting responsibilities (remember your consultants and subcontractors report to you also), it is also a service you can provide by maintaining a record of the person's travel for easy recall during the next Periodic Reinvestigation.
 

Do you need assistance in developing targeted or overall briefings?  Call (512-650-4819) or email and request a quote from AJ's Consulting or purchase a customized briefing for your facility. 

Maintaining Account Managers & Users in JPAS