It’s a sad fact of modern life: no matter how safe we’d like to think our countries, cities and companies are, the threat of terrorism is a real one, and no one is immune. There are several ways that terrorism could potentially put you and your business at risk, so we’re going to look at a few, and show you how to mitigate your risk.
When You’re Hiring
You never really know who you are hiring from a resume or even from an interview. In fact, many of the scariest terror attacks around the world have been carried out by people described by colleagues and friends as mild mannered and moderate.
If you’re hiring candidates from abroad, make sure you include relevant terrorism checks in your international background check, and when you hire locally, don’t forget a criminal record check, which could reveal past extremist behavior. Foreign military training is another red flag that you will need to explore before making a hiring decision.
When You’re Selling
Most companies are constantly looking for new clients, and a new prospect with very deep pockets who likes to pay cash upfront can be hard to turn down. However, in some cases, customers like these can be terror organizations, and you could unwittingly be helping their cause by selling them your products and services.
Make sure that you screen your customers carefully, and keep detailed records of who you sell to. That information may become valuable at a later stage, and your client records may well help law enforcement if your dream client turns out to be involved in terror.
When You’re Buying
Many people don’t realize that terror organizations usually have legal businesses that earn them money, fund their activities, and give them legitimacy. Some may even be used to launder funds from the organizations’ less than savory activities.
Always treat new vendors with due care and attention. Make sure that they are legal entities, that they have real premises, and that they are certified to offer the products and services they offer. Conduct careful screening of the company and the principal parties you deal with, and make sure that everyone is who they say they are.
Be Wary of Nicknames
Most terrorists operate under a variety of different names, that allow them to have different personas. If you’re hiring freelancers or contractors for your company, make sure that you find out their real names, and that you conduct relevant screening on them. They should have clean criminal records, locally and abroad, and not raise any red flags on terror watch lists. Even following a personal social media account can give you insight into the real beliefs of the person you’re considering working with, and is a simple way to do a “soft” background check.
Trust Your Instincts
Sometimes, there’s nothing concrete to prove that someone isn’t who they say they are, but you just get a bad feeling about them. That’s probably based on something you noticed subconsciously, without even realizing it, and can be a valuable tool in making the right decisions about people.
If you get a bad feeling about someone or a company, you always have the right not to hire or do business with them, even if temporarily. You can always stall until you’ve had time to do a little more investigating.
