About the Association of Security Consultants Advisory Board.

What is the ASC Advisory Board and what do the day-to-day activities look like?

“The Association of Security Consultants Advisory Board was established as a panel that advises and influences the security industry on issues related to people’s safety, specifically to support consultants in preparing specifications.
My involvement mainly occurs during our quarterly meetings, where we discuss key security matters and examine how we can jointly advance progress within the industry.”

You say they influence decisions and recommendations. What do you mean by that?

“We tend to look at technical standards alongside manufacturer / integrator engagement with consultants. We use our experience from the industry to recommend solutions which they can apply to their industry through their risk assessments to identify products, systems and services which solve issues in the security industry.”

About the security industry in general.

What do you consider to be the biggest challenges currently facing the security industry?

“The challenges are varied, including the new Martyn’s Law legislation and the education it requires for end users. Additionally, rapid AI implementation demands governance and legislation that keep pace with technological advances.

In the near term, I see possible supply chain issues arising from the current global political environment. This could mean that the systems and products we originally proposed might not be able to be implemented due to supply chain issues. As a board, we might reevaluate and consider suitable solutions outside our initial recommendations to aid consultants when specifying systems at the tender stage.”

What security trends do you expect to shape the next 3–5 years?

“I think there will be a big advance in the automation of risk detection and analysis, one of the emerging technologies, in the form of ‘free text’, where people use their own descriptions to search for instances in videos, rather than relying on preconfigured filters already embedded in the system. And something some of our security partners are already implementing in their systems, such as AXIS Communications.

At the moment, the technology is used retrospectively to create truly granular search capabilities, which represents a huge step forward. My prediction is that this technology will progress from a retrospective tool to a proactive tool with live feed metadata analysis.”

How could this role benefit clients or partners in the security industry?

“This role will help keep me at the forefront of legislation, standards, and industry best practices. This can only benefit our clients by showing that we are operating at the very highest levels of the industry and bringing the latest, proven risk mitigation solutions and strategies to them and our security partners.”

About your role with the Association of Security Consultants Advisory Board.

What does this appointment mean to you personally?

“It’s a great honour to be asked to be on the board and share whatever insights I have with them and the association.”

What excites you most about being involved?

“It’s probably the engagement with the UK and the world’s greatest security minds, learning from them as well as advancing in my specific field of expertise, that I’m looking forward to the most.”

What do you personally bring to the Advisory Board?

“With 24 years of experience working in the industry as a system integrator, manufacturer, and now a qualified security consultant I have worked globally on major CNI-type projects. I believe I have an individual perspective on the industry which others might not.”

Are there specific issues you’re passionate about addressing using the ASC Advisory board as a stage to put your message across?

“I feel I have a passion for public safety, over property or assets. Protecting all three is critical, but protecting life is the most rewarding part of my role. The UK is changing and threats are evolving along with it. We in the industry as security professionals, I feel, are the guardians of our society and with that need to keep evolving with that threat to keep our friends, family, communities and our country safe from terrorism and hostile actions.”

What would success in this role look like after a year?

“Success on the ASC advisory board for over a year would mean me producing tangible value through my industry expertise, boosting member engagement, and establishing myself as a key influencer in the security consultancy space while professionally developing and bringing best practices back to Protec and our clients.”

For a personal goal I would also love to secure a keynote speaking slot at Consec, the association’s annual conference.”

Finally

Any last words from you to our either our clients, partners or the wider security industry?

“Really just that I’m genuinely honoured to have been invited to serve on the ASC Advisory Board It’s a privilege to contribute to an organisation that plays such a vital role in shaping standards, integrity, and best practice within our industry. As previously mentioned, I’m particularly passionate about public safety and the role that emerging technologies, especially AI-driven threat detection and the role it can play in supporting counter-terrorism efforts and helping to keep our communities safe, so staying at the cutting edge of that technology is something I really value and that I can them bring back to Protec and our clients I’m really look forward to working alongside fellow members to share practical insight from the field and support the continued development of the Association in these areas.”

Questions Answered by:
Chris Connor MASC
Enterprise Security Sales Engineer
Business Development
Protec Fire and Security Group

Should you have a security project for which you would like assistance or direction, reach out to our security team, who will be able to assist at all levels of security procurement, from design and tender stage through to after-installation service and maintenance.