Optimizing Event Security: The Importance of OSINT

It's the eve of your company’s first significant event. Finally, all of the hard work and long hours have paid off. It's time to capitalize on the growth and momentum of the past few years and showcase your products to the world. You want to make sure that the first impression is a good one- in person, on social media…everywhere. You have hired an event planner, secured the perfect venue, received RSVPs from all of the important names, and ordered company-branded swag for all of your guests. You've even hired a private security team to help with crowd control. Every detail has been addressed. 

However, one thing that you did not account for was the proper vetting and risk assessments of attendees prior to the event. If this would have been part of your event plan, you would have seen that there had been prior online chatter about your event from two future attendees who posted negative and threatening sentiment towards your company and the upcoming debut of its product. 

The individuals show up at the event with an agenda that, so far, is only known to them. At the end of the first keynote speaker, these individuals start causing a scene. They are wearing apparel that negatively portrays your company and shouting slanderous phrases loudly in the middle of a large crowd. You dispatch the security team to try and contain the protest, but cellphones are already out. It's being recorded, photographed, and live streamed to various social media channels. Security finally intervenes, and the event continues, but not without the consequences of the false claims from the attendees that have already started to take root online. 

An incident like this could be extremely costly, both financially and in terms of brand reputation, for any organization. At a public event, the potential for someone to leak proprietary information that is discussed, the chance of a speaker not being properly vetted and in turn making an offensive comment during a presentation, or a guest who has a history of irresponsible behavior leaving your event after enjoying too many alcoholic beverages and getting into an accident, are all distinct possibilities. Hosting a company event or conference can cost between $15,000 and $50,000 for a smaller event, to upwards of $100,000-$500,000 for larger corporate events, making them major investments. 

For the seamless execution of a successful professional event, there are two main pieces for a security plan. The first component of the plan includes the physical security team that will be on the ground during the live event. The primary objectives of a physical security team are to address incidents in a reactionary way as they unfold in real time. Some of their responsibilities include preventing unauthorized access, protecting various predetermined assets, and ensuring the safety of all guests. This is done by setting up checkpoints at entrances and exits, providing barriers or fencing to stop unauthorized access, monitoring of CCTV and perimeters, having protocols for incident response and immediate contact of emergency services, as well as maintaining an overall situational awareness of the venue.  

The second component of a comprehensive security strategy includes addressing security concerns for the event by implementing pre-event guest list screening and conducting active threat monitoring. The integration of OSINT (Open-Source Intelligence) into the planning stage sets up an event for success. Operating as a complement to traditional security services, OSINT enhances and supports security teams by providing a deeper level of situational awareness. 

A pre-event guest list review is a service conducted by experienced analysts who examine the list of event attendees and other participants for potential harm to the event or brand. During this process, analysts flag all relevant material, as according to the client’s specifications and security concerns. Red-flag items can include competitor affiliation, criminal history, negative sentiment towards an organization, as well as instances of threatening or illegal behavior. The provision of the report to the company and physical security team increases situational awareness for the event.

Additionally, active threat monitoring allows for the tracking of external, real-time factors that may impact the event. The cybersecurity team customizes monitoring parameters based on client preferences, actively surveilling for alarming online discussions, as well as potential physical threats such as critical infrastructure concerns, disruptions such as traffic and adverse weather conditions. Once detected, the cybersecurity team further investigates to identify credible threats.

Integrating OSINT into your security strategy not only strengthens defenses against known threats, but also equips you to swiftly adapt to unforeseen challenges. This comprehensive scope of threat monitoring ensures a proactive and comprehensive security approach, and positions OSINT as an invaluable asset in event security planning.

If you or your organization are interested in any of the services outlined in this article or seek additional information on this topic, please send us a message to arrange a meeting.