Engaging a Security Specialist
Connect with Trusted Security Professionals
How to procure the services of a Security Specialist
Where the necessary expertise is unavailable in-house, an organisation or business should consider procuring the services of one or more specialist security consultants. NPSA has produced guidance on aspects of sourcing, procuring, tasking and retaining specialist security consultants. It highlights issues that need to be considered when seeking a suitable proposal from such a consultant, ranging from acceptance of the project scope and requirements, to details of resourcing, fees structure and insurance.
Members of the Register of Security Engineers and Specialists are able to advise clients on how to design, build and/or operate built assets securely throughout their life-cycle, mitigating a wide range of threats and risks including damage to or loss of the asset, and harm to individuals. A list of companies employing members of RSES is publicly available; prospective clients may also seek confirmation of an individual’s membership of RSES by contacting rses@ice.org.uk.
Within RSES, General Security Advisors (GSAs) provide clients with holistic protective security advice but may specialise in working in particular sectors and/or protecting against particular threats. Their competence spans:
- conducting threat, vulnerability and risk assessments;
- supporting planning, design, construction and fit-out phases of new-build and refurbishment projects;
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development, review and supporting implementation of security strategies, plans, policies and procedures.
Work is underway to develop a suite of descriptors that GSAs will be able to use to communicate their area(s) of practice, for example counter-terrorism protective security and preparedness advice to venues operators or event organisers.
Register of Security Engineers & Specialists
NPSA sponsors the Register of Security Engineers and Specialists (RSES) which encompasses Generalist Security Advisors (GSA) and Specialist Security Advisors (SSA) in one of thirteen different disciplines:
• Protection against the effects of weapons
• Protection against the effects of blast
• Electronic security systems
• Chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN)
• Hostile vehicle mitigation
• Protection against forced entry
• Explosives and weapons search detection
• Force protection engineering
• Digital built environment
• Personnel security (insider threat)
• Personnel security (human factor)
• Technical Surveillance Counter Measures
• Countering Threats from Unmanned Aerial Systems
National Cyber Security Centre
The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has its own certification of industry expertise for cyber security, further details of which are available on its website. Certified Cyber Professional (CCP) assured service – NCSC.GOV.UK