Egypt States Position on Armed Guards and Weapons February 22, 2012
Posted by Chris Mark in Industry News, Piracy & Maritime Security, weapons and tactics.Tags: armed security, Chris Mark, Egypt, Maritime Security, mark consulting group, markconsultinggroup.com, Piracy & Maritime Security, UK P&I
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UK P&I Club released a bulletin that outlines Egypt’s position on armed guards and weapons within Egypt and its waters. Below are the salient points of the letter received from the Egyptian Government:
“1) The Egyptian Government forbids the presence of any Weapons / Armed Guards on
board of commercial vessels as per the rules and regulations of the International Maritime Organization. (more…)
Armed Guards Kill Two Indian Fisherman- “…suspected to be pirates” February 21, 2012
Posted by Chris Mark in Industry News, Piracy & Maritime Security.Tags: Chris Mark, Enrica Lexie, italian navy, maritime piracy, Maritime Security, mark consulting group, Piracy & Maritime Security, pirates killed, pirates shot, security
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According to the Times of India, armed guard aboard an Italian merchant (Enrica Lexie) vessel shot and killed two Indian fisherman last night that they “…suspected to be pirates.” According to the Italian government, the vessel did not respond to warning lights. According to the Indian fisherman, no prior warning was given. Here is where it gets somewhat questionable: “Two fishermen in a boat were killed after guards onboard the Italian merchant vessel fired at them off Alapuzha coast last evening, suspecting them to be pirates.” While the facts are not yet public on what exactly happened, my personal view is that this particular episode is has serious issues. Based on other reports, the guards were members of the Italian navy and NOT private security. (more…)
Armed Guards- The end of the “Golden Age” of Somali Piracy? February 17, 2012
Posted by Chris Mark in Industry News, Piracy & Maritime Security, Risk & Risk Management.Tags: armed security, Chris Mark, Maritime Security, mark consulting group, markconsultinggroup.com, Piracy & Maritime Security, somali pirates
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Debate over the use of armed guards has raged for several years as the those who advocate for the use of armed guards applaud their use and those who oppose their use argue that they are ineffective or exacerbate the problem. Last year I wrote a whitepaper on how armed guards prevent hijackings. (Deterrence Theory). With 2012 we are finally are beginning to see objective data on the impact of armed guards. David Rider’s article: “The Pirate Surge That Never Was” outlines some interesting facts that demonstrate that armed guards are the best line of defense for a ship in high risk waters. According to statistics in the article, October 2011 saw 26 attacks with only one successful hijacking. Of the 26 attacks in October 2011, fully 16 of them were repelled by armed guards on the vessels. November 2011 saw 11 attacks with 5 being repelled by armed guards.
When asked why pirate attacks are down in 2011, Robert Young Pelton, who publishes SomaliaReport.com states unequivocally: (more…)
Nortel Network Compromised for a Decade; Chinese Suspected February 14, 2012
Posted by Chris Mark in Industry News, InfoSec & Privacy, Risk & Risk Management.Tags: armed security, Chris Mark, cybersecurity, data breach, InfoSec, InfoSec & Privacy, mark consulting group, markconsultinggroup.com, nortel breach
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According to MSNBC, Nortel’s network was open to hackers since at least 2000. It is suspected that the hackers are Chinese. The data thieves appear to have had nearly “unfettered access” to the network and were able to download: ” “technical papers, research-and-development reports, business plans, employee emails and other documents.” How did they access the network? Simple. (more…)
Nigerian Pirates Kill 2 in Attack on Cargo Ship February 13, 2012
Posted by Chris Mark in Industry News, Piracy & Maritime Security, Risk & Risk Management.Tags: Anti Piracy, armed security, Chris Mark, hijackings, Lagos, Maritime Security, mark consulting group, Nigerian Pirates, Piracy & Maritime Security
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In the increasingly dangerous waters off of West Africa and in the Gulf of Guinea, Nigerian pirates attacked a cargo ship and killed the captain and chief engineer. This attacks comes on the heels of another attack off the coast of Benin last Thursday. The attack took place about 110 nautical miles off the coast of Lagos. Read the story here.
Global Security, Privacy, & Risk Management 