Protect your people, your information and your skills

Protective security advice is aimed at reducing the vulnerability of your business and staff to national security threats, including those such as terrorism, cyber attack or espionage.

The most effective way to secure your business against these is to use a combination of measures covering physical, personnel and information security – including cyber security.

The Overseas Business Risk country pages include up-to-date information from our overseas network on protective security issues in a wide range of markets.

A good source of guidance is the UK’s Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure, (CPNI). This body advises businesses and organisations within the UK’s national infrastructure about protective security. Amongst their advice you can find a range of generic security measures that can help protect your business interests overseas from potential threats such as terrorism and espionage. A summary of these is set out below.

Information security (including cyber security)

• Almost every business relies on the confidentiality, integrity and availability of its data. Protecting information, whether it is held electronically or by other means, should be at the heart of the organisation’s security planning

• Cyber crime in the “virtual” environment is today the world’s fastest-growing crime sector. Your cyber security is paramount if you are beginning to trade overseas or expanding your overseas business.

• CPNI provides a range of guidance documents and technical notes aimed at improving practices and raising awareness of current issues related to information security.

• Such measures can defend against electronic attack, instil good practice processes, improve process control, and system security alike.

Physical security

• Physical security is important in protecting against a range of threats and addressing vulnerability. You should put in place security measures to remove or reduce your vulnerabilities to as low as reasonably practicable, bearing in mind the need to consider safety as a priority at all times.

• Advice on Physical security measures is provided on ways to protect buildings, contents, equipment and so on. These include basic good housekeeping, CCTV/intruder alarms/access control systems, parking and traffic controls, mail screening and lighting.

Personnel security

• Personnel security is a system of policies and procedures which seek to manage the risk of staff or contractors exploiting their legitimate access to an organisation's assets or premises for unauthorised purposes. These purposes can encompass many forms of criminal activity, from minor theft through to terrorism.

• The CPNI website includes guidance on how such risks, including those from “insiders”, can be minimised. It also covers pre-employment screening, personal document verification, security culture, ongoing personnel security measures and personnel risk assessments.

Crisis Preparedness for UK Companies

How to be prepared for a Crisis overseas

• Primary responsibility for employees lies with the employer

• You decide where to operate, but consult our Travel Advice, be aware of threats and ensure sufficient mitigation, including any security arrangements you deem necessary.

• Ensure that you (and any subcontractors) have contingency plans & crisis response structures in place for your employees and that they are tested. 

• Ensure that you know who your employees are overseas, where they are and how to contact them & their Next of Kin.  

• Know how to contact your local British Embassy – and contact us in the event of an incident.

The FCO can:

• Provide source of information on threats and advice on actions through Travel Advice.

• Assistance with local authorities (liaison, lobbying) and with foreign governments.

• Assistance with documentation and logistics for departures/arrivals.

• Consular support from Embassy or specialist teams for affected or injured nationals.

• Family liaison in the UK.

• Public messaging.

• In exceptional circumstances, assistance with departures, if safe to do so.  (But this is no substitute).

What we ask from you:

• Contact us in the event of an incident (The FCO general number 020 7008 1500 is staffed 24hrs)

• Share information on the situation, your affected employees & their families, host government liaison and Media Engagement.

• Ongoing liaison to properly co-ordinate the response.  Can include liaison person embedded in crisis centre or us sending FCO person to your response centre

• Working together in advance to prepare, for example visiting crisis centre, joint tabletops, observing exercises

Further information is available on How to deal with a crisis overseas.

Further information

Detailed protective security advice is also available from the National Counter-Terrorism Security Office, (NaCTSO). This body reports to the UK’s Association of Chief Police Officers and advises on areas such as protection of crowded places, business continuity and reducing opportunities for terrorism through vehicle and environmental design..

The Government has published its new Cyber Security Strategy. For more information see the press release on the BIS website and visit the Cyber Security pages on the BIS website.

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You can also call the UKTI enquiry line: +44 (0)20 7215 5000 or contact your local trade team and talk with one of UKTI’s country specialists. Or you can gain country specific information on our Overseas Business Risk country pages.