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About Ray Bernard (by Ray)

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EXPERIENCE. INSIGHTS. RESULTS.

That sums up what my clients like about my consultancy work, and that of my colleagues.

Most of the time I have one foot in security program development for organizations of all sizes, and the other foot in helping advance the state of security industry technology.

That includes advancing (and sometimes fixing) the state of deployed security systems—work that I truly enjoy.

I’m a customer advocate first and foremost, and whether we’re advancing security programs or security technology, we never lose sight of THE JOB OF SECURITY:

Reduce security risks to acceptable levels,
at an acceptable cost,
and in a manner harmonious to the business.

ACCOMPISHMENTS, for example, include playing a very key role in helping a Port Authority complete their three-airport Y2K security system upgrade project on time and under budget. It was the first time, and the only time for at least the 10 years after, that they achieved that level of schedule and budget success for an IT project over $1 million (this one was much larger).

As with most technology project showstoppers, people are the key to resolving them. We had great client and vendor teams, great collaboration, and working closely together we produced great results.

I am honored and humbled to have been recently named as one of the IFSEC Top 50 Fire and Security Global Influencers for 2018, among 20 named to the Security Thought Leadership category. I could not be in greater company.

MY INSIGHTS COME FROM seeing technology through the eyes of its users (the security industry’s end customers), and that has been the key to success in security technology planning and design, and security systems deployment.

THAT IS THE PERSPECTIVE from which I have written more than 200 columns and articles for dozens of building systems magazines, engineering magazines, security journals and trade magazines, security websites, and contributed to books on security, for more than 20 years.

Plus there is my own book recently published by Elsevier and available on Amazon: Security Technology Convergence Insights. It contains lessons learned in the IT and security technology trenches, as well as analysis about what's going on in the security industry.

My 50-article Real Words or Buzzwords series on SecurityInfoWatch.com recently received two prestigious 2020 Azbee Awards of Excellence in journalism: a Regional Gold Award and a National Bronze Award from the American Society of Business Publication Editors.

RESILIENCE-BASED, OUTCOME-ORIENTED risk management improvements make a flexibly strong organization that continues to elevate its mission performance and change readiness. The security function can be a strong contributor to organizational resilience, and can provide thought leadership that's applicable across the organization. A simple part of that is Security leading by example.

Yes: it's people, process and technology – and that importantly includes self-aware leadership, simplified focus, strong teams and continuous improvement. That's the basis of the successes that our security practitioner client's experience. When you understand how these puzzle pieces work in real-world risk reduction and organizational advancement, it's no longer lofty concepts and smart-sounding thoughts, it's steady improvement that includes the often-elusive element of organizational and managerial appreciation.

SUBJECTS THAT I'M WORKING ON and paying close attention to right now include:

  • Cyber liability insurance evaluations – I've teamed with experienced risk officer Grace Crickette, who is a subject matter expert on cyber liability insurance programs.
  • Assessing cybersecurity risk for Industrial IoT systems.
  • Assessing/Reducing the Total Cost of Security Technology Ownership for Large Enterprises (it's not as simple as it sounds)
  • Assessing and remediating critical gaps in Workplace Violence Prevention programs. Such gaps are more common than you might think, given that companies have been implementing such initiatives for more than a decade.

TOOLS: There is an very good assortment of tools on this website I have built for various projects, that are now available your own use, including:

PURPOSE OF THIS WEBSITE
I and my consulting colleagues have accumulated – and also developed – an impressive collection of actionable insights into successful security programs and technology applications, across as wide variety of business sectors, and types and sizes of organizations. Throughout 2018, we are updating this website to best support a high level of information sharing through articles and security management tools, educational and instructional videos, plus tailored security consulting services:

  • Security Leadership: Cross-silo security practitioner leadership and influence.
  • Technology Command: High-business-value cyber-secure physical security technology design and deployment.
  • Operational Excellence: Self-sustaining and continuously improving high-performance security function.
  • Organizational Resilience: A flexibly strong organization whose mission-critical functions continue in the face of high stress and impacts, with strong support from security program elements.

SUBSCRIBE FOR EMAIL NOTIFICATION OF NEW ARTICLES, TOOLS, AND WEBSITE UPDATES
Subscribe to be notified when new articles, tools and other materials are posted on this website. In the subscription form, choose one or more categories like those listed right above to keep updated. We won't send you email more than twice a month – typically it's less than that.

IDEAS? QUESTIONS?
If you'd like to explore how RBCS might be of service to you, or you have a question about any of the materials on our website, please do call (949-681-9814), send me a note or book a phone appointment. I'd love to hear from you.

–Ray