(TLP:CLEAR) First Responder’s Toolbox: Third-Party Security Critical to Safeguarding Public Gatherings From Terrorist Threats
Created: Thursday, April 17, 2025 - 15:43
Categories: Physical Security, Security Preparedness
Summary: As part of their First Responder’s Toolbox series, the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), DHS, and the FBI published a report providing public safety officials with event planning considerations in light of potential terrorist plotting in the U.S. homeland.
Analyst Note: Although the report focuses on third-party security at public gatherings, it still offers important guidance that security managers in the water and wastewater sector would find useful, especially regarding third-party risk management. The report notes that temporary events often require temporary support from large numbers of staff, many of whom are hired temporarily or contracted through third-party and vendor organizations. “Terrorists have demonstrated their intent to use insiders with unique positions of access to facilitate and conduct attacks, enter secure areas, and obtain sensitive information to exploit the security processes and procedures of venues or host organizations,” according to the report.
For example, in August 2024, Austrian authorities thwarted an Islamic State-inspired terrorist attack intending to target a Taylor Swift concert. One of the individuals connected to the plot was employed by the company responsible for providing security and logistic services at the concert venue. Accordingly, the report offers security professionals guidance in regards to security screening, credentialing, threat awareness, and training, as well as offering potential indicators of suspicious activity.
Additional Reading:
Mitigation Recommendations:
- CISA – Securing Public Gatherings
- CISA – Complex Coordinated Attacks
- Reporting Suspicious Activity – Critical for Terrorism Prevention
Related WaterISAC PIRs: 3 & 5