Proventus security expert describes increasing vulnerability of soft targets

JONESBORO, ARKANSAS, UNITED STATES, November 21, 2023 -- The rising threat landscape has made so-called soft targets even more inviting for malicious activities from cyber, espionage, and increasing violent acts, exacerbated by catastrophic weather events. However, leaders who are made aware via holistic, actionable risk assessments can make cost-effective decisions that directly support and enhance the safety and security of their people, assets, and mission.

This was the principal message of retired US Navy SEAL Martin Foldes, director of operations of Jonesboro, Arkansas-based consultancy Proventus, at the Soft Target Engineering to Neutralize the Threat Reality (SENTRY) conference at Northeastern University, Boston, on November 15.

Mr. Foldes is a retired Navy SEAL who served more than seven deployments across the globe in the SOCOM (U.S. Special Operations Command) and JSOC (Joint Special Operations Command) communities. As a SEAL Team member, senior commanders selected him from among his peers to support the US Marine Corps in the infamous 2004 Battle for Fallujah, the heaviest urban combat the U.S. military had seen since the Battle of Huế City in Vietnam in 1968.

According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the country remains in a heightened threat environment from lone offenders and small groups motivated by a range of ideological beliefs and perceived personal grievances. Foldes noted that “soft targets” are at greater risk due to several contributing threats that include active shooters; cyber-attacks including ransomware; aggressive near-peer nation-state military encroachments and IP theft; emerging threats from Hamas’s recent terrorist attack on Israel; extreme weather events; under-staffed and hyper-stressed law enforcement agencies; and crises magnified in the real-time news cycle.

He added that today’s poor security posture and lack of preparedness stems from a culture of lackadaisical security mindsets, including open access to restricted information and a belief that law enforcement will entirely handle any situation. “Companies, government agencies, NGOs, schools, and universities must vastly improve their threat awareness, detection, reporting, and information-sharing policies, capabilities, and technology. Given the current threat landscape, prioritizing convenience over security is an approach destined to fail.”