Pool Re, a terrorism reinsurer in Britain, has invested £10 million in a joint project with the UK National Counter-Terrorism Police HQ and the Home Office's Joint Security & Resilience Centre in an effort to help businesses to more proactively protect against the risk of terrorism.
Pool Re said in a statement that its investment will fund a new interactive information sharing platform where firms and local authorities can:
- Improve risk awareness and risk mitigation against the persistent threat of terrorism;
- Access credible insights on risk mitigation and counter-terrorism best practice;
- Receive prompt messaging and authoritative advice in the event of a terrorist attack about essential actions – for example, whether they should go into lockdown and when might be safe to restart business operations;
- Develop their own counter-terrorism capacity through accredited online training for personnel; and
- Be part of a well-resourced community of counter-terrorist police and other experts, as well as other businesses committed to improving their resilience.
Pool Re's chairman, Geoff Riddell, said, “As recognized in the government's CONTEST strategy, Pool Re and the insurance industry are uniquely placed to shape resilient behavior, protect the U.K.'s economic infrastructure, and enhance national security interests by scaling the U.K.'s ability to tackle terrorism. We take this responsibility very seriously, and as such are delighted to be collaborating with the Home Office and Counter Terrorism Policing to deliver this critical initiative.”
According to Pool Re, the information sharing platform will be developed and operated by counter-terrorism police and is a central part of the strategy to strengthen collaboration and information exchange between government, police, and business. The platform, aimed at helping improve business continuity and resilience in the event of a terrorist attack, will provide information on the terrorism threat that ordinarily would be classified or costly for many businesses to access. Pool Re said that, representing an important channel for businesses who may lack the time, resources, and expertise to understand the terrorist threat, this will be a critical tool.
Commenting on the collaboration, Minister of State for Security, Ben Wallace MP, said, “This project is one of the first of its kind – a collaboration between the police, the insurance sector, and the government that will help to keep the country safe and secure. If we are to properly respond to the terrorist threat, we need to ensure everyone plays their part. That is why partnerships like this one are so vital and I thank Pool Re for their leadership.”
The national policing lead for protective security, Lucy D'Orsi, deputy assistant commissioner, added, “Since the tragic events of 2017, counter terrorism policing has been working alongside government and the private sector to strengthen our defenses against terrorism through greater collaboration and information sharing. That is why this ground-breaking new platform is so important, as it will allow businesses to access credible information 24/7, connect users to experts, provide accredited online training, and send direct messages in the event of an attack – strengthening our frontline against the unprecedented threat. By supporting this initiative, Pool Re will improve the engagement, collaboration and sharing of information between the private sector, policing and the security services – resulting in a better assessment of emerging threats and helping us to work together to keep the U.K. safer.”
Victoria Spears
Victoria Prussen Spears is senior vice president of Meyerowitz Communications Inc., a law firm marketing communications consulting company. A graduate of Sarah Lawrence College and Brooklyn Law School, Ms. Spears was an attorney at a leading New York City law firm before joining Meyerowitz Communications. She may be contacted at [email protected].