Vol 707 – Emergency vs Crisis Management: Different Purposes, Distinct Approaches

April 17, 2025

Crafting business continuity and crisis management programs that thrive in fast-paced and regulatory-heavy realms is complex and nuanced. Author and resilience professional Laura Jury shares an approach that is distinctly human-centered, designed not merely to safeguard shareholder value but to provide robust, practical pre-planning and a resilience-building framework.

In high-stakes environments two critical but distinct disciplines come into play: Emergency and Crisis Management. While often used interchangeably, these functions serve different purposes and require distinct approaches, resources, and skill sets.

Vol 706 – Risk Reporting and Communications – One Part Science, the Other Art

April 3, 2025

Many risk professionals now realize that ERM is more than a science…or a set standard or process that must be followed at all costs. There certainly is a time and place for these formal processes. But like cooking, there’s also an art to ERM, especially when it comes to reporting and communications.

Formal reports that present data should be considered the ‘science’ part, while communications with business leaders and stakeholders is the ‘art.’ It’s impossible to have one without the other.

Risk expert Carol Williams explains that the uncertainty of today’s business environment requires ERM to be more agile than a formal process alone.

Vol 705 – How Hackers Are Targeting Embedded Systems

March 20, 2025

Embedded systems rely on the internet to solve numerous problems and make lives easier, but they also provide cybercriminals with several points of entry. Many of the interconnected devices that make up embedded systems lack fundamental security protections.

According to industry reports, 41% of executives believe their security initiatives are out of sync with digital transformation. Understanding how hackers exploit embedded systems is essential. Zac Amos offers a breakdown of the common attack methods and security strategies you can use to mitigate risks. Learn the 5 attack prevention techniques.

Vol 704 – 7 Questions to Answer Before Sending Staff Home to Work

March 6, 2025

Remote work is a hot topic these days. Stanford economist Nicholas Bloom explains that working from home (WFH) increased about tenfold following the outbreak of the pandemic and has settled in at about five times its pre-pandemic level.

BC expert Michael Herrera writes “One thing we have learned over the years is that the home environment is not always conducive to productivity. Most companies will see a fall-off in productivity and organizational cohesion, especially if the period of working at home is longer than two weeks.”

Michael offers seven questions and a 42-point checklist to ask before sending staff home to work.

Vol 703 – How 3D Scanning Enhances Operational Safety

February 20, 2025

Safety is an ever-present challenge for industrial facility managers. While sectors like construction and manufacturing are inherently hazardous, new technologies offer innovative ways to address them. By learning to use tools like 3D scanning effectively, management can reduce on-site injuries throughout their workflows.

3D scanning involves measuring an area, structure or object with a laser system to create a detailed digital replica. These scans, in turn, can provide crucial safety insights if managers know how to implement them properly.

Zac Amos outlines seven ways industrial organizations can improve their operational safety with this technology.

Vol 702 – Not All Risks Are Created Equally

February 6, 2025

It’s all about perspective. What may appear to be a miniscule risk or issue to one person may be a monumental problem if it’s not addressed and not addressed fast. The question then becomes – what do we do, or…how do we sort out those risks that really are not a big deal from those that are?

This is a primary reason that risk expert Carol Williams emphasizes the importance of “objective-centric” risk management practices. A risk must be put into the perspective of: how does this risk affect the achievement of a given business or strategic objective? This article includes 5 questions to discern the top risks in your organization.

Vol 701 – Inconvenient Truths from Two WildFire Experts

January 16, 2025

For decades, Jack Cohen and Stephen Pyne have studied the history and behavior of wildfires. They spoke to The LA Times this week amid the unfolding calamity. The HUB’s editorial team felt this article deserved our spotlight.

They have long argued that our understanding and relationship to fire must change if conflagrations are to be prevented. The magnitude of destruction this week in L.A. could have been mitigated.

Not quite six years ago, wildfire expert Jack Cohen visited Pacific Palisades to instruct firefighters and property owners on how to protect homes against wildfires. Three days of training left Cohen hopeful, but the feeling faded when it became clear that his lessons were not going to be fully implemented.

Vol 700 – The Risk of Heat Maps

December 5, 2024

Heat maps, often used to visualize risk assessments in various shades of color, are popular in risk management. They offer a seemingly simple way to display risk levels and are used by executives and decision-makers as a quick overview tool. However, the convenience they offer often comes at the cost of depth and accuracy, leading to potentially misguided decision-making. In this article Tobias Faiss explores 13 ways heat maps can do more harm than good in risk management.

Vol 699 – How Should Quantum Computing Impact Your Security Strategy?

November 21, 2024

As someone who works in cybersecurity, business continuity or crisis management, you must continually adapt your strategies to emerging technologies and risks.

Quantum computing is an example of technology that necessitates doing things differently. You must prepare by applying the best practices and learning as much as possible about the topic.

First, recognize that quantum computing has the potential to forever disrupt present cybersecurity defense measures. Start working with others in your organization to determine how you will tweak your security strategy as quantum computing looms as a potential threat on the horizon. One of our favorite experts, Zac Amos, unpacks quantum computing’s impact on cybersecurity.

Vol 698 – Three Steps to Bridge the Political Divide

November 7, 2024

“No matter who wins the upcoming election, there’s going to be a need for healing in this country,” said Dr. Eduardo Sanchez, Chief Medical Officer at the American Heart Association. Sanchez said, “Cultural intelligence is an answer to the political divide.”

A presentation by Dr. Amy Narishkin, CEO of Empowering Partners, was the catalyst for an interview/discussion with Sanchez. She commented and then asked, “I think so too, but what prompts you to say that?”

Sanchez, “The root cause of the political divide is binary thinking. Binary thinking is a false narrative. There’s always more to the story about a person or problem. With cultural intelligence, you’re teaching people to really listen to others, learn their story and seek common ground.

Vol 697 – The Increase of Dynamic Risk: Lessons Learned from Hurricane Helene

October 17, 2024

As the tragic stories from Hurricane Helene are becoming clear—a more general truth is also coming into focus: storm behavior continues to be stronger, and more unpredictable. For security and resilience practitioners, Dynamic Risk is on the rise.

Expert Chris Hurst has noted this trend in conversations with industry professionals. Over time he began to connect the dots to describe this trend. The common remark, “I was expecting [Risk A], but then I got hit by [Risk B].” The concept of “dynamic risks” includes the following elements:

-Rapid change
-A risk hitting from a secondary direction or event
-Some level of surprise

Vol 696 – A Disaster Management Expert’s Guide to Leading Well

October 3, 2024

The “Master of Disaster” Dr. Thom Mayer shares valuable lessons learned from leading during times of major crises. He is Medical Director for the NFL Players Association and is one of the most widely sought speakers on disaster medicine. In 2022, Dr. Mayer led a mobile team to Ukraine, caring for displaced persons and training over 1,700 Ukrainian doctors, nurses, and paramedics.

Listen to this podcast and you will learn:
– The critical first step to leading well
– The recipe for a great workplace culture
– Why to suck down instead of up
Listen to the podcast or if no time to listen you can opt to get the top takeaways – the “gold nuggets” – all totally free.