VSAT ... the Vulnerability Self Assessment Tool a lot of work and some high hopes

Submitted by Editor on Mon, 01/24/2011 - 14:38

Protecting our social and commercial centres is a vital task for the police and security services, but one that cannot be truly effective without wider participation from the community. This is where VSAT fits in.

Since the inception of the National Counter Terrorism Security Office, the Continuity Forum has been working alongside them on initiatives across the country bringing world class security, Business Continuity and resilience knowledge to businesses and community organisations. These events have proven to be exceptionally popular and tens of thousands have benefited from the effort.

The success gained to date though has still really only scratched the surface. Our communities are made up of millions of organisations that cover a vast spectrum of interests and reaching them all is a major challenge.

To address this and add to the resources available the Vulnerability Self Assessment Toolkit (VSAT) has been developed to engage and support organisations of all types across the UK. The aim is simple ... to reduce threats, improve security and create resilience and continuity.

For more than a year the National Counter Terrorism Security Office, the Continuity Forum and a number of invited professional organisations and bodies have been working hard to develop an online tool that eases the access to the required skills and knowledge and connects with additional specialist resources to address specific threats.

Our cities, towns and commercial centres are home to literally 100,000’s of organisations from the small local stores and the major chains through religious and sporting venues to theatres, pub’s and clubs. Throw in all the Business parks and Shopping centres around the UK and you can quickly see just how many organisations have a stake (and a role) in maintaining the security of our communities, our “crowded spaces”.

By using the free VSAT system any organisation can identify and prioritise actions that have been proven to increase their security and resilience and gain access to a wealth of additional security and Business Continuity resources.

It is a simple system to use and provides a clear signposted pathway to good practice to further help develop the security and resilience of our communities.

The VSAT system is being launched on 17^th February 2011 by the National Counter Terrorism Security Office and the Continuity Forum in London.