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PROJECT UPDATES

What we’ve been doing, where we’ve been travelling, and what’s next.

Syria

After spending most of last month in Syria, I've spent quite a bit of time this month conducting briefings for different corporate decision makers. The focus has been helping clients understand the opportunities and the current risk environment in Syria.

I've updated our suite of products and services relating to Syria, here.

The key product is a comprehensive report designed to help guide organisations considering sending preliminary groups in to assess the situation and explore opportunities. In the coming days, I'll be moving this report into an online workspace to enable me to keep it updated so it reflects changes in the situation.

If your organisation would be interested in this report, please contact me.

Crisis Simulation Exercises

We've started preparing our next crisis simulation exercise, which will be in Hong Kong. This will be a very interesting technical scenario, which should prove challenging for the team.

If your organisation is interested in conducting a crisis simulation exercise in 2025, please reach out.

If you'd like to understand how we design and deliver crisis simulation exercises, check out The Crisis Simulation Handbook.

TRAINING

Training workshops and customised training solutions.

Practical Information Security for Travellers

Our Practical Information Security for Travellers workshop is one of our more interesting workshops. It focuses on practical strategies travellers can apply to secure their devices, communications, and data in autocratic or higher-risk countries.

If your organisation would be interested in conducting this workshop for your executive teams or frequent travellers, please let me know.

View our other training workshops here.

PUBLICATIONS

We’ve published a number of books on crisis management, travel security and security evacuations.

A novel, of sorts

This month, I've been very focused on completing a novel. I've been working away on this for some time now, and I want to complete it and publish it before I get bored and move on to something else (see below).

I'm aiming to get it out to a few close friends this week so they have the opportunity to critique it and systematically destroy my motivation to write. Should be fun.

The Physical Intrusion Testing Handbook

Alongside my novel, I've also been working towards finishing The Physical Intrusion Testing Handbook. This book is also something I've been working on for quite some time and should be a useful reference for anyone involved with physical intrusion tests.

Target release date: 30 April

The Travel Risk Management Handbook

After working on a few projects where I've reviewed the travel risk management policies, procedures and practices of large organisations, I'm working on a new book that provides people responsible for travel risk management in their organisations with a blueprint for alignment with ISO 31030 and international best practices.

Target release date: 31 July

View all our publications and download samples here.

Buy copies for your team

Several highly regarded organisations (and one prestigious university) have purchased copies of our books for their teams. If your team would benefit from the knowledge and experience contained in our books, please reach out. We'd be happy to provide a discount for bulk orders.

STATION XV

Updates on our in-house gear, sharing a behind-the-scenes look at our design and manufacturing processes.

Check out the full range of Station XV bags and accessories here.

APPLICATIONS

Updates on our applications.

Whistler

A simple, secure whistleblowing app for organisations to receive and manage confidential reports. Launched 10 years ago, Whistler 2.0 now features stronger encryption and case management tools.

Pricing starts at $19 a month.

Learn more here.

Incident Manager

The first app focused on improving team performance during major incidents. It minimises cognitive load, helping teams manage crises effectively without added complexity.

Please reach out if you'd like a demo.

Exercise Manager

A streamlined tool for planning and delivering crisis exercises while tracking team performance. Originally for internal use, now available to clients.

Please reach out if you'd like a demo.

Tenacio

A project management app for those handling diverse projects. It prioritises tasks based on deadlines and personal work preferences, ensuring you stay on track.

If you'd like to try Tenacio, get in touch.

READING LIST

Links to interesting articles worth your time.

In India, buying a gun is a WhatsApp message away. An analysis of more than 8,000 messages by Digital Witness Lab at Princeton University finds the Meta-owned platform is a thriving illegal firearms marketplace (Rest of World). Read here.

Russia’s Criminal Underworld and the Kremlin: A Disinformation Powerhouse. Disinformation isn’t just about misleading headlines and fake social media accounts (NAFO Public Education Forum). Read here.

A Suspicious Pattern Alarming the Ukrainian Military. A Ukrainian military source believes that Russia’s long-range strikes are aimed using satellite imagery provided by U.S. companies (The Atlantic). Read here.

Braid: Invading Canada would spark fight lasting decades, expert says. Canadians haven’t been forced to see America as an enemy for nearly 200 years (Calgary Herald). Read here.

How Interagency Campaigns Can Counter Chinese Gray Zone Incursions in the Pacific. (CSIS). Read here.

The Disintegration of Assad’s Army. How political decisions, internal conflicts and external pressures led to the downfall of a once-powerful military force in Syria (New Lines Magazine). Read here.

North Korea’s alarming military buildup. Allied relationship with Russia should concern all nations (The Washington Times). Read here.

Western officials say Russia is behind a campaign of sabotage across Europe. This AP map shows it. (AP). Read here.

Syria’s Leaders Show Their Intentions. The country recently approved a constitutional declaration that plants unusual seeds worth watching. (Carnegie Endowment). Read here.

Be Water – Insights Into The Hong Kong Citizen Protest Movement. hare An interview with curator Joel Kwong and artist Eric Siu about solidarity, collective intelligence and being water during the mass protests in Hong Kong in 2019-2020. (Goethe-Institut). Read here.

Can One Man Hold Syria Together. A former jihadist has remade himself in a bid to remake a scarred and divided country (The Atlantic). Read here.

The Coming Global Health Crisis. America Is Retreating, and China Won’t Fill the Void (Foreign Affairs). Read here.

Sitcom Under Siege. How a group of Syrian rebels used humor to portray the absurd struggles of daily life during the war (New Lines Magazine). Read here.

Low-Cost Drone Add-Ons From China Let Anyone With a Credit Card Turn Toys Into Weapons of War. Chinese ecommerce giants including Temu and AliExpress sell drone accessories like those used by soldiers in the Russia-Ukraine conflict (Wired). Read here.

That’s it for this month, folks.

Thanks for reading and stay safe out there.

Grant Rayner

Spartan9