Over the past two decades, venue managers across the globe have seen a hardening of potential targets through physical security and technology enhancements. However, recent terror attacks clearly demonstrate an advancement of tactics toward the softer, outer perimeter in response. As security measures increase in and around densely populated venues and high-profile objectives, we’re seeing a trend in terms of displacement; attacks are focused on areas just outside of the security perimeter.
Britain’s Manchester Arena certainly wasn’t the first. Boston, Paris, Bali, Istanbul, Orlando, Nice, Berlin and other incidents highlight the existing vulnerabilities created through displacement of continued hardening within the security perimeter. Bombs placed in areas outside of checkpoints where crowds are gathered or exposure along major corridors of travel for pedestrians have become the modus operandi for extremist organizations like ISIS. The emphasis has shifted from defeating security measures to operating outside of them and circumventing them altogether.
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