| Espionage - Variety Is The Life Of Spies | | | | then the professional due diligence needs to be |
| In the current economic downturn many business | | | | ramped up considerably. I would advise any business |
| directors are retaining the services of security experts | | | | owner without any personal security experience or |
| or a close protection expert to offset the cost of | | | | professional security contacts to appoint an |
| employing a full time security director. | | | | independent security expert who has not applied for |
| However for some strange reason business owners | | | | the role, to oversee the due diligence for the |
| often throw due diligence caution to the wind when | | | | appointment. |
| hiring a security expert or security consultant. Fail to | | | | They may be the best person to identify the true |
| plan - plan to fail rings true as your security expert | | | | security background of the applicant. Business |
| may be a conman posing as a secret agent. | | | | directors need the confidence of knowing if the |
| Imagine the following scenario: A wedding at a grand | | | | applicant claims a covert background as a secret |
| 19th century mansion with picturesque views of | | | | agent, security director or close protection expert then |
| Washington DC, the power base of the USA. A city | | | | the independent security expert will be able to |
| where intelligence and military spooks network as | | | | ascertain if he or she is actually a conman. |
| openly as conventional business people. Most are | | | | Security Experts Top 5 Secrets For Hiring A Security |
| networking to gain access into lucrative security | | | | Expert or Security Consultant # 2 |
| positions and/or government security contracts being | | | | Understanding the Official Secrets Umbrella |
| brokered by politicians and lobbyists. | | | | During my twenty plus years of security operations |
| The guest list reads like a who's who of intelligence, | | | | conducted across 42 different countries, I have come |
| undercover police commanders and special forces | | | | to recognise that occasionally a prospective security |
| officers, sporting all manner of sophisticated satellite | | | | director applying for a job will often mention that they |
| phones and other high technology security products | | | | are restricted in everything they say due to the official |
| which would not go amiss in the latest James Bond | | | | secrets act. |
| movie. | | | | If during your interview stage of a prospective |
| Expensive bodyguards in sharp suits and Gucci | | | | candidate they raise this issue at any stage during the |
| sunglasses protect their high profile clients and even | | | | interview then treat it as a 'Red Flag Warning.' The |
| higher profile security vehicles. | | | | British Official Secrets Act is not an all encompassing |
| A former CIA station chief sips champagne with a | | | | security blanket and there are definitely non-classified |
| serving security advisor to President Barrack Obama | | | | security operations which every security expert can |
| as the best man, a former special operations marine | | | | discuss without breaching the Act. |
| colonel prepares to deliver his speech. | | | | In my experience anyone presenting to me for a |
| They are gathered to support their friend and business | | | | security expert or a security business directors position |
| associate who hails from a background in the British | | | | who invokes the Official Secrets act across the board |
| security services like GCHQ, MI5, MI6, the SAS and the | | | | is usually a conman who will fail my due diligence. |
| US CIA. He marriage ceremony colleagues know from | | | | Security Experts Top 5 Secrets For Hiring A Security |
| his Resume that he worked on various government | | | | Expert or Security Consultant # 3 |
| defence projects spanning his security background. | | | | Resumes & Curriculum Vitae |
| They also know his Resume lists operational | | | | A conman can present in many guises, but frequently |
| experience in Northern Ireland, the Middle East and that | | | | your first impression of a prospective security director |
| he retains a close network of fellow security experts | | | | or close protection expert will be their Resume or |
| with experience of special projects, special forces and | | | | more detailed Curriculum Vitae. |
| the international government fraternity. | | | | It's no great secret that many people embellish their |
| Furthermore they are aware of his personal | | | | business background to enhance their chances of |
| involvement in the high profile British missing child case | | | | employment. Business directors are advised that |
| of Madeleine McCann. His involvement fee allegedly | | | | candidates applying for the role of a security director |
| running to £500,000, paid for by the Find | | | | or close protection expert are sometimes no different. |
| Madeleine Fund. | | | | Some candidates will lie outright while other will simply |
| This scenario is real. As the Dublin Ireland born British | | | | embellish operational experience to present a more |
| security expert Richard Halligen saunters up to the | | | | colourful and exotic background. |
| priest, none of the most senior intelligence officials from | | | | I have been retained by businesses in the UK, America, |
| either side of the Atlantic have any idea the marriage | | | | Canada, Mexico, Europe and the Middle East to |
| is a sham. | | | | conduct professional due diligence and prior history |
| The security expert is an alleged conman. The priest is | | | | background checks on prospective candidates for a |
| an amateur actor hired by the security expert to assist | | | | security directors role. |
| in fooling those in attendance. | | | | I have also personally interviewed hundreds of |
| Despite their collective security expertise none of | | | | prospective security experts across the globe. The |
| those in attendance had any idea that Richard Halligen | | | | one consistent factor was that there were frequent |
| AKA Kevin Halligen* is a high profile imposter who is | | | | worrying anomalies in their Resumes and Curriculum |
| now wanted by the FBI after the Justice Department | | | | Vitae's. |
| issued an indictment for his arrest on charges of | | | | Many Red Flag warnings present to a security expert |
| alleged fraud amounting to £1.2 million pounds. | | | | but none more than when a prospective applicant lists |
| Nor do they realise that he has allegedly swindled | | | | detailed information about their background as a |
| some of his security guests out of finances they | | | | former secret agent. No former secret agent would |
| invested in his company. The fact that Halligen was | | | | ever mention this security sensitive information in a |
| already married in the UK and not divorced, didn't | | | | document being sent out to non security cleared |
| apparently flag up with any of his guests. | | | | personnel. |
| If it transpires that Halligen is the conman that the | | | | Security Experts Top 5 Secrets For Hiring A Security |
| British Sunday Times Newspaper alleges in its | | | | Expert or Security Consultant # 4 |
| November 22nd 2009 edition, then he is indeed one of | | | | Understand The Mind-Set Of A Professional Conman |
| those most professional of all conmen. After all who | | | | A conman applying for a position as a security director |
| could plan a £360,000 high society wedding to his | | | | or close protection expert with your business will often |
| bride Maria Dybczak a commerce trade attorney with | | | | present as one of the most plausible candidates any |
| such meticulous detail only to drop a bombshell on her | | | | business directors will ever meet. They will be unfazed |
| just 40 hours pre-wedding. | | | | by conventional due diligence investigations. |
| Halligen informed his bride to be that he had worked | | | | The candidate who has the audacity to falsely claim a |
| so deep undercover on Black Operations that his spy | | | | background as a former secret agent or member of a |
| masters in the UK would not allow his name to be | | | | special forces team will have concocted a fantasy |
| openly published on a marriage certificate. Believing his | | | | background based on some truths unearthed in |
| story, they both contacted their wedding day catering | | | | research. |
| manager who also moonlighted as the director of a | | | | Frequently the key to them sounding plausible is |
| local amateur theatrical group to play the role of the | | | | because they have verbalised this fantasy background |
| priest. | | | | so often they have come to believe their story |
| Given that more and more business owners are | | | | themselves. |
| looking to cut annual costs of employing a full time | | | | Security Experts Top 5 Secrets For Hiring A Security |
| security director by retaining the services of a part | | | | Expert or Security Consultant # 5 |
| time security expert or a security consultant, and given | | | | Your Gut Reaction - Dig Deeper |
| the ease with which an alleged security expert can | | | | If you remain uncertain about anything related to the |
| fool some of the world's finest intelligence agency | | | | candidate then trust your gut and dig deeper. Never be |
| personnel, I thought it relevant to highlight my 5 top | | | | afraid to ask probing questions. |
| secrets for hiring a security expert. | | | | Throughout my extensive security career I have met |
| Security Experts Top 5 Secrets For Hiring A Security | | | | and retained close contact with a great many 'real |
| Expert or Security Consultant # 1 | | | | deal' security experts and security directors.' |
| Professional Due Diligence | | | | They do exist, they are out there, they are fully |
| Initially hiring a security expert or security consultant | | | | prepared to back up their Resume and CV. And most |
| should be no different than hiring any other senior | | | | importantly they will offer you far more value than |
| manager or director. Your HR department or manager | | | | cost if you engage them on an annual retainer basis. |
| should go through the same procedures as when hiring | | | | * Halligen's crimes are alleged & he is presumed |
| anyone else. | | | | Innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. |
| However, once you receive applications for the role | | | | |