Keeping employees safe in a fast-moving, uncertain world
Security teams rely on Breaking News and social media
Moments after bombs exploded in Brussels, security teams at many multinational companies kicked into high gear.
Responsible for the safety of their employees and contractors around the world, they moved quickly to account for any staff in Belgium or planning to travel through the country. Once located, they took steps to ensure their employees’ well-being and minimize any additional risk.
One of the bombs exploded outside a Starbucks store in the Brussels Airport, slightly injuring an employee. After quickly assessing the safety of its employees, Starbucks closed all of its Belgium stores until further notice. “We’re monitoring this situation closely,” the company said.
Such is the unfortunate reality of a global company in today’s uncertain times. Over the last year, we’ve been surprised to notice a big uptick in large multinational companies monitoring BreakingNews.com or the Breaking News app 24 hours a day.
From retail and finance to transportation and tech, over a hundred big-brand companies visit on a frequent daily basis. The same goes for dozens of US agencies like the CIA, FBI, State Department, FAA, CDC and Homeland Security — even the White House — as well as international governments from Europe, the Middle East, Russia and East Asia.
Like many newsrooms, we’ve heard from several companies and agencies that have prominently displayed the site in their operations centers, often called “Global Security Operation Centers” or GSOCs. They use a variety of monitoring and investigative tools to identify emerging risks to their employees, properties and supply lines around the globe.
“Breaking News is first kit,” one security manager told us, explaining his multinational company uses BreakingNews.com and app as a front-line tool to discover verified stories. Once they know a story is legit, they drill down with social search tools for more on-the-ground intelligence.
“I don’t want to pick up the phone on a rumor,” he said.
Citing trusted local sources and eyewitness reports vetted by our editors, Breaking News was the first English-language news organization to post early details on both the Paris and Brussels attacks. An internal study found that Breaking News publishes notifications an average of 14 minutes ahead of the next-fastest news app.
That combination of speed and accuracy — together with the ability to get notified when news breaks about any topic or near any location — has unexpectedly made Breaking News an indispensable tool in the global security community.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to drop us a note.
(Post by Cory Bergman)
