A Message from Executive Director, Jason Kight Happy New Year! I think we can all agree that 2020 was tough and we’re looking forward to getting a new year on the books. 2020's virtual environment did present some silver linings, however, and chief among them was our 35th Annual Briefing. Pivoting to a completely online platform was a huge undertaking for our small office but we surmounted the challenges of socially distant collaboration on a complex, technical project and in the end put on a fantastic Annual Briefing with the highest attendance on record. This says a lot about our esprit de corps and commitment to get it done, while your participation says volumes about your support for our partnership and the value that OSAC brings to your organizations.   We also seized upon innovative opportunities to strengthen engagement through our Common Interest Committees (CICs) and Country Chapters. In the past year, our membership groups increased their virtual content and online engagement sessions by more than 75%, reaching more users than ever before.   This year also offered an opportunity for valuable introspection– to focus internally on who we are as an organization and how we operate. With the wise counsel of our OSAC Council and Executive Board, we looked deeply at our leadership structure and strategic mission with an eye to improved standards and efficiency.   With this guidance, our Council will be reorganizing into six smaller, more active subcommittees (vs. three large committees), with CIC leadership representatives invited to participate in three of those groups (*). The six subcommittees are: (1) Council Member Recruitment & Engagement, (2) Strategic Planning & Growth, (3) Governance & Standards*, (4) Operations & Excellence*, (5) Content Review & Development*, and (6) Awards & Education. We're starting off 2021 strong with a solid foundation, and we will continue to grow and build over the next year. We hope to share a toast (in person) to our great partnership, and great things ahead with all of you soon.  The 35th OSAC Annual Briefing: A Virtual Format Opens New Doors This year's Annual Briefing tapped into OSAC’s unrivaled public-private partnership like never before. With over 20 hours of presentations and panels, 60 interactive member engagement sessions, 1,436 online attendees, 79 speakers and moderators, and 51 member engagement discussion facilitators, I’m proud to say this was our broadest encapsulation of the OSAC security community in our 35-year history.   Despite on-demand options, attendees joined and stayed engaged as they would in person: out of 1,436 unique logins, over 1,200 members remained active for at least two hours or more. We credit this retention in large part to our top-expert presentations like William Evanina (NCSC) on corporate espionage, Inge Huijbrechts (Radisson) on preventing the spread of disease in guest lodging, Dr. Martin Cetron (CDC) on global migration, and Brendan Bechtel (Bechtel) on valuing corporate culture, as well as rare Q&A opportunities like Canadian aid worker Steve Dennis discussing his experience being taken hostage near a Kenyan refugee camp and his recovery process afterward.  In our post-event survey, speaker satisfaction ranked highest at 89%, followed by topic selections at 87%. The virtual format also accelerated a trend of first-time attendees, regardless of seniority. Roughly 38% of survey respondents said this was their first OSAC Annual Briefing, up 9% from 2019. Entry/mid-level attendees comprised 22% of the audience (up 9% from 2019), management/supervisory made up the majority at 52%, and executive level participated at 26% (down from 43% in 2019).  There's no real substitute for exchanging ideas in the same space so it's our hope that, safety precautions permitting, we are able to invite you for a hybrid experience next year that combines our tradition of meeting in Washington, DC with additional options to convene online.   I want to thank the entire OSAC community – staff, members, volunteer leadership, speakers, moderators, and discussion facilitators alike – for rallying to make this Annual Briefing such a resounding success. We couldn’t have done it without you, and we are grateful that you honor the value of our partnership.

OSAC's 2020 Achievement Award Winners

Congratulations to the winners of our 2020 OSAC Annual Awards, announced at the ISF Virtual Reception in November: Distinguished Achievement Awards for significant contributions to enhancing the ability of U.S. organizations to protect their personnel, assets, and intellectual property:  Public Sector: Rebecca Gomez (OSAC), Program Manager for Women in Security  Private Sector: Dinesh Elangovan (Fidelity Investments), OSAC India: Chennai Chapter  Country Chapter Achievement Award for excellent OSAC partnership excellence in the areas of Leadership, Innovative Networking, Crisis or Incident Response, and Standards, Service, & Quality: OSAC Ireland: Dublin Chapter, chaired by RSO Kevin Gonzalez, Brian Murphy (Stripe), and Brian Kirkpatrick (Elavon Financial Services)  Common Interest Committee (CIC) Achievement Award for significant contribution to its members and the greater OSAC constituency: Women in Security, chaired by Margaret Levine (Bridgestone) and Kathy Lavinder (Security Placement)

The OSAC Quarterly Spotlight

Two Paths Diverged but Joined Again:  OSAC Co-Chairs, Claude Nebel & Carlos Matus   When Claude Nebel and Carlos Matus graduated from the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center together in 1987 as Diplomatic Security Special Agents, OSAC was just two years old. 33 years later, they've reunited as OSAC’s Private and Public Co-Chairs. Claude is also the Vice President and Chief Security Officer for Cargill Global Security, overseeing the protection of Cargill’s facilities, supply chains, and employees in 70 countries. Carlos is the Acting Director of the Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) and Deputy Assistant Secretary, responsible for programs that analyze, investigate, and disseminate information on threats directed against U.S. diplomatic personnel overseas and domestically. We asked them about their unique paths to OSAC:     Q: You both started in basic agent training but took your own paths through the public and private sectors. What led you to where you are now?  Nebel: My education and passion were always focused on law enforcement, and when the DSS Special Agent opportunity opened, I jumped on it. I am extremely happy with the way my career progressed, and I have never looked back. I was older than most candidates when I became a DSS agent and with that, I always knew it would make sense to return to the private sector to better secure my family once I retired. Fortunately, my plan came to fruition and brought me where I am today. With the several careers I have had (and I do love all of them!), it was not without many mentors both in DSS and outside. I had great support, and as with anything, good timing and a little luck!      Matus: As I became more experienced and aware of changing conditions throughout the world, I recognized that as a public servant, it was my responsibility to provide leadership to the Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), the State Department, and the Nation. I recognized that as the world changed, I needed to do the same to serve at my best.      Q: How did you first become familiar with OSAC, and how has it changed over the years?    Nebel: OK, now I’m going to age myself, and Carlos will be with me! OSAC was in its infancy when we started our careers in DSS. After basic training, and once we were assigned to Regional Security Officer (RSO) roles overseas, we came to better understand the importance of the relationships between the private sector and U.S. Embassy and Consulate Regional Security Offices around the world. OSAC was the perfect model to develop that relationship. Over the years, OSAC has developed into what is viewed globally as the pinnacle of what a public-private partnership must be: to ensure the safety and security of employees and assets around the world.      Matus: Soon after arriving in Honduras, I was given OSAC responsibilities since I was fluent in Spanish. I quickly realized that through the many contacts I made, I was much better informed about the operating environment in Tegucigalpa and elsewhere than others at the embassy. Over the years, OSAC has become a highly globalized network with access to instant information.     Q: From your perspective, how does OSAC strengthen your organization?    Nebel: The exchange of timely information concerning global risks is critical to ensure the safety and security of our employees and assets. We regularly communicate elements of our relationship with OSAC to the global Cargill community, which is key to our “Duty of Care” responsibilities and provides a level of comfort to our employees that their safety is our top priority. The collaborative partnership that OSAC offers helps us better maneuver through high risk environments and strengthens our ability to serve our business customers.      Matus: DSS has also evolved, increasingly relying on information to shape protective missions. DSS is becoming more of an information-led law enforcement and security organization, thanks in large part to OSAC.        Q: What is your primary goal for OSAC right now? What do you envision 10 years from now?    Nebel: The updates and changes to OSAC’s structure, instituted this past year, are key to how we will address threats in today’s world and into the future. This “Refresh” as I call it, led by Executive Director, Jason Kight, and the OSAC team, will ensure we have the most novel and innovative tools and infrastructure to deal with new risk challenges. I see this type of “Change Environment” process extending well beyond 10 years, which is critical.     Matus: We must continue to message the importance of public/private partnerships and the need to gather and share information with one another. As our global efforts to keep American interests safe and secure expand, the role of our allies and international partners also expands, and OSAC should continue to be a part of that.

Ongoing Updates

State Department COVID-19 Status The State Department Bureau of Medical Services distributed and administered COVID-19 vaccines over the holidays to over 1,500 personnel in the Washington, DC area. Supported by the Diplomatic Security’s Diplomatic Courier Service, the Department also delivered the first vaccines to U.S. Embassy Baghdad, bringing the total to more than 3,800 persons vaccinated. The State Department continues to operate under a phased return-to-work plan worldwide, defined as Phase 0 (maximum telework), Phase I (telework, with up to 40% on-site work), Phase II (telework, with between 40-80% on-site work to meet mission needs), and Phase III (telework, with between 80-100% on-site).  Most OSAC staff continue to work from home. The status of the Department at large is:  Domestic – As of December 31, 10% of domestic facilities remained in Phase 0, 81% were in Phase I, 8% were in Phase II, and 1% were in Phase III.  Overseas – As of December 31, 27% of posts were in Phase I, 65% were in Phase II, and close to 8% were in Phase III.

OSAC Code of Conduct The Code of Conduct Working Group, comprised of 20 volunteers from OSAC’s Council, Senior Advisory Group Emeritus, and Common Interest Committees, revised and improved our Code to more clearly outline expectations for OSAC participants. The revised Code is now being reviewed through the Department’s legal approval process. We will provide updates once complete.

OSAC Country Chapter Highlights

OSAC Netherlands: We celebrated 30 years since launching in November 1990! Our Private Sector Chair, Elke Roelant (AmCham), said, “This chapter is alive and kicking, and we are proud of that! Our chapter is remarkably consistent and built on the commitment of many individuals.” U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra also offered our members a wonderful video toast! OSAC United Kingdom: We definitely missed our in-person networking session, usually held in the U.S.Embassy London pub, but we enjoyed convening virtually with members and dynamic speakers to share timely information on the potential return of operations during COVID.   OSAC Germany: We recently announced the formation of one united OSAC Germany Country Chapter. In previous years, three independent OSAC chapters operated from Berlin, Frankfurt, and Munich. Unifying reduced duplicated effort, increased economy of scale, streamlined access to resources, and created a larger platform for information sharing. Meetings will be hosted throughout the year from different cities across Germany for all our members.   OSAC Iraq - Erbil Chapter: We hosted our first virtual meeting since the start of the pandemic. More than 70 OSAC members from the United States, Europe, and the Middle East registered to attend the event, which included briefings from the U.S. Consul General, the Regional Security Officer, and Chief of the Economic Affairs Unit.   OSAC Ethiopia: Amidst conflict throughout Ethiopia, RSO Addis Ababa has been closely communicating with our local OSAC members to ensure timely information sharing. The embassy has utilized the Addis Country Chapter WhatsApp Group to successfully share details on evacuations from Tigray, and we remain focused on responding to OSAC members' specific needs and requests.

Research & Analysis Reporting and Products

OSAC R&A delivers heavily-vetted information that OSAC members can trust. Our analysts focus on issues designated as most critical to our community and can also accommodate specific requests for additional reporting. Some selections from last quarter below (OSAC account required):  Africa:  Southwest Niger Kidnapping Reinforces Risk to Private Sector Political Tensions Erupt in Northern Ethiopia ISIS Affiliate Continues to Terrorize NE Mozambique  Asia-Pacific:  Increased U.S.-China Tensions Bring Regulatory Harassment for the Private Sector Chinese Communist Party Threatens U.S. Citizens with Detention Hong Kong Opposition Lawmakers Resign: Security Implications  Europe: Vienna Terrorist Attack is Austria’s First in Decades October 29 France Terror Incidents  Europe Holiday Terrorism Threat Landscape  Latin America:  Mexican Cartels and TikTok: A New Platform for Recruitment  Growing Discontent in Haiti Over Kidnapping Spike Three Presidents in Six Days: The Security Impact of Peru's Instability  Middle East:  Morocco-Israel Normalization & Moroccan Sovereignty over Western Sahara Saudi-related Terror Attacks, ISIS MENA Activity During the Global Pandemic Tentative Progress in Libyan Peace Process  South Asia:  Journalist Deaths in Afghanistan Attack on Education Center in Kabul Highlights ISIS-K Threat in Afghanistan COVID-19 in Central Asia Infographic Series  Cybersecurity:  Resource Guide: Ongoing Cyber Operation Puts Private Sector at Risk of Compromise,  The Ransomware Dilemma: To Pay, Or Not to Pay,  Attack on Cybersecurity Firm FireEye Highlights Risk of Nation-State Hacking  General Security: CDC’s New COVID-Specific Travel Health Notices,  Re-Evaluating Private-Sector Return-to-Work Protocols: Regional Benchmarking Results / Global Benchmarking Results  OSAC-Specific:  How OSAC Analysts Can Benefit Your Global Security Operations

Access Information On Demand

New “Africa Dashboard” Tool for Humanitarian Organizations  In response to several recent incidents of violence affecting international aid workers in Africa, we have developed the Humanitarian Incidents in Africa Dashboard to help visualize and analyze macro-level trends in reported incidents of violence affecting humanitarian organizations, their activities, and their personnel. This dashboard, updated daily, uses publicly-available data from the Armed Conflict Location Event Database (ACLED) and the Aid Worker Security Database (AWSD). To view the underlying data and methodology, visit our GitHub page.  Webinars and Presentations 35th Annual Briefing panels and presentations are available on our site! Find them here (OSAC account required).   We also have posted these All Country Chapter meetings at the following links:  All Brazil Country Chapter Meeting (2 days):  "Doing Business in Brazil: Past, Present, and Future" (Day 1: Oct 8) Oct 9: “Cybersecurity and LGPD (Lei de Proteção de Dados) Discussion” (Day 2: Oct 9) All India General Membership Meeting (Dec 10)

A Fresh Look at Communications

Our new Communications Manager, Elizabeth Winter, shares her first impressions and vision for the years ahead:  "OSAC has incredible resources to offer but some of it gets lost within a text-heavy framework that can be challenging to navigate. We’re now launching a new approach, based in visual cues and concise language. Reports and other digital messaging will be color-coded and tagged by category. We're ramping up the use of design to convey information via infographics, maps, charts, and other visuals. We're building branded templates of core comms items for consistency and ease of use across all Country Chapters and Common Interest Committees. And we're focusing in hard on our site to move it toward the information hub that it needs to be. We respect our members' time and their need to get to information fast. I look forward to furthering our shared mission of protecting U.S. organizations and personnel overseas by continually improving and streamlining all communications channels now and in the years to come.

OSAC Leadership and Staff Updates

OSAC Executive Board and Council  OSAC is pleased to welcome the newest Council Members to join our governing board:

Erik Antons Chief Security Officer, Whirlpool

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Billy Baker Vice President, Enterprise Safety & Security, Capital One

Buffy Christie Director of Global Security, Novelis

Larry Ford Director of Enterprise Security & Preparedness, Deere & Company

Jeffrey Gilbert Chief Security Officer, WarnerMedia

Common Interest Committee Chairs and Vice Chairs We warmly welcome Stone Conroy (United) and Amy Weschler (Delta) as the Aviation Sector Committee’s (AVSC) new Chair and Vice Chair. Stone is a former OSAC staff Program Manager.  We are grateful to Ned Farmer (American) and Armin Sick (Lufthansa), who completed their AVSC leadership terms. Thank you for your service!

OSAC Staff We are proud to welcome re-employed annuitants and former Regional Security Officers, Barry Heyman and Douglas Kinney, to our Country Chapter Accreditation team. Barry and Douglas carry over 75 years of foreign affairs experience between them. They'll focus on Country Chapter accreditation and the Chapter assessment process, coordinating directly with overseas Regional Security Offices and working closely with P3 Program Managers for their respective regions.  Elizabeth Winter was hired as OSAC’s Communications Manager. Elizabeth comes to us from the private sector, where she managed comms and created multimedia for organizations like the International Monetary Fund, ABC News, National Geographic, and Women for Women International. We bid a fond farewell to a few of our teammates:   Program Manager, Richard Barta (AVSC, PARC, East Asia- Pacific Country Chapters), took a position with Marriott, and Analyst, Liya Khan (South Asia), is now with the USG’s Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board.   Global Threat Warnings (GTW) Team Lead, Scott Bohn, will participate in a one-year Congressional Fellowship on Capitol Hill in 2021. GTW team member, Josh List, is serving as acting Team Lead.

Questions, comments, or have an idea for next quarter's news bulletin? Contact Kit Bartels, Team Lead for Programs, Partnerships, & Policy at BartelsKV2@state.gov.

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