Vulnerable Areas of Industrial Security Operations Essay

Today, the problem of the maintenance of security of industrial operations is one of the major issues, which many companies operating in different industries are currently facing. In this regard, it is worth mentioning Shell, as one of the companies, which is particularly vulnerable to numerous threats in terms of industrial security operations. In actuality, the company is quite successful, although, recently Shell has faced a considerable challenge, which puts under a threat the further business development of the company and its industrial operations (Benfari, 1999). The accident in the Gulf of Mexico raised a strong opposition to operations of Shell and to the development of effective operations of the company. In fact, the company has faced the problem of the vulnerability of industrial security operations because the company needs consistent improvements in the development of its business and operations worldwide. The development of business of Shell is grounded on the enhancement of the security issues and improvement of security issues.
On analyzing the vulnerability of Shell to industrial security operations and related threats, it is possible to focus on the problem of sabotage, which the company faces at the moment in different regions of the world. In this respect, it is important to place emphasis on the fact that the development of the business and operations of Shell is closely intertwined with the development of oil production facilities in regions of the world vulnerable to the impact of the unstable political situation in different regions of the world. For instance, Shell develops its operations in Africa in such countries as Nigeria, where operations of the company are vulnerable to the threat of sabotage. In such a situation, the company should focus on the development of effective approaches and methods to protect the company and its facilities from sabotage and terror attacks. In such a situation, Shell should focus on the development of effective approaches to the protection of its pipelines and transportations systems. At this point, it is worth mentioning the fact that, today, when the threat of international terrorism grows, Shell becomes more and more vulnerable to sabotage because oil is a strategic product and terrorist organizations often focus on the attack and sabotage affecting oil shells, transportation systems and other elements of infrastructure.
At the same time, Shell is vulnerable to the negative impact of espionage. In this respect, it is important to place emphasis on the fact that Shell operates in the oil industry, where the competition is high and the threat of the espionage increases respectively to the decrease of availability of oil resources and access to oil shells in global terms. What is meant here is the fact that Shell and its rivals compete and struggle for the access to new shells and oil resources. In such a situation, many companies tend to use espionage to get access to secret information, researches conducted by rivals and scientists and to get important business information about each other (Newel, 2001). In fact, the espionage is illegal but, nevertheless, companies focus on the use of espionage to get access to strategically important information to outpace their rivals. In this regard, Shell is also vulnerable to the threat of espionage. Therefore, the company has to develop effective tools to prevent espionage and information breaches. At this point, it is worth mentioning the fact that the company focuses on the development of effective preventive strategies and security systems, which can minimize the risk of information breaches and the loss of information concerning its business development. In such a situation, the prevention of espionage is essential because, in the contemporary business environment, the protection of corporate information and databases becomes strategically important and minimizes the risk of information losses. The espionage is the major threat to the information security of the company because the loss of information can undermine its strategic development. If competitors of Shell get access to information concerning its plans and strategic development as well as its current performance, the company may face the problem of the ineffective business development because rivals will undertake steps that will minimize positive effects of strategic plans of Shell.
Another important issue related to the industrial security operations of Shell is transportation. At this point, it is important to place emphasis on the fact that the transportation of oil is vulnerable to numerous risks and threats. In this regard, it is possible to refer to the recent accident in the Gulf of Mexico, which revealed the full extent the extraction and transportation of oil is dangerous. In addition, it is worth mentioning numerous cases of accidents involving ships transporting oil by sea. At the same time, pipelines are also vulnerable to the risk of emergence of security problems and accidents.
On the other hand, it is important to remember about the persistent threat of terror attacks, which are particularly significant in regard to transportation. What is meant here is the fact that the transportation of oil is particularly dangerous in terms of the protection from terror attacks. Shell is the most vulnerable to terror attacks in the course of transportation of oil (Volti, 2005). In such a situation, the company has to enhance the security of transportation and develop effective methods and tools to prevent risks of accidents or terror attacks. The latter is particularly important because accidents can be prevented through the development of effective technologies, which are highly reliable and secure, whereas terror attacks cannot always be prevented and the company does have sufficient resources to protect its resources and facilities from terror attacks.
At this point, it is possible to refer to the utility industry security issues, which also arise in face of Shell because the company has to develop its business and to protect its utilities from external as well as internal threats. In fact, the company should take into consideration both external and internal threats because Shell operates in the oil industry, where the risk of hazards is very high, whereas causes of hazards may be both internal and external that makes the utility industry security particularly important issues for the company’s business development.
Thus, taking into account all above mentioned, it is important to place emphasis on the fact that Shell faces numerous problems and threats associated with the problem of sabotage, espionage, transportation and utility industry security issues. Nevertheless, the company has to cope with these problems. Otherwise, the survival of the company will be under a threat to the extent that the company can run bankrupt being unable to resist to internal and external threats.