Analyzing Behavioral Patterns to Prevent Criminal Activities: Varsha's Expertise in Action
I have a friend and peer from India. She is Varsha Avadhany , she is an expert in analyzing behavioral patterns to prevent criminal activities, which is a crucial aspect of ensuring security within any organization. Varsha, a female leader from India, brings her expertise to the forefront in this field, making significant strides in the industry.
By utilizing her experience and knowledge, Varsha has been able to identify potential insider threats before they escalate into criminal activities. Her innovative approach has not only helped in preventing security breaches but also in creating a safer work environment for employees.
Varsha's expertise highlights the importance of leveraging behavioral analytics to proactively address security risks. By staying ahead of potential threats through data-driven insights, organizations can better protect their assets and maintain trust with their stakeholders.
As Varsha continues to lead the way in analyzing behavioral patterns for security purposes, her impact serves as a testament to the power of proactive measures in preventing criminal activities within the industry.
Below, you will find the Q&A from our conversation.
What inspired you to specialize in Crime Prevention and Behavior analysis?
Since childhood, the human mind always intrigued me… I was helping people, listening to their problems, and trying to resolve them. Thus, doing my graduation in psychology and Sociology was a natural choice. Masters in Criminology was by accident chosen in terms of choice of subjects for Masters in Social Work. But I think it was the best thing that happened. I was helping those people whom no one what to speak with—prisoners, offenders, criminals. What I have realized over the years of working is that it makes you a more tolerant person and you start questioning of ‘why of everything’ rather than just looking at things on a superficial note.
Can you share an example of how your expertise in Risk Culture has made a significant impact in the organizations you've worked with?
When I was working with a BFSI company, I was called in to work on a challenging project on Risk Culture with a dual goal… One is to improve the Policy Adherence index of the employees. Second was to improve the Perception index of on-shore partners. Some of the key milestones that I achieved in this project were:
1. Getting all the control functions from Risk Management, Ethics and Compliance, Information Security, Corporate Security, and Audit to work as ‘One Unit’
2. Make Risk as a goal of every manager/leader
3. Run a zero-budget campaign to bring awareness through business leader communication, dovetailing risk messages in business campaigns, and decentralizing employee engagement by empowering Risk ambassadors to run their campaigns.
4. Open-door meetings with risk heads to drop the fear levels and clarify queries.
Over a year’s intervention, the policy violation level dropped by 56%, and the business started getting more complex and high-end projects.
How do you approach change management in the context of enhancing security measures within non-profit, corporate, and startup environments?
Change management is all about working with hard-wired mindsets. In that context, I have applied the same approach across all sectors whether NGO, Corporate, or start-up. Because ultimately it is about working with the Human Mind. Some of the techniques I have worked on are the Blue Sky or Design Theory approach. Normally when you conduct a Gap Analysis you understand what the leader wants, what they are practicing, and how they are perceived. Once the As-Is state is accepted (which itself takes almost a quarter as there is a lot of conflict in seeing the mirror and getting over the shock) then the journey starts to work toward the To-Be state which takes 18 to 24 months. Organizations work in the same manner as minds. You push for change; they push back and you again. This conflict is continuous and needs to be persevered.
What strategies do you implement to foster a culture of vigilance and security awareness among employees?
Some of the cornerstones of a good Risk Culture that fosters a Safe and
Secure workplaces are:
1. Accessibility of risk professionals: The risk professionals must be seen as part of the business meeting, having open houses, thus fostering a culture of approachability and collaboration. They need to be known for their carrots as much as for their sticks.
2. Simplicity of Policies: Most of the policies are written in legal language and Thus, it becomes very difficult for them to be deciphered by a common employee. One needs to simplify and reduce jargon and complicated sentences and communicate in verbs of Do’s and Don’ts.
3. Business leader's goals and communication: The creation of a safe environment is the responsibility of a Business leader, risk professionals can only facilitate it. This means security/risk professionals have to be perseverant in making Risk a part of business goals and communication.
Could you elaborate on your experience collaborating with OSAC Bangalore on Political Stock Enhancement of Security Professionals; and its implications for the industry?
It was one of its kind of initiatives, which was designed for the growth of mid-level professionals. What we normally see is that while they are good at work, their ability to project, and present a case for growth is lacking. Thus, many become laggers, resulting in low productivity of the function. So, the course was designed in a manner that enhances the individual abilities of the professionals, along with achieving business goals. The aim was to ensure the ‘Security functions stock rises in a company’
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How do you envision the future of Human Threat Management evolving, especially in the APAC region where you are a sought-after speaker?
With globalization as a backdrop, the threat landscape has also evolved. APAC The region's violent cases were either suicide cases or suicide bomb attacks by terror outfits. However, in the last two to three years the East has been aping the West. An individualistic mindset creeping in has led to a rise in extremely violent incidents like mass shootings or mass stabbing incidents. I have been advocating the need for such a program for 5 to 6 years and, I am glad that at last, the intent to understand the Human Factor is increasing in Crime Incidents. However, we still have to mature to establish protocols, and policies in having a ‘Violence Free Workplace / Society’. Our journey has started and the road looks promising ahead.
Can you discuss a particularly challenging case or project that tested your skills in workplace violence prevention?
As threat management professionals, the toughest part is not managing the case, but navigating the stakeholder maze to arrive at the decisions that need to be taken to de-escalate the situation. Time analysis says 30% case management and 70% stakeholder management. In most of the cases that I can manage the threat levels are never constant, as It is based on the situation and the triggers that it is there in an environment. Also remember, very rarely do we as threat assessors know all the facts from the word go, it is like peeling off an Onion. On average, we gain the trust of the person only of the mid-stage and thus the threat assessment is very dynamic. As a Threat assessor, the skill that is most tested is to ‘Listen beyond words’ and wait for the right movement to hit the cord.
What advice would you give to young professionals looking to make a difference in Crime Prevention and Security within their organizations?
What I have observed lately is a rush to get certified. However, I see very little application or practice of the knowledge gained. My ask of very young professionals joining is two-fold:
1. Perseverance: There is no magic wand, go through the grind, and experience the pain to know the success. It will come.
2. Passionate exploration: I can tell you each case I handle, I am fascinated by the human mind… It makes me wonder; how many leaves are there that still need to be unfolded!!
I look forward to having many young professionals become my peers and colleagues in a creating Crime less society!!
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Warm regards,
Abraham Desantiago.
Email: [email protected]
WhatsApp / Telegram: +58 412 605 5084
My book La transformación de la seguridad: Una guía para líderes emergentes en la era digital (Spanish Edition) https://a.co/d/2xCVwUL