CHENNAI: The threat posed by terrorism to corporate houses and other commercial establishments is very much real and yet not much attention is being paid to counter the threat, opines a top counter terrorism expert.
Addressing representatives of firms, based in Chennai, Chris Phillips, a former head of National Counter Terrorism Security Office, Government of the United Kingdom, said terrorist attacks have a great effect on a country’s economy besides severely damaging the State’s reputation.
“There is every chance of the overall business climate getting affected, which results in slowdown of investments. Hence, the need for counter-terrorism security measures becomes very important,” he said.
Phillips was speaking at the one-day seminar titled ‘Security Techniques and Counter Terrorism’, which was jointly organised by National Security, a city-based security firm, and International Protect and Prepare Security Office (UK), on Wednesday. Representatives of over 50 establishments from IT, medical, hospitality and banking, took part in the seminar.
Querying his participants on the safeguard provisions their firms have in place, Phillips, who has guided counter-terrorism measures for several firms, was straight forward when he stated “If they (terrorists) attack the economy, they win.”