The UK’s government-backed mutual terrorism reinsurer Pool Re, alongside the UK National Counter-Terrorism Police HQ and the Home Office’s Joint Security & Resilience Centre, is launching an interactive information sharing platform designed to help businesses become more resilient to terrorism.
Pool Re has invested £10 million in the project and says the platform will provide a destination for companies to access insights on terrorism risk mitigation, receive messaging and advice in the event of an attack, and develop their own counter-terrorism capacity through accredited online training for personnel.
The platform will provide information on the terrorism threat which ordinarily would be classified or costly for many businesses to access.
“As recognised in the Government’s CONTEST strategy, Pool Re and the insurance industry are uniquely placed to shape resilient behaviour, protect the UK’s economic infrastructure, and enhance national security interests by scaling the UK’s ability to tackle terrorism,” remarked Pool Re Chairman Geoff Riddell.
“The Platform will meet a longstanding need from the private sector for more credible, quality and timely information to be used in their protective security and resilience planning.”
The information sharing platform was announced this morning at the Home Office’s Security and Policing Conference in Farnborough, Hampshire.
It will be developed and operated by counter-terrorism police and is a central part of the strategy to strengthen collaboration and information exchange between government, police and business.
Commenting on the collaboration, Minister of State for Security, Ben Wallace MP, said, “This project is one of the first of its kind – a collaboration between the police, the insurance sector, and the Government that will help to keep the country safe and secure.”
The national policing lead for protective security, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Lucy D’Orsi, added, “Since the tragic events of 2017, Counter Terrorism Policing has been working alongside government and the private sector to strengthen our defences against terrorism through greater collaboration and information sharing.”
“That is why this ground-breaking new platform is so important, as it will allow businesses to access credible information 24/7, connect users to experts, provide accredited online training and send direct messages in the event of an attack.”
