Conference programme brings along more than hundred security experts under one roof across six streams

Counter Terror Expo taking place on the 19 - 20 April, Grand Hall, Olympia, London has announced that the much awaited 2011 conference programme is now live.

Counter Terror Expo's carefully researched conference programme brings over one hundred world renowned issue specific experts together across six streams to deliver insight, analysis and perspective to the threats faced, across four conference streams developed to accurately reflect the most critical issues and deliver clear focus for debate.


The themes for 2011 include:

Global Counter Terror

• A full decade on from the horror of 9/11, what lessons have been learned, has the United States of America counter-terrorism strategy educated or hindered, could the intervening European experience and response offer valuable lessons, what has been the impact on global business and human rights and where do we go from here?

• Threats to national wellbeing remain potent given porous border controls, the threat within continues to be a matter of grave concern and States appear devoid of anything other than a military response.
• Is there another way and what are the pros and cons?
• Can an alternative strategy be accomplished and at what cost?
• Despite austerity measures at home, the UK is stepping up overseas aid, particularly in relation to education and healthcare.
• Is this the way forward and will it bear fruit in respect to large-scale events such as the 2012 Olympic Games?
• Only time will tell.

Critical National Infrastructure - Protection, Security & Resilience

• We take for granted the ability to switch a light on, get running water from a tap or be able to pick the phone up and make a call.
• These and other vital services form the backbone to the fabric of our lives and could so easily be lost for periods of time through issues ranging from climate change to natural disaster and acts of terrorism.
• How do you mitigate against such a diverse range of threats?
• What are the challenges and costs involved in doing so?
• How do you effectively manage the response to possibly unpredictable events?
• What are the economic implications from the loss for however short of a part of the Critical National Infrastructure?
• This major two-day symposium weighs the issues and debates current and future needs in this vital area of national security.

  Cyber threat is a strong issue and to some extent unnoticed but increasingly evident problem to be dealt with urgently

Cyber Security & Electronic Terrorism

• The cyber threat is a potent and growing issue for governments worldwide and, in a very real sense, represents a partially unseen but increasingly evident problem that must be dealt with urgently.
• Stuxnet, a complex virus released into the wild within the past few months, was apparently designed to target Iranian computer installations supporting the nuclear programme in that country.
• Other computer viruses have been released into the wild by State actors in the recent past.
• Recently, the United Kingdom stepped up its funding to fight cyber terrorism and crime, but only in terms of government and military assets.
• The private sector critical national infrastructure providers are left on their own, but are required to deliver a response to emerging threats.

Emergency Services

• Blue light services are the first responders to incidents of domestic and international terrorism.
• Their role demands that the highest levels of coordination and interoperability exist between the individual services tasked with a first response.
• Achieving this in an operationally dynamic and demanding environment requires that meticulous planning is undertaken to ensure effective event mitigation strategies are delivered on the ground.
• What are the threats faced by blue light services engaged in a first response?
• What could be the impact if blue light first responders themselves are targeted?
• How do you deliver successful triage and evacuation of mass casualties in a potentially dangerous live environment?
• The emergency services conference addresses these and very many other complex questions facing those who first respond to incidents of domestic and international terrorism.

Designing Out Terrorism

• Recent history has shown that infrastructure, as well as assets and people, is just as much a target for those with intent to do harm.
• Building in appropriate protection, building out the fortress mentality and ensuring that space is usable, remain the priority.
• How do you accomplish that in the airport terminal, a shopping centre or within the corporate headquarters compound?
• What advice is available to you?
• How do you build requirements into the master plan?
• Resilience is paramount in the face of modern day threats and this conference delivers best practice solutions based upon real world experience.

Protecting Crowded Places

• Although crowded public places have long been considered at risk from terrorist attack, the issue was publicly driven home by a recent warning from the US State Department.
• Based upon intelligence received, the State Department warned that US citizens may be at risk in various locations across Europe where people congregate en-mass.
• The governments of multiple other nations followed up with their own warnings to citizens who might be travelling in the alleged areas and locations of concern.

• Crowded spaces are amongst the most difficult to secure, demand appropriate surveillance, as well as vigilance on the part of those tasked with the delivery of public facing security.