DO YOU KNOW. . . The best way to know what examiners are looking for is to attend training sessions that are presented by former examiners? The most effective way to learn how to train is to be taught how to by one of the best trainers in the country? That a trained and certified document and signature examiner may be able to give a knowledgeable opinion on just the basis of a faxed signature? That, on the average, the financial institution that discovers and prosecutes an employee for internal defalcation finds that employee has been caught and not prosecuted by the last four employers? That when doing background investigations, about 7% of job applicants have theft - related records that are discovered? That there are liabilities that are assumed by the security officer who is appointed by the board of directors that may be personal liabilities as well as corporate? That the FBI has been encouraging banks to become pro-active in case of bank robbery instead of passive? That the security officer who is also the Bank Secrecy Officer carries a lot of extra liability? That the phone numbers of each of the credit reporting agencies should be available on every desk in the office? That the list of red flags issued by the regulators should be reviewed by EVERY member of your financial institution? That the employees sometimes the most likely to be victims of 'social engineering' happen to also be your best customer service people? That one of the best defenses against claims is the Uniform Commercial Code - which is usually one of the least understood resources available to the security officer? That new and updated data systems are being developed every day, and many of them are compatible with your in-house system? That out of all the training a security officer must do, the toughest - and most necessary - is the training of the board of directors? That honing the skill of convincing administration to pay attention and support the security function is difficult, but doable? DEAR SECURITY OFFICER: Can you believe how much your job has changed and how much responsibility has been added to your position as security officer in the past year?! It seems like every time a new regulation or requirement comes along, and there is no designated officer or area to cover it, it comes to you. It’s really not as if you didn’t have enough to do already. And did your staff increase, as your responsibilities and duties increased? Ha! We’re here again to do what we can to help you. Attending all three days will give you the most benefit, helpful information and tips from our speakers and other security officers on how to handle your problems, so do try to come for all three days. But if you can’t get away for the three, at least come for the two days of workshop so you’ll be better prepared and knowledgeable for the days ahead. We’ll be at the Airport Marriott at the end of Terminal B in Philadelphia again. The Pre-Workshop There will be your choice of any one of three Pre-workshops. I’ll be doing the Basic security officer training - this year co-teaching with Dana Turner. Susan Orr, a former FDIC examiner and a dynamic trainer, will do Advanced security officer training for the day. The third choice is the “Trio” workshop which splits the day into three parts with Janice Branch from InterAction Training Systems revealing the secrets of how to do successful training; Dana Turner will cover internal investigations; and Bob Meister, a forensic document examiner, is coming in from Indiana to illustrate how to determine whether a signature is forged or not, and what to do about your suspicions. The Workshop On Wednesday and Thursday we’ve lined up bankers, trainers, consultants, experts, and a bank insurance specialist - some heavy hitters. By the time you hear Dana Turner talk about what you’ll find doing background investigations, you’ll be calling your office! We have invited two industry experts to give a session on Dye-Pacs/GPS systems, and on Fraud Prevention/Kiting systems. Mike Epple from 3SI and Maleka Ali from Banker’s Toolbox have agreed to set aside sales, and will discuss ALL systems available to financial institutions and explain what the systems do, how they work, and what you should look for if you’re thinking of installing similar functions. Mary Beth Guard will make you wonder what will happen after November 1 with the Red Flag Rule. You may have thought you were ready for it. Do you have a hard time teaching the front line about security? How much harder is it to talk to the board of directors? Kevin Smith has done so in Maryland many times, and will give you some good ways and ideas to make that chore easier. John Burnett from BankersOnline is back (by popular demand!) and will discuss compliance and security, and may make you aware there are many places they overlap - far beyond BSA/SAR problems and requirements. Following THAT informative presentation, Brien O’Connor, a bank insurance specialist, will be here from Texas to reveal what you should know about your insurance. And illustrate that what you DON’T know can hurt you and your financial institution. David Battle will be back for our final segment on Thursday by sharing some preventive measures to reduce robberies. Financial institutions are finally becoming pro-active in this area. About time, huh? We tried to come up with a different treat for Wednesday night, but have had so many requests to continue the trolley tour ending on South Street for dinner that we plan to do that one more year. Even with the economy, the state of the banking industry, and the gas prices, we’ve managed to keep the price of these three days of highly intensive security training as low as we possibly could (no increase from last year's prices). So if you’re looking for focused security training, useful information, some of the best networking in the country, low price, and convenience - we’ll see you in Philadelphia in September. Warm regards, Barbara E. Hurst Editor, Bankers Hotline Click here to download the full 2008 Security Officers Workshop brochure     PDF Version of Workshop Brochure