Background
We frequently hear from clients who’ve received potentially threatening emails and other communications, sometimes from people they don’t know. Although there are instances when the threat concerns an event, publication, or something else that triggers an emotional outburst, sometimes it is very unclear about why the message is being sent and/or who it is coming from.
Situation
Our client was an educational institution that has 10,000 employees and contractors. Many teachers are known globally for their research studies on a wide range of topics. Some of those topics are controversial.
During the pandemic crisis, the school has seen a significant spike in threatening or concerning communications to teachers and staff. Some appeared to be obvious threats. Others were more cryptic and could easily be interpreted as threats. Unfortunately, most were sent anonymously, from unknown email addresses with very limited information. The concerned client did not have a process to address such situations and reached out for assistance.
Solution
Integras Intelligence organized this engagement into two concurrent projects. The first was to analyze the emails, identify the senders (if possible), and then conduct checks of these individuals. The second was to help the client implement a process for dealing with future communications.
Sample findings included the following:
- We identified the sender of one email, who was notorious for sending these types of communications. However, he was in another country and had no previous records of concern. The threat was deemed minimal. A police report was made, and the victim was briefed on best practices for personal safety and security.
- We identified the sender of a second message, and the threat was much more credible. This individual had an extensive criminal history, including violent crimes, and lived in the same city as the email recipient. The threat was deemed high. As a result, we worked with the victim to notify law enforcement, who took action. We also briefed the victim on best practices for personal safety and security.
- We were unable to identify the sender of a third email and could not conduct further analysis. However, we stayed in close contact with the client and the victim, who was also briefed on best practices for personal safety and security.
Here’s how we helped the client set up a process for future issues:
- Assisted in organizing a response team
- Worked with the team to create written protocols, which included response team member contact information, chain of command, reporting procedures, responding to the initial report, response levels, and procedures
- Created a communication for all staff, which detailed what they should do if they receive a suspicious communication
- Created a response team training schedule, which included tabletop drills
Conclusion
By choosing to partner with a multi-dimensional firm, the client was able to:
- Conduct a thorough investigation to determine the seriousness of the threats and to take appropriate action
- Create a playbook for responding to future incidents
- Clearly and effectively communicate to staff how seriously they take suspicious communications and provide instructions on what people should do if they receive something concerning
