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Threat and Response Levels

The Threat level is decided by JTAC (Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre) JTAC was created in 2003 as the UK leading body for the analysis and assessment of international terrorism. In setting the threat level JTAC look at a number of things including:

Available intelligence

Terrorist capability

Terrorist intention

Timescale

The threat levels and their meaning are:

Low – an attack is unlikely

Moderate – an attack is possible, but not likely

Substantial – an attack is a strong possibility

Severe – an attack is highly likely

Critical - an attack is expected imminently

The threat levels relate to the threat to the Country. There are response levels which are then set by individual security practitioners and can vary from location to location the response levels are:

Normal:

Routine protective security measures appropriate to the business concerned
(Low and Moderate)

Heightened:

Additional and sustainable protective security measures reflecting the broad nature of the threat combined with specific business and geographical vulnerabilities and judgements on acceptable risk. (Substantial and Severe)

Exceptional:

Maximum protective security measures to meet specific threats and to minimise vulnerability and risk (Critical)

Although the threat level changes as it did on the 20 July 2009 it doesn’t mean an automatic reduction in security measures in place at individual locations. If a building or location is high profile and a prime target then the response level may well be further enhanced to take into account terrorist belief that there guard may be relaxed due to a reduction in threat.

The Threat Level has been reduced but what are the levels and what do they mean?

The Threat level is decided by JTAC (Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre) JTAC was created in 2003 as the UK leading body for the analysis and assessment of international terrorism. In setting the threat level JTAC look at a number of things including:

Available intelligence

Terrorist capability

Terrorist intention

Timescale

The threat levels and their meaning are:

Low – an attack is unlikely

Moderate – an attack is possible, but not likely

Substantial – an attack is a strong possibility

Severe – an attack is highly likely

Critical – an attack is expected imminently

The threat levels relate to the threat to the Country. There are response levels which are then set by individual security practitioners and can vary from location to location the response levels are:

Normal:

Routine protective security measures appropriate to the business concerned
(Low and Moderate)

Heightened:

Additional and sustainable protective security measures reflecting the broad nature of the threat combined with specific business and geographical vulnerabilities and judgements on acceptable risk. (Substantial and Severe)

Exceptional:

Maximum protective security measures to meet specific threats and to minimise vulnerability and risk (Critical)

Although the threat level changes as it did on the 20 July 2009 it doesn’t mean an automatic reduction in security measures in place at individual locations. If a building or location is high profile and a prime target then the response level may well be further enhanced to take into account terrorist belief that there guard may be relaxed due to a reduction in threat.