Articles - Health / Safety / Risk Mgmt

An organizations structure can be penetrated in many ways to allow areas of vulnerability internally and externally. Most white collar crime is directly related to financial gain for the perpetrator; however there is a more serious area of organizational crime which must be monitored at all times.

Acts of terrorism on United States corporations are strategically calculated and executed with precision and internal KNOWLEDGE. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act heightens internal controls, which may reduce an informant internally from leaking information; however corporate chieftains must act responsibly and implement greater security standards to protect the employees and the shareholders against acts of terrorism

Terrorism edged out energy prices as the biggest short-term problem facing the U.S. economy, according to 26% of respondents, up from 20% in September. Energy prices represented the biggest fear of 23% of respondents, down from 30%. Worries about the twin deficits held near their levels of six months ago. In the longer run, health care costs, the federal deficit, and the growth of the dependent population are the primary problems, each chosen by over one-fifth of respondents.
(National Association for Business Economics, 2006)

Terrorist informants can usually obtain the information needed within an organization prior to identification. The Enron scandal’s inception began in 1989, and the downfall triggered in 2001. It may take decades to identify white collar fraudulent activities due to inappropriate accounting methods, but a terrorist informant can gather information needed in less than a year and remain unidentified. 

A terrorist informant’s job is not for financial game, but is strictly related to the downfall of the organization and the demise of as many people as possibly fathomable. A terrorist informant has little concern for prison sentences or possible fines; they are not concerned with their own lives (or yours for that matter).

Profiling is virtually impossible in these situations. Consider the disgruntled employee who makes $50,000 a year and is offered $200,000 for internal information regarding the security standards of the organization? The employee may not understand who or what they are providing confidential information for, or may not even care.

They may be providing documentation to a terrorist informant who has paid numerous other employees for additional information. Once all the data has been collected, a strategy of attack can begin.  Many may be misled in thinking the individual or entity is/are competitors paying for information to gain a competitive edge.

What is your organization doing in regards to internal controls and prevention strategies to avoid such a disaster?

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BIOGRAPHY

Dr. Melissa Luke is a practitioner in the financial and securities markets, specializing in maintaining positive economic conditions within domestic and international organizations for maximum profitability.

Dr. Luke has directly worked with top agency authorities such as the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD), and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) to increase knowledge base for university students and business owners nationwide.

She assists leaders in maintaining corporate vitality and economic growth within an organizations strategic structure and shareholder realm.

Melissa was a professional guest speaker, conducting seminars nationwide and in Canada on market makers, electronic control networks, arbitrage, Level II systems, technical approaches, and crisis prevention methods for corporate securities and welfare, and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

She has published securities educational methods for global distribution, and has worked with several foreign governments on securities issues.

Dr. Luke beta tested the primary software systems used for many of the major brokerage houses and online trading entities prior to the inception and implementation to the general public. She also trains all levels of organizations and corporations on the identification process of corporate malfeasance and fraudulent activity, to protect the corporate executives and public shareholders.

She educates 21st Century organizations, investigates wrongdoing, conducts extensive research on the intricacies of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, and recruits knowledgeable professionals on the requirements of compliance of corporate fraud utilizing her prior experience working for the United States Treasury.

Currently, Dr. Luke analyzes corporate legal entities, methods of operation, systems, internal controls, employee management, ownership, and corporate structure to maximize profitability and provide recommendations to improve ease of operation, productivity, and profitability of small to medium sized business in the United States.

She also teaches undergraduates at Boise State University as an adjunct professor in management and doctoral students at North Central University in finance.

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