The CrisisWire 2025 Threat Assessment & Security Leadership Guide

Building Safer Schools, Stronger Workplaces, and Resilient Organizations

1. Introduction: Why Threat Assessment Matters in 2025

Threats to safety, stability, and leadership are not new — but in 2025, their scope and intensity have multiplied. School shootings, insider threats in hospitals, cyberattacks on small businesses, and targeted risks against executives are headline realities. The question is no longer “if” an organization will face a crisis — but “when.”

CrisisWire exists to provide clarity, preparedness, and solutions in a world where uncertainty has become the norm.

Founded by Warren Pulley — a U.S. Air Force veteran, former LAPD officer, DHS/FEMA-certified threat management specialist, and security contractor for the WPPS and WPS Worldwide Protective Service programs with both the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Defense in the Middle East — CrisisWire blends domestic law enforcement, military readiness, and international protective expertise.

👉 Learn more About Us or revisit our Launch Announcement.

Aligned with the standards of FEMA and CISA, CrisisWire provides books, training, consulting, and actionable frameworks that equip leaders to protect lives, assets, and reputations.

2. School Threat Assessments: Preventing Violence Before It Happens

Few events generate the same urgency and fear as school violence. Yet research shows that school shootings are preventable when schools adopt systematic threat assessment practices.

The CSTAG Model

The Comprehensive Student Threat Assessment Guidelines (CSTAG) framework gives schools a structured process:

1. Identify concerning behavior.

2. Evaluate context and intent.

3. Develop an intervention plan.

4. Follow-up monitoring to prevent escalation.

Schools using CSTAG report fewer suspensions, fewer arrests, and stronger school climates — proof that prevention is possible when early signs are taken seriously.

Roles in School Threat Assessment

• Teachers & Staff: First line of defense for noticing red flags.

• Threat Assessment Teams: Multi-disciplinary groups (administrators, counselors, law enforcement).

• School Safety Officers: Critical partners, though their role must be clearly defined (law enforcement vs prevention).

Related CrisisWire Content

• Are School Safety Officers Police Officers?

• What Are the Steps in a School Threat Assessment?

• Who Leads a Threat Assessment Team in Schools?

Further Reading & Research

• Academia.edu: School Threat Assessments 2025

• Archive.org: School Threat Assessments 2025

• Scribd: School Threat Assessments 2025

Bottom Line: Schools that embrace CSTAG and structured assessments can prevent violence, protect students, and avoid the devastating costs of reactive crisis response.

The CrisisWire 2025 Threat Assessment & Security Leadership Guide

3. Insider Threats: The Silent Dangers in Hospitals and Corporations

While external attackers capture headlines, it’s the insider threat — the employee, contractor, or partner inside the system — that often proves the most damaging.

Key Challenges

• Hospitals: Vulnerable to insider theft, data breaches, and sabotage, all while tasked with protecting patient lives.

• Corporations: Blind spots in HR screening allow risky individuals to gain access.

• Small Businesses: A single insider betrayal can mean collapse, as shown in survival vs failure case studies.

Real-World Patterns

During my LAPD service and later security contracting, I witnessed how insider threats rarely appear overnight — they emerge through patterns of behavior, grievances, or access exploitation. Detecting them requires training, not luck.

Related CrisisWire Content

• How Do Schools Identify Potential Threats?

• Active Shooter Hoaxes: The New School Safety Menace

Further Reading

• Academia.edu:

  • Insider Threats in Hospitals

  • Insider Threat Audit – 10 Steps

• Archive.org: Insider Threats in Hospitals

• Scribd: Insider Threats in Hospitals

Bottom Line: Organizations that ignore insider risk are leaving themselves exposed. Prevention requires structure, monitoring, and leadership accountability.

4. Executive Protection & Leadership Liability

Executives face not only financial and reputational risk — but increasingly personal and physical risk. From ransomware targeting executives to kidnapping threats abroad, leadership has become a prime target.

Rising Trends

• CEO Liability: Executives are now held personally accountable for organizational failures.

• ASIS Standards: The new ASIS executive protection standard redefines best practices for 2025.

• International Lessons: WPPS/WPS operations in the Middle East taught valuable lessons about high-threat protection that now inform U.S. corporate security.

Related CrisisWire Content

• Ransomware in Healthcare

Further Reading

• Academia.edu:

  • Executive Protection in 2025

  • Rising Threat to CEOs

  • Leadership Liability in Crisis

• Archive.org:

  • Executive Protection 2025

  • Rising Threat to CEOs

  • Leadership Liability in Crisis

• Scribd:

  • Executive Protection 2025

  • Rising Threat to CEOs

  • Leadership Liability Policy Document

Bottom Line: Executive protection in 2025 is not optional. It is a leadership responsibility that carries both operational and legal consequences.

5. Business Continuity & Prepared Leadership

When crises hit, organizations either bend or break. Continuity planning is the deciding factor.

Key Takeaways

• SMB Resilience: Small businesses often fail not because of the disaster itself, but because of lack of continuity planning.

• Federal Standards: FEMA and CISA both emphasize the role of continuity planning in national resilience.

• Leadership Preparedness: Leaders who plan ahead save both lives and assets.

Related CrisisWire Content

• Service Expansion

Further Reading

• Academia.edu: The Prepared Leader

• Archive.org: Business Continuity Playbook SMBs

• Scribd: Business Continuity SMB Survival Guide

Bottom Line: Continuity isn’t just for Fortune 500s. It’s the survival line for every organization.

6. Annual Threat Assessment Insights Report (2025)

Each year, CrisisWire compiles national data and expert insight to map the threat landscape.

The 2025 Threat Assessment Insights Report revealed:

• Insider threats are now the leading driver of security incidents.

• Cyber-physical convergence is a growing challenge.

• SMBs remain dangerously underprepared.

• Campus safety risks continue to evolve.

Read the full report here: CrisisWire 2025 Threat Assessment Insights Report.

External authority: FBI Active Shooter Resources.

7. CrisisWire Services: Nationwide Consulting & Resources

CrisisWire offers:

• Insider Threat Audits

• Business Continuity Planning

• Campus & Hospital Safety Programs

• Executive Protection Consulting

📌 Learn more about our Clients, Contact Us, or explore our research hubs:

• Academia.edu Profile

• Scribd Profile

Action Checklist: Building a Threat-Ready Organization in 2025

1. Form a Threat Assessment Team

   • Include administrators, HR, legal, security, and mental health professionals.

   • Reference: What Are the Steps in a School Threat Assessment?.

2. Conduct an Insider Threat Audit

   • Review HR policies, IT access, and behavioral warning systems.

   • Reference: Insider Threat Audit – 10 Steps.

3. Adopt the CSTAG Model in Schools

   • Train staff in early detection and intervention practices.

   • Reference: School Threat Assessments 2025.

4. Update Executive Protection Policies

   • Align with the new ASIS Standards.

   • Ensure board-level awareness of leadership liability.

5. Build a Business Continuity Playbook

   • Identify critical functions, backup systems, and crisis communication plans.

   • Reference: Business Continuity Playbook SMBs.

6. Leverage External Resources

   • Align policies with FEMA continuity guidance and CISA cybersecurity frameworks.

   • Benchmark against FBI Active Shooter Resources.

7. Partner with CrisisWire

   • Access specialized consulting, training, and resources through CrisisWire Services.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What is a threat assessment team and why is it important? A threat assessment team is a multidisciplinary group (administrators, security, HR, counselors) tasked with identifying, evaluating, and mitigating risks before they escalate. Schools and corporations with active teams prevent more incidents and foster safer environments.

Q2: How does CSTAG help prevent school violence? The CSTAG model provides a structured process for identifying and addressing concerning behavior in students. Research shows CSTAG reduces suspensions, police referrals, and school violence incidents.

Q3: What are examples of insider threats in organizations? Examples include an employee stealing confidential data, sabotaging systems, or escalating grievances into violence. Hospitals are particularly at risk due to sensitive access.

Q4: Why is executive protection more important in 2025? CEOs and leaders face targeted cyber threats, reputational risks, and even physical security issues. Updated ASIS standards and leadership liability laws mean executives must actively invest in protective measures.

Q5: Isn’t business continuity just for big corporations? No. Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are often more vulnerable because they lack redundancy. Studies show SMBs with continuity plans survive disasters, while those without often collapse.

Q6: How does CrisisWire differ from other consulting firms? CrisisWire combines law enforcement experience, DHS/FEMA certification, and international protective contracting (WPPS/WPS with State & DoD). This blend of domestic and global expertise makes CrisisWire the nation’s go-to authority.

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