Information Valuation by Ori Maouda
The flow of information throughout a group can significantly influence the outcome of an event. Whether consciously or sub-consciously, we affect the ability of a process to succeed or fail by what we do, or do not, contribute. In order to truly appreciate the applications of information, we must understand the sensitive process through which it is acquired.
In the security field, the primary function of an agent (of a firm or business) is to observe and report. The intrinsic value of the simple act of observing and reporting information has been highly underestimated in the past, however, has become recognized more and more with the development of information systems and technology. Advancements in the field of information technology have paved the way for businesses and governments to not only track and resolve incidents, but in some cases predict and prevent them as well. What many of us seem to forget is that every output requires an input, and every reaction requires a respective action; what we can do with information depends is limited by the quantity and quality of information gathered. At any given moment, there are thousands of pieces of information that can be documented, reported and recorded to better equip decision-makers throughout their operations. Though there are several ways to obtain quantities of information, there are much fewer ways to obtain quality information. The key to all this, of course, is having the “eye” to identify valuable information and the intelligence to know how to process and report it. Security officers are nothing short of reconnaissance agents, specialists trained in the art of identifying suspicious activity and the valuable details necessary to construct an informative report. Once documented and reported to the appropriate parties, other professionals can use this information to execute their tasks with greater precision. While this information can assist police officers in apprehending suspects more efficiently, it can very well also be applied to statistical models as well, allowing decision-makers to make calculated decisions and address vulnerabilities brought to light. As such, the value of an effective security agent cannot only be evaluated by reactions to incidents, but by the proactive measures taken to prevent them from happening in the first place as well.
Information is an invaluable commodity which influences our decisions. The more information we have, the more accurate our decisions can be. Security agents facilitate this process through active observation and documentation of activities that although may not present an active threat at first, can be addressed and neutralized before they reach their full potential.
