Cyber may grab the headlines, but certified security consultant Felix P. Nater’s message to employers is blunt: “Companies have a moral, ethical, and legal responsibility to provide employees safe work environments free from potential acts of violence.” In a recent Q&A with ProSight, the president of Nater Associates Ltd. and retired U.S. Postal Inspector and Army Reserve Command Sergeant Major, laid out a practical roadmap for managing physical and hybrid threats—including for banks and branches.
Start with leadership, not locks and cameras.
Nater says protection must start with leadership, noting that responsibility for security rests with organizations through “senior management commitment and employee involvement.” OSHA provides a framework, but companies still have to own the program—policies, plans, and use of external resources.
Close the most common gaps.
Across workplace security, violence prevention, and executive protection, Nater sees the same weak spots: outdated policies and procedures, ineffective surveillance, access control and visitor management issues, lack of quality training, and infrequent risk assessments. These gaps, he warns, can create “significant financial, operational, and reputational costs.”
Use technology as a tool—not a crutch.
“Technology at large is having an impact and making a significant improvement,” Nater says, citing high-definition cameras, facial recognition, motion sensors, analytics, access control, and panic buttons that support monitoring and rapid communication. At the same time, “Technology (like AI) can lead to complacency,” including a “false sense of security” and alert fatigue. His bottom line: “Merely procuring technology is not the solution, just like training alone is not the answer.” Prevention requires “integration, collaboration, coordination, communication, and execution of protocols.”
Remember: the human factor is the weak point.
“The biggest threats to protecting executives and employees are the executives and employees who find execution cumbersome or unnecessary,” Nater says. Security is “a team effort,” and protocols must be followed. With 462 publicly reported threats to high-profile individuals in 2024—“39 per month”—he argues the danger “can be mitigated by quality executive protection training and workplace violence prevention training.”
Branches are changing—and risk is, too.
For banks, “typical practices and perspectives on bank branch security have changed over the years.” With digital banking, “local branches have transformed into hubs addressing more complex customer needs,” increasing potential conflicts. Nater expects AI to “play a valuable role in workplace violence prevention, conflict management, and incident management”—as long as it’s backed by strong leadership and engaged people.
