Glenn Bartholomew SKS Founder and CEO - Q&A
Glenn has provided solutions to the Information Technology, Education and Security industries for nearly 30 years during which time he was at the forefront of development and use of technology based training in the corporate world.
He has spent the last 7 years analyzing the unique requirements of the security industry by working with industry leaders, understanding the industry’s needs and using knowledge, technology and information to significantly improve the skills of the world’s checkpoint security personnel. During these 7 years he has asked and been asked practically every question imaginable regarding checkpoint security and how best to improve it.
Many of the questions are relevant to the industry as a whole so we would like to share some of them with you in this and subsequent Q&A session. As there have been so many questions we will be updating this section of our site on a regular basis.
Should you have any questions regarding SKS please send them to info@sksco.com.
Q) Why was SKS formed?
A) SKS was formed because of a need for improvement in the security industry. As a member of the initial transportation ramp up in security following 9/11 I was able to see first hand how the training could be dramatically improved.
I saw a need for easy to use, affordable, accessible, updatable, training in every area of the security checkpoint. Our team had the technology skills to build just about anything we wanted but first off we needed to understand what the industry was really looking for. As a team we had all seen the ‘Look at what we have, do you want to buy one?’ mentality and decided to be the first to ask ‘What is it you are looking for and how can we help?’
Q) What has been the most significant event for SKS to date?
A) We have achieved a number of milestones over the last 3 years but in terms of a single event it would be the contract award from the FBI.
Q) Why was that so significant?
A) The award was against an RFQ posted on FedBizOpps.gov (www.fbo.gov) so any qualified company could bid on it. The requirements were demanding in terms of technology compliance and the integration into an FBI established learning environment which followed sophisticated industry standards.
I understand 12 or so organizations responded to the RFQ with SKS the eventual winners!
We have always been confident we could support any technical requirement presented to us but this award confirmed we answered not only the technology but the training and security requirements at the very highest level.
Q) What is SKS’s biggest challenge in the security marketplace?
A) In many cases the industry does not know what it does not know. The best technology in the world is worthless without the correct procedures and training. In many cases organizations are just not aware they have security issues which perpetrators can and do take advantage of.
Q) How does SKS inform them of these issues?
A) Our client base and depth of industry knowledge allows us to talk constructively with the people who can effect change. We work with our potential clients to identify where weaknesses exist. This could be through a controlled ‘intrusion test’ using Inert IED’s, guns, knives or drugs, into their facility or a computer based skills assessment of their security officers checkpoint skills.
Q) Are ‘intrusion tests’ dangerous?
A) No. We work closely with the organization in question to ensure everyone’s safety. The tests can be part of an overall training program or a simple confirmation of an identified weakness.
Q) How often do you get through without being caught?
A) I cannot really answer that question but we have amazed organizations with some of the items we have taken through checkpoints into their high security buildings.
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