In the heat of one of the most eventful political summers in the last fifty years, the high profile Democratic National Convention is heading to Chicago. While the marquis event will showcase the city, it brings with it the potential for disruption.

Although it is impossible to know to what extent daily life may be altered, the potential for spontaneous protests and other bad acts will be heightened. Federal and local law enforcement officials have unveiled a protection plan to protect the convention’s attendees, putting both pedestrian and vehicle perimeters around the United Center and McCormick Place, and have disclosed that law enforcement will be closely monitoring those who enter the defined areas.

But what of ordinary citizens and local businesses? While police are engaged in extensive planning, it is imperative that local residents, and businesses – both large and small – along with their communities take the time to consider how best to prepare for unforeseen disruptions.

Start Planning Now

Banks, large businesses, financial exchanges, and others have been preparing for months to ensure security is in place. However, now is also the time for small and mid-sized businesses, neighborhood groups, and even individuals to consider their own security plans in order to reduce their risk of harm if disruptions occur.

It’s also important to note that in 2024 safety is not limited to physical concerns. Cyber threats and cyber manipulation can be equally if not more disruptive and dangerous.

The first step is to put a plan in place that assesses and mitigates potential vulnerabilities. Some of this is as simple as thinking ahead, communicating now with employees, family members and neighbors, and knowing who to contact if and when immediate action is required.

Conduct a Self-Assessment

Some questions that businesses, organizations and individuals should ask themselves to aid in security planning include:

Are there protective measures in place for your business, home or other property? Assessing your property’s accessibility both from a perimeter and interior access point perspective is a crucial first step in ensuring your safety, in general, but especially ahead of potential unrest.

What is your access control system? For larger businesses this may be a full physical system that works in tandem with corporate policies. For store fronts and small businesses, it might be keeping doors locked during business hours. In a family home, this means knowing who has access, either by key or smart lock code, as well as having a plan for re-setting codes on a regular basis.

What is your communication plan? This does not only apply to large businesses. Families and small businesses need to have a swift means of communicating with key parties if heightened security is warranted, or any changes of plans are necessary or occur unexpectedly. Communication plans are often overlooked but can make a huge difference in keeping people safe.

Do you have a business continuity and disaster recovery plan? Security professionals can meet with neighborhood associations, businesses, or individuals to provide guidance and expertise. Having a plan in place to safeguard personnel, assets, and sensitive data before a physical or cyber security disruption occurs can greatly reduce risk.

Proactive over Reactive

The most important advice we can give is to take a proactive approach to protecting your family or business. Beyond the questions above, consider the following:

Develop relationships with neighborhood groups or associations, residents, local private security, and first responders. Community engagement and information sharing is crucial during potentially challenging times.

To aid in awareness, assess communication tools and ensure that your family, staff members, and perhaps even customers receive emergency alerts (including those communicated by city or county emergency management). Develop a contingency communication plan in case internet access is lost or cell communication is compromised, including having a pre-arranged meeting spot.

For those who are even tangentially involved in political events, assess your digital footprint to understand how you are discussed online. Evaluate what type of risks you face as a result of your online presence and/or political beliefs. If you are a business owner or high-profile individual who publicly posts support for political positions or other hot button issues, know that you may be targeted by opposition groups both online and at your physical location (including both your business and personal residence).

Acknowledge that the threat landscape during major public events is naturally heightened, and you must consider information security awareness practices to protect sensitive data. Social engineering and other cyber manipulation attempts may be used to target those who are actively or inadvertently engaging with the political arena, and remaining educated ahead of time is critical to preventing unwanted exposure.

Political conventions – and the expression of public opinions around those conventions – are a great American tradition. But as the threat environment becomes increasingly complex, proactive risk assessment and appropriate planning need to be part of our collective process.