The Shift to Territorial Security

Amir Rosenthal, a security consultant at Electra Security, 55 years old, lives in Kibbutz Kfar Menachem. Married to Tom and father of three—two daughters and his youngest son, Afik, who was a Maglan fighter killed in action on October 7th during an encounter with dozens of terrorists who attacked Kibbutz Nahal Oz. Amir is one of the pioneers advocating for territorial security in food retail and supermarkets.

In discussing the current challenges in the security field, Rosenthal explains, “Unfortunately, our enemy is not foolish, and we learned this very well on October 7th. What we think they don’t see; they do see and learn from. Today, they observe the effectiveness and visibility of this system, and that becomes part of prevention and deterrence. Like any security threat, there are three rings of response: prevention, deterrence, and interception. This method addresses all three.”

Since the early 2000s, a security concept was developed in Israel that was adapted to the reference threats of the time (suicide bombers, organized terrorism, and a corresponding adequate response). In businesses, there used to be security guards, observers, and other forms of protection. Over the years, the security division adjusted the approach to the changing reality and downsized accordingly, to the extent that a business larger than 800 square meters was only required to have one basic guard at the entrance. What remained unchanged was the security concept for businesses, under item 6.2 of the Business Licensing Law. This led to a situation where the quality of security guards steadily declined while their operational costs continued to rise, resulting in a significant mismatch between the increasing expenditure and the declining quality of security.

Rosenthal highlights the key advantage of the new approach: “The territorial security concept addresses all threats to the business and its surroundings, with every branch employee capable of summoning the fighters when needed.”

Regarding the need for change, Rosenthal adds, “The shift in operational philosophy is primarily driven by the necessity to adapt to changes in reference threats. The previous concept was based on threats from the Second Intifada. For over a decade, I’ve been advocating for change based on a professional belief that the concept must evolve. The pandemic altered the landscape significantly, with a major shortage of security personnel and the offering quality being low. The reality of several ‘guards’ standing on the same street—most of whom were ineffective—at entrances of different businesses without any coordination, employed by separate companies, was something that needed to change. Today, I am pleased to say that due to the change in approach, and the shift to territorial security, the safety of employees and customers is much higher compared to when a guard was simply stationed at the door, including handling exceptional events.”

Arik Regev, CEO of Electra Security, emphasizes the importance of adaptation and innovation in the security sector. According to him, the past year has proven the necessity of transitioning to territorial security, which provides a more comprehensive and effective solution for current security challenges. Electra Security sees itself as a strategic partner in leading this transformation, committed to professionalism, and innovation, and offering tailored solutions to meet clients’ needs in a changing environment.

Regev states, “The shift to territorial security represents a significant leap forward in the world of commercial security. It is a concept that integrates advanced technology with skilled personnel, enabling rapid and effective responses to any scenario. We are proud to lead this change in the Israeli market.”