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Dr. HHA Cooper

~ A Life Remembered

When I was asked to write a memoir for Dr. Cooper, I was both honored and baffled. Honored to be considered worthy of this project. Baffled by the task of distilling such a “larger than life” personality down to a short article. What follows is my collection of thoughts about the good doctor.

To illustrate the veracity of the “larger than life” comment here is a brief bio from a Dr. Cooper article entitled Terrorism and Espionage in the Middle East published by Mellen Press:

Dr. H.H.A. Cooper is president of Nuevevidas International, Inc., a Texas Consulting company specializing in safety and survival issues. He teaches both graduate and undergraduate courses at The University of Texas at Dallas. He directed the National Advisory Committee Task Force on Disorders and Terrorism, 1974-1977, and was the Director of Criminal Law Education and Research Center (CLEAR) and Deputy Director of the Center of Forensic Psychiatry of New York University. Dr. Cooper is the author of many works dealing with terrorism and other manifestations of extraordinary violence.

Second Aid; Preparing for Medical Emergencies

As a former Emergency Medical Technician and Rescue Diver, I have seen first aid and trauma kits of varying sizes, shapes and colors that included enough equipment to operate a MASH unit at the site of a catastrophe for a month. On the other hand, the most experienced flight nurse/combat medic I’ve ever known once said that if he had a 2X2 bandage and a pair of rubber gloves, he was “good to go” for almost any occasion. This illustrates that it is the carpenter and not the tools that usually gets the job done, and thus it is clear that competent, recurrent training becomes an essential component in the protection specialist’s toolbox.

Digital Citizenship

We have officially reached a point in history where we have an entire generation of people who have grown up using digital media. From their first moments of life, they have been introduced to technology, that provides them access and connectivity to the entire world. We see little ones in strollers playing with cell phones and iPad’s before they can even walk and talk. This new generation is already consuming and creating content at astronomical rates. However, it is important to note, and studies have shown that digital media consumption is addicting, both physically and psychologically. Participating in social media produces the same neurological response as using an addictive substance. Specifically, when a person receives a notification that a post has received attention, such as a ‘like’ or a ‘mention’, the brain naturally receives a rush of dopamine causing the person pleasure and a sense of satisfaction. This exact same response can be compared to individuals using addictive drugs (Hilliard, 2019).

Key Considerations When Building Out Your Insider Risk Program

Is Insider Risk something new, or something we need to look at in a new way? Traditionally we have put in place measures to protect the perimeter, to control access into our buildings or our systems. Why did we do this? We saw the biggest risks and threats coming from external sources. In a “less connected” world this made perfect sense. We housed our assets and managed accordingly. However, the world has changed. We are more inter-connected than ever, and in many ways, we’ve optimized against the external threats. We have become experts in “perimeter” protection. We cannot rest and let down on the perimeter, however, the perimeter being the primary focus has left us vulnerable in many ways. This paper discusses how we design our internal controls, both in physical and system realms, as we evolve our understanding on where risks really exist, and how we believe people might behave. Employees stealing physical or confidential information from their company and/or place of work is not new, however, the complexity of the environment that we protect is no longer simple, and the stakes are high. Our reputation, our credibility, and in some cases the financial viability of these organizations are at stake.

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