Aon Reports Shifts In Terror Threat

The chances of terrorist attack have increased in Canada, France and the United Kingdom, according to the Aon 2007 Terrorism Threat Map released today.

The shifting threat of terrorism means multinational companies may need to revise their assessment of risk to fully understand the risk their businesses may face, according to the Chicago-based insurance brokerage.

Aon noted that the scope and shape of terrorist threats around the world are shifting, which for businesses means the vulnerabilities in a company's “operations and revenue streams are also shifting, heightening the importance of fully understanding the changing nature of a business' exposures.”

In its analysis of over 200 countries, the terrorism threat level was raised for 22 countries and lowered for 23.

Aon found Canada is now at an elevated risk with threats coming from Islamic extremists and single-interest groups. Both France and the United Kingdom are classified as “high threat” with threats coming from Islamic extremists and nationalist or separatist groups. France also faces threats from far right-wing groups while the United Kingdom faces additional threats from single-interest groups.

Aon said the analysis by its risk and security teams led to the observation that while the al-Qaida network groups operating under its umbrella have weakened, and their planning has become less coordinated, lack of coordination has led to the development of unrelated plots making them more difficult to identify.

Paul Bassett, executive director of Aon crisis management out of London, said in a statement that vigilance remains critical due to increased difficulty in identifying plots. On a positive note, intelligence and counterterrorism services appear to be more coordinated and organized on a global basis. The implications of all this for business are significant, he added.

“Businesses need to realize that the level and shape of the risk is constantly evolving,” Mr. Bassett warned. “As the risk profile changes, as parts of the world become more or less vulnerable to attack, the vulnerabilities in a business' operations and revenue streams also change.

“As conflicts in the Middle East change and mature, for example, we are likely to see more movement of Jihadists between countries, perhaps returning from conflicts to their home nation, which again influences the shape and scope of terrorism risk,” he added.

Among its recommendations, Aon said businesses need to implement risk management plans to identify and reduce the vulnerability of personnel and business assets. Corporations were also advised to transfer risk to an insurance policy to reduce the financial impact of an attack.

Within the United States, Aon's map indicates the terrorism risk remains elevated. The threat comes from far right-wing groups, Islamic extremists, single-interest and other religious extremists. The cities designated as of particular risk are New York, Washington, D.C., Chicago and Los Angeles.