A private security app for globetrotters with gumption
CloseCircle offers peace of mind to those entering dangerous waters
A recent Ipsos Mori survey highlighted that 63 per cent of business travel managers believe health and security risks faced by their employees have increased in the last year. Global risk management company Drum Cussac provides security advice and support to this sector but before now had not offered protection to non-corporate clients. A new app and online platform, CloseCircle, provides this corporate-level service (from £195 per annum for single membership) to individuals and families (up to six memberships, £595), offering 24/7 tracking by trained security and intelligence experts.
The app will warn members in advance should they be in the vicinity of a security threat and provide real-time advice on what to do to stay safe, whether the threat be a terrorist incident or a tornado. The service includes an SOS “panic-button”, which when swiped sends an immediate message to the 24/7 Global Operations Centre, which will then do everything to get the member out of danger, including evacuating them at no extra cost using a global, on-the-ground network of ex-military personnel.
The CloseCircle app will also track members of a family – so, say Freddie has gone for his gap year to Colombia, the app shows dangerous hot spots and offers intelligence (ranked from one to five in terms of seriousness) divided into themes such as environment, infrastructure and political unrest, as well as giving estimates on any other security issues that might worry his mother. And even if Freddie’s battery dies, the app will be able to pinpoint his most recent location before the phone cut off. Meanwhile if Freddie’s mother travels to Chennai for work, she will be warned in advance of an impending general strike and that her next stop, Hyderabad, is vulnerable not only to pickpocketing but terrorist attacks – and Freddie will be kept up to date at all times.