The COVID-19 pandemic has introduced an unparalleled degree of risk and uncertainty across the globe. In every country, governments and business leaders simultaneously conducted unprecedented interventions that have upended how we live, travel, communicate, and conduct business. The longer the pandemic continues, the greater its social, political and economic impact will be. But these geographic impacts will not be equal, as some nations are better suited to weather the storm than others. 

December marked the launch of the world's first COVID-19 vaccination program, first in the U.K., followed by the U.S. and Canada. The vaccination efforts kicked off a global effort to end the pandemic that has killed more than 1.5 million people in less than a year. In other parts of the world, vaccine trials are showing promise.

The COVID-19 pandemic has dominated the headlines for much of the past year. Upwards of a million people have died from the disease worldwide — more than 250,000 in the United States alone. Health experts are warning that the situation will turn even more dire as winter and the flu season approach. Already we are witnessing a spike in infections in Europe and the United States, which is forcing cities and states to go back into lockdown.

Typically, the start of the holiday season means families across the United States are busy planning trips—domestic and/or international. This year is very different. The COVID-19 pandemic—and the travel restrictions and quarantines imposed by state and national governments in response to the global health crisis—has meant that fewer people are traveling. In fact, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) predicts full-year passenger traffic is set to decline 66% compared to 2019.

 October is Cyber Security Awareness Month, which aims to raise awareness about the importance of cyber security across our nation. Even prior to COVID-19, cyber security has been one of the most pressing challenges facing companies. According to Cyber Security Ventures, an industry research company, cybercrime is expected to cost as much as $6 trillion  annually worldwide by 2021. Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic began, Global Guardian has monitored developments on how the crisis is impacting cyber security to inform our clients and to expand our product offerings to meet our clients’ changing needs. 

October is Cyber Security Awareness month, so we wanted to take a moment to update you on two-factor authentication scams, which can pose a major threat to the security of your data and accounts. Read on to learn more about these scams and how to protect yourself. 

In our recent webinar ‘Reopening Amid the Pandemic - Adaptability is Key’ Global Guardian CEO Dale Buckner, Director of Intelligence Michael Ballard, and Medical Leadership - Dr. Shelly Weisenfeld and Dr. Chris White shared insight on navigating through the COVID-19 pandemic. Read through their advice and answers to the top 15 questions below.

In our recent webinar, "Navigating COVID-19 & Business Operations Remotely in India", Global Guardian's CEO Dale Buckner, Director of Intelligence, Michael Ballard, and Protexx Risk Management's Zane Wilmans discussed a variety of topics, including supporting your remote workforce, business travel and medical considerations, on-the-ground operational realities, and the China and India Border dispute. Below we recapped the top questions that were discussed during the webinar.

The beginning of June marks the start of the hurricane season for the Atlantic Basin (Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico), which lasts until December, peaking from mid-August to late October. There is a consensus in the meteorological community that this year’s hurricane season will feature above average storm activity as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Climate Prediction Center predicts a 60 percent chance of an above-normal season. After a near miss last year with Category 5 Hurricane Dorian – which devastated the Bahamas–the communities in the Atlantic Basin will be confronted with a dual threat–a natural disaster amid a pandemic. 

Since the beginning of history, the biggest threats to our species have come from famine, disease, and war. Unsurprisingly, the COVID-19 pandemic follows this long line of world-changing events, but with a twenty-first century spin. Rapid globalization and urbanization – the two drivers that have largely pacified the modern threats of famine and war – have transformed a local disease outbreak into a global crisis.