Project Argus

Project ARGUS is a National Counter Terrorism Security Office initiative, exploring ways to aid you in preventing, handling and recovering from a terrorist attack, completing Business Continuity and Resilience Planning.

Argus achieves this by taking businesses through a simulated terrorist attack. The simulation identifies the measures to take for preventing, handling and recovering from a terrorist attack.

This simulation provides you with a unique opportunity to both learn from and contribute to valuable business continuity lessons helping to protect you, your business and your community, whether you are a national chain or a small business.

The event explores your options; what is likely to happen in the event of a terrorist attack; and what your priorities should be. Project Argus highlights the importance of being prepared and having the necessary plans in place to help safeguard your staff, customers and your company assets.

What can you expect?

Project Argus is a free event which takes you through, using a multi-media simulation, a terrorist attack. A series of questions and challenges are put to you, both individually and as a group. You will work in small syndicate groups with other local business representatives and develop your responses to the attack. The whole event including a coffee break will last three hours. 

To assist you it is worth reading two previous guides also produced by the National Counter Terrorism Security Office. ‘Secure in the Knowledge’ is your guide to business continuity and ‘Expecting the unexpected’ your guide to business security and sharing information securely.

Argus Professional

Built Environment Professionals - Architects, Planners and Developers. A key finding of the Lord West review was that more would be achieved by better engaging local authorities, local partners and in particular businesses to encourage them to implement counter-terrorist security advice, with a particular focus on designing-in CT protective security measures to new buildings to reduce the vulnerability to a terrorist attack in crowded places.

One of the initiatives introduced to engage with these key groups is Argus Professional which was launched in 2008. It is based upon the successful format of Project Argus and was developed by NaCTSO to target planning, architect and design professionals to raise awareness of designing in counter terrorism protective security measures at the design concept stage. These professions have been identified as being able to play a significant role in reducing vulnerability, hence the aim of Argus Professional is to encourage debate, and demonstrate that counter terrorism measures can be designed into structures and space to create safer crowded places.

CPNI sponsors the Register of Security Engineers and Specialists (RSES). The Register is managed and organised by the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) and provides a professional competence standard for potential clients and insurers through its code of ethics, demanding peer review and strict continuing professional development requirements. Further details about the RSES are available on the ICE website including a list of companies with employees who are members of RSES.

What can you expect from Argus Professional?

Argus Professional is a free event which takes you through a terrorist attack using a desk top multi-media simulation. You will work in small syndicate groups to answer a series of questions and challenges put to you, and develop your responses to the attack. The whole event including a coffee break will last approximately three hours. These events can be arranged via your professional organisation or direct with your local Counter Terrorism Security Advisor who will facilitate the event.