By: The Millennium Group
On Monday, October 1, 2018, the Pentagon Force Protection Agency detected a suspicious substance during mail screening at the Pentagon’s remote screening facility.
Two packages that were sent to the Pentagon, tested positive for Ricin, a deadly poison, but were intercepted at the Defense Department headquarters’ separate mail facility. The mail facility is in a separate building on the grounds of the Pentagon and the piece of mail which tested positive never entered the Pentagon building.
This may be an age of increasingly advanced technology, but most organizations still need to use postal and courier services to send and receive physical mail. As a result, there is still a risk of receiving something dangerous through the post.
“Any corporate mailroom can be negatively impacted by disruptions if proper mail screening and security are not in place. Mail streams into and within an organization present opportunity for malicious attacks, and without the appropriate security measures this can affect an organization’s day-to-day operations, as well as its reputation,” says Anthony Luongo, Senior Operations Manager, The Millennium Group. Anthony is a former law enforcement officer who now is a part of The Millennium Group’s security team and manages it’s SafeMail NY mail screening facility.
Today’s best practice involves mail screening. With advanced technologies, mail can be screened for “CBRNE” agents – Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosive materials. The Millennium Group’s SafeMail mail screening facility is providing this comprehensive solution to dozens of organizations in the New York metropolitan, Silicon Valley and Washington, DC areas. Mail is picked up at local postal facilities, transported, screened and delivered back to client facilities in the same day, often by midday, minimizing any delays in mail related workflows. Visit SafeMail.
Current events such as these, showcase the importance of mail screening services in order to minimize the risk and impact of suspicious mail. Regardless of the size or potential risks to your mail center, basic mailroom security can protect your employees, the public, your assets as well as your property. By demonstrating a competency in security, you may deter any potential threats by either employees, or outsiders.
