INTRODUCTION

It looks as if the 21st Century is turning out to be the century of global security in the public sector, and even more so in the private sector. Businesses and organizations as well as universities must be ready to train professionals in the field of security.

The growth and increasing internationalization of delinquency and violence is making the very governmental structures that were created to combat it obsolete.

IEDE Business School trains professionals to become experts in this area at the highest managerial level, which will contribute to improving security both in the corporate area as well as in society.

A politically stable society with a large professional middle class demands security as a basic element in order to be able to exercise civil liberties. The challenges in the field of social, corporate and economic security are becoming more global every day. They call for a response that is both civil (for society as a whole) and global.

Prevention is the central axis for treating delinquency and violence in a democratic society. Spain is one of the pioneering countries in training in the field of private security. Citizens, government administrations, businesses and universities are in an excellent position to contribute to achieving violence prevention with one basic weapon: education; through training in crime prevention and punishment, through training in how to guarantee the safety of citizens, businesses and the economy, and through training in the skills required in crisis management, prevention, and conflict resolution.

After the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York in 2001, the concept of security in the world changed radically. Three years later, the bombings in Madrid set off the alarms once again. In both cases, it was made clear how fragile our lives are and how vulnerable today’s society is.

However, terrorist violence is not the only threat we face. Insecurity is present in many areas relating to delinquency, as well as in numerous activities and professions such as, for example, traffic, the transportation of dangerous goods, construction, financial environments, or in areas relating to the security of information arising from the boom in new technologies.

In this regard, the increase in the feeling of vulnerability that has arisen over recent years is causing a substantial rise in the activity and business of companies in fields as disperse as surveillance, security, the fight against cyber-crime, fire-fighting, and the manufacture of protective material, among others. In all companies, the physical security of information (data and networks) represents an issue of particular importance, requiring trained professionals of the highest level who are able to face up to the new challenges.