As managers and leaders in the security field, our first and most sacred responsibility is, of course, to provide for the safety of the people who fall within our areas of responsibility. As recent world events, from political unrest to natural disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis, ash clouds and other events have shown, the unexpected can always present us with challenges in fulfilling our Duty of Care to our international travelers, expatriates and their dependents.

Duty of Care is a shared responsibility, especially in today’s global economy. As employees cross borders and increasingly work in hostile environments, increased risk is brought to an organization’s most valuable assets: its employees.

The Arab spring along with the Japan crisis, and most recently, the floods in Thailand, have brought the topic of tracking travelers to the forefront for many security professionals but, even more importantly, so have the challenges in doing so. Here are three main challenges that continue to exist with tracking travelers globally today.