Christopher L. Whiting
President
Christopher Whiting is a seasoned security professional with a distinguished career in law enforcement, intelligence, and public safety. His career reflects a sustained commitment to threat management, national security, and strategic risk mitigation.​
He brings a depth of experience shaped by more than two decades in law enforcement and a broader background in public safety leadership. His roles have included critical national security assignments, including service with a Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF), where he collaborated closely with federal partners on high-level counterterrorism investigations.
Christopher’s expertise spans diverse security issues, including complex threat assessments, interagency intelligence coordination, behavioral threat management, and the development of security protocols for high-risk individuals, facilities, and corporate environments. A graduate of the FBI National Academy (Session 293) and Naval Postgraduate School’s Center for Homeland Defense and Security (CHDS Cohort 2001|2002), he brings both field-tested insight and academic depth to every client engagement.
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​Earlier in his career, Christopher worked as an engineer in the Project Management Division of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, where he contributed to the planning, design, and coordination of major capital infrastructure projects. His technical role supported key transportation and security initiatives across the agency’s extensive regional portfolio.
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In addition to his operational experience, Christopher is committed to education and serves as an adjunct professor, instructing courses on intelligence, homeland security, and cybercrime.
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He holds:
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A Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering from Manhattan College
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A Master of Science in Homeland Security from Fairleigh Dickinson University
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A Master of Arts in Security Studies from the Naval Postgraduate School
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Christopher founded The Securus Group to deliver discreet, mission-driven consulting services to organizations and individuals seeking strategic guidance on security, risk assessment, and policy integrity.
John A. Bessich
Strategic Legal Advisor
John Bessich is president of the law firm of Follick & Bessich, with offices in Huntington, Long Island, and New York, NY. He represents and advises importers, exporters, manufacturers, and service providers engaged in international trade. Mr. Bessich served United States Customs in New York for nearly ten years as a Customs Officer, in various positions, including National Import Specialist, Supervisory Import Specialist, and Program Officer. Since leaving Customs in 1980, he has provided legal advice and counsel to both corporate and individual clients for forty-five years in the areas of customs, international trade, and federal regulatory matters. Mr. Bessich co-founded Follick & Bessich in 1986 in New York and opened its Long Island office in 1994.
Mr. Bessich has represented both U.S. and foreign-based clients before U.S. Customs and other federal agencies, including the Office of Foreign Assets Control, the U.S. International Trade Administration, the U.S. International Trade Commission, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Transportation, the Bureau of Industry and Security, the Federal Aviation Administration, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Defense, the Food and Drug Administration, the Federal Trade Commission, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service of the Department of the Interior, the State Department, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of NY. This representation covers a wide array of cases and issues, including audits, legal compliance, civil penalty actions, increased duty assessments, duty and tax drawbacks, seizures and forfeitures, federal investigations, and litigation in the U.S. Court of International Trade in New York and the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington.
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Mr. Bessich is a graduate of St. Francis College and St. John’s University School of Law. He is admitted to practice before the state courts of New York, the U.S. Court of International Trade, the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern and Southern Districts of NY, the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Supreme Court. He has lectured on international trade subjects for U.S. Customs, the World Trade Institute, the American Association of Exporters and Importers, the Long Island Import Export Association, and the Hauppauge Industrial Association.