Automotive News reports Cadillac’s next all-new vehicle — the XT6  — is taking shape and taking to the road for testing. Spy photos indicate the luxury Crossover Utility Vehicle will have a north-south engine and rear-wheel-drive configuration. It’s possibly based on the lightweight architecture of Cadillac’s flagship CT6 sedan.

Speaking of Cadillac from Fox News reports

CT6 sedans featuring the company’s new Super Cruise semi-autonomous driving system are heading to showrooms now, offering the promise of hands-off and feet-off freeway driving. The system lets the car to steer itself within a lane and not run into any cars in front of it while you try to relax and enjoy the ride.

In Technology news from Engadget and Defense One

Criminals used a drone swarm to disrupt an FBI hostage rescue

The FBI’s Joe Mazel told a crowd at the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International Xponential conference this week about a particularly organized gang that used drones to interfere with a hostage situation last winter. As Defense One reports, a swarm of small drones descended on an FBI hostage team, performing “high-speed low passes” in an effort “to flush them” from their position. “We were then blind,” Mazel added.

Surveillance is a big part of it. Criminals have taken to watching police stations to identify witnesses and other friends of the law, as well as casing out facilities to find security holes they may be able to exploit in a robbery. A group in Australia uses drones to watch port authority staff. If they get too close to one of the gang’s contraband-filled shipping containers, a fire or theft report is called in to redirect attention. Border scouts and drug mule drones continue to be a problem, too. Just a few months ago, Chinese law enforcement said they’d shut down a smartphone smuggling ring that was responsible for illegally transporting nearly $80 million in handsets.

Vehicle Safety Tips

From Automotive Fleet

12 Tips for driving at dawn and dusk

Sunrise and sunset are two of the most dangerous times to be behind the wheel because a lighter sky prevents a driver’s eyes from adjusting to the dark roadway, which makes it more challenging to see pedestrians, cyclists, and other vehicles. 

In ISDA News

Based on popular demand and requests ISDA is expanding the availability of the Alexa flash briefings podcast to Apple iTunes and the Google Play Store. So not only will you be able to listen to the podcast on your Amazon echo devices, but also on the Apple Podcasts app on iOS devices, iTunes for Mac and PC, and the Google Play Store on Android devices.

With the larger availability, we are expanding our content to include ISDA Member news and content and upcoming training opportunities provided by our members. 

If you are an ISDA member and would like to submit your content for the podcast, please contact us at [email protected]

We are one month into the briefings and the metrics are encouraging. The Podcasts have been listened to in over 30 countries, and we have not pushed out to our entire network.

View this as another method of marketing your services.

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ISDA serves members who are either inexperienced or experienced practitioners. 

Whether you are exploring a career in executive protection, new to the profession, honing your expertise, or an established security executive, ISDA offers its Members benchmark educational, networking, and marketing programs.

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Thanks for listening to the Security Driver and Executive Protection News flash briefing have a great weekend everybody, and may the force be with you. 

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