The Register of Security Engineers and Specialists (RSES) is a professional register for protective security specialists who have demonstrated competence in securing the built environment, protecting assets and people. It is intended to help prospective clients engage competent security specialists, and to help security specialists demonstrate, maintain and develop their professional competence.
RSES is hosted and administered by the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), sponsored by the National Protective Security Authority (NPSA) and endorsed by the National Counter Terrorism Security Office (NaCTSO).
RSES was launched in 2007 and has its roots in security engineering, reflecting the terrorist threat and market needs at the time. As these have evolved, so too has RSES, broadening significantly to encompass many specialisms of protective security. The Register is divided into categories and grades of membership.
Central to RSES is the General Security Advisor (GSA). GSAs provide clients with holistic protective security advice but may specialise in working in particular sectors and/or protecting against particular threats. Work is underway to develop a suite of descriptors that GSAs will be able to use to communicate their area(s) of practice.
Specialist categories cover particular aspects of physical, people and personnel security and allow registrants to demonstrate skills and expertise in a specific field of protective security, while grades demonstrate the level of knowledge and experience that has been attained.
In March 2025, the National Counter Terrorism Security Office (NaCTSO) announced RSES would host their requirement for a register of counter-terrorism security specialists who could assist venue and site operators, as well as event organisers, in mitigating the threat of terrorism through protective security and preparedness. Initially with a working title of the Counter Terrorism Security Specialists Register (CTSSR), it was subsequently determined this would be integrated within the GSA category in RSES.
The GSA Competency Framework has now been updated to reflect a broader range of academic and experiential entry criteria in recognition that expertise in counter terrorism is multi-faceted and spans a wide range of applications, of which protection and preparedness of venues, sites and events is part.
The membership of RSES is drawn from a wide range of academic, practical and professional backgrounds. All members share an ability to work systematically to help clients understand and appropriately address security threats, vulnerabilities and risks to their organisations, assets and people.
All members are bound by a code of professional conduct and commit to continuing professional development, ensuring they remain current in their knowledge and competent in their field of practice.
RSES welcomes expressions of interest from prospective members; further information on the application process, including the competency framework, is available from ICE.