[I]nsecurity remains a major challenge to international humanitarian operations. In response, aid agencies have adopted several different measures and approaches, including contracting private companies to provide security services…the advantages of using security providers to assist in the protection and training of aid agency staff need to be balanced against the actual, and reputational, vulnerabilities that they are exposed to when hiring these companies…Even though the Code of Conduct is still in the development stage, humanitarian agencies can begin using the standards it sets out, and the Montreux Document, in their contracts with private security companies.