The executive protection profession continues to move toward greater standardization with the approval of ANSI/BEPP EPS 2026, Standard for Providing Executive Protection, developed specifically for executive protection services.
The announcement marks another milestone in an industry that has increasingly focused on professionalization, accountability, and consistent operational practices. Alongside other established guidance documents, including the ASIS International Executive Protection Standards and Guidelines, the new ANSI-approved standard reflects the growing recognition that executive protection benefits from clearly defined frameworks for planning, operations, ethics, and professional competency.
While each standard was developed through its own process and serves its own purpose, both represent significant efforts to establish common expectations across the profession.
ANSI/BEPP EPS 2026: A National Consensus Standard
The new standard is the first nationally recognized consensus standard for executive protection approved through the ANSI process.Â
The standard was developed over nearly four years with contributions from more than 280 volunteers, including executive protection practitioners, educators, and subject matter experts. Its development followed ANSI’s Essential Requirements, a structured consensus process that includes balanced participation, public review, documented consensus, and the opportunity for appeals.
According to BEPP, the standard establishes a nationally recognized benchmark for planning, delivering, and evaluating executive protection services while providing consistent terminology and expectations for the profession.
The standard addresses eight core domains of executive protection knowledge:
- Executive Protection Fundamentals
- Intelligence
- Information Security
- Planning
- Operations
- Legal
- Business and Administrative
- Executive Protection Leadership
Collectively, these domains cover topics ranging from risk and threat assessment to operational planning, professional competencies, ethics, and leadership, creating a structured framework intended to support training, hiring, procurement, and quality assurance throughout the industry.
“The approval of ANSI/BEPP EPS 2026 is a defining moment for our profession,” said James Cameron, Chairman of the Board of Executive Protection Professionals, in the organization’s announcement. “For the first time, the people who provide executive protection, and the clients who trust them with their safety, have a single national benchmark built on genuine consensus and rigorous due process.”
Understanding the ASIS Executive Protection Standards
Prior to the BEPP initiative, ASIS International had published guidance for executive protection practitioners through its International Professional Security Board (IPSB).
The ASIS International Executive Protection Standard and Guideline was developed to provide organizations and security professionals with a structured framework for establishing and managing executive protection programs. Rather than prescribing operational tactics, these documents outline widely accepted principles, terminology, planning considerations, governance, and management practices that organizations can adapt to their own risk environments.
Developed through ASIS’s standards development process, these publications were created with input from experienced security practitioners, executive protection specialists, and industry experts representing a broad range of sectors.
Over the years, ASIS standards have become widely referenced by corporations, government organizations, consultants, and security leaders seeking recognized best practices for security management and executive protection program development.
Why Standards Matter
Executive protection has evolved significantly over the past two decades. What was once viewed primarily as a physical security function now encompasses intelligence gathering, cyber awareness, advance planning, travel security, crisis management, legal considerations, and executive risk management.
As responsibilities have expanded, so too has the need for common terminology, defined competencies, and consistent expectations across the profession.
Industry standards help establish those expectations by providing structured guidance for organizations, practitioners, educators, and clients. They can also support more consistent training, improve procurement decisions, and offer benchmarks against which programs and professionals can be evaluated.
The approval of ANSI/BEPP EPS 2026 represents another step in that broader evolution, adding a nationally recognized consensus standard to a profession that continues to mature through collaboration, education, and the development of shared best practices.
