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Operational Coverage: EP Success Through Program Evolution

By
Trinity Davis
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operational coverage

Recently I found myself looking back on the past 17 years in the ever-changing industry that I truly love: executive protection. For those of us who find ourselves in this space for any length of time, we know it’s our true calling. Because the reality is there is nothing glamorous about what we do in serving others. From advance planning to operational coverage and expense reports, it is genuinely a taxing field nonetheless.

For the most part, what we do in this industry includes things like the extremely long hours put into:

  • Training,
  • Mental and physical strengthening,
  • Daily activity reports, and so forth.

Often, and thankfully so, a well-employed, risk-based strategy will never be tested because you present as a target that is virtually impossible to reach.

Some key factors attributed to my success revolve around:

  • Maintaining solid relationships,
  • Welcoming outside-of-the-box solutions,
  • Adapting to the continually evolving industry, like tactics, technology, culture, and
  • Realizing that diversity in the team environment is paramount.

Diversity of race, gender, life experiences, and thought all contribute to a team that can confidently face any challenge. The only thing that thrives in an echo chamber is failure.

In the following text, I offer some strategies I have employed over the years that have led to wins — not really for myself — but more importantly for those who I was protecting.

Note: These are my personal opinions and strategies derived from situations that have worked for me. My advice is obviously worth what you are paying for it.

Comprehensive Approach to Protection

Being a good steward of resources, time, and money is a part of what we, as protectors, are held accountable for. This is why we must rely on a thorough risk, threat, and vulnerability assessment from a vetted and unbiased provider. This tool guides us in outlining a risk-based mitigation and operational strategy in the performance of our duties.

We are indeed creatures of habit and will often resort back to what we have done on other details or a methodology we feel inherently comfortable with.

If you follow that strategy, I will politely warn you of the danger that may befall your team or organization. Ensuring that we are accounting for identified risk — as well as the principal’s wants and needs, and finding a happy balance between the three — is so very important for success.

In the protection sphere, we cannot be successful alone. We must ensure that we are developing and maintaining relationships with others trying to accomplish the same task of serving the principal(s) in a different vertical.

These relationships must or should include the following:

  • Residential security,
  • Protective intelligence,
  • Security operations center,
  • Medical director (if applicable),
  • Estate management,
  • Legal, and
  • Executive and personal assistants.

I’ve always considered all these partners true force multipliers and/or guiding stars.

operational coverage

Residential Security Team and Operational Coverage

The residential security team plays such a large part in what we do to safeguard the principal or principal family. They are so much more than access control, monitoring cameras, and engaging unwanted visitors to the residence.

They are a conduit of information regarding the evolution of the principal’s habits and managing relationships with household staff. In fact, they are the primary in after-hours response/operations.

Therefore, they should be held in high regard and truly made to feel like their roles have a meaningful impact because they do.

Protective Intelligence

The protective intelligence team is a fantastic resource that teams should leverage whenever possible to ensure operational coverage. Ongoing risk scorecards that compare to an external RTVA, travel assessments, due diligence for vendors, contractors, and new employees, POI/BOLO management and briefings, etc.

Personally, I prefer to parse out intelligence in two separate yet dependent verticals — tactical and strategic. This partnership is critical to truly employing a relevant, risk-based approach in all that we do.

  • Tactical intelligence is the real-time impact on operational coverage… turn left instead of right.
  • Strategic intelligence allows you to change the what, how, and why over time in a meaningful way. Big picture, long-term planning, and strategy.

Security Operations Center with Operational Coverage

The glue that holds all together! The SOC is the one constant you should always be able to count on. Whether you manage the flow of information, track real-time movements, or help to plan a hasty advance for an unplanned movement.

Take time to develop relationships with the operator on the other side of the phone or chat thread. The reason is that they play a big part in the program’s overall success and operational coverage — whether we want to admit it or not.

Medical Director

Does the principal have an underlying medical issue? Do they rely on specific medications? Do you often travel to semi-permissive, non-permissive, or remote environments in pursuit of supporting a family foundation? Does your principal participate in high-risk activities?

Suppose any of these apply to your organization. In that case, a medical director and team medics play a critical role in ensuring that:

  • You have a well-stocked kit appropriate to the environment/activity,
  • All the medic credentials are up to date,
  • TCCC/TECC training for the team is done regularly, and
  • Comprehensive treatment and evacuation plan is in place.

Estate Management

Fostering a meaningful relationship with the estate manager is critical in EP and the ensuing operational coverage. Likewise, their relationship with the principal can be beneficial. This is especially true when it comes to aligning on a security posture at the residence, e.g.:

  • Appetite for vendor escorts,
  • How and when the security system is armed,
  • Response procedures,
  • Getting guests on and off property,
  • Luggage and packing for travel,
  • Camera placement and views, etc.

All these things can be a real challenge to manage without the estate manager’s support. Hence, ensure that they understand you and your team are there to support their efforts in making the principal’s life as safe and seamless as possible.

Additionally, please remember to check your ego at the door. These folks are typically highly functioning humans with little to no time to mince words.

Legal

The legal team is the guiding star — or ‘True North’ if you will. There are several ways that the legal team can shape your program. For example, they can help

  • Define your left and right parameters operationally,
  • Navigate how/when/if to pursue a POI/BOLO for their actions,
  • Drive a board-mandated security operational coverage, etc.

Additionally, the legal team has been tremendously valuable to me in the past when it comes to identifying what is reportable vs. non-reportable spending when presenting program costs to the Executive Compensation Committee for the earnings report and SEC filing.

operational coverage

Executive and Personal Assistants

The ‘gatekeepers’ to all information! I have found that having an open dialogue with the executive assistant and the personal assistant is invaluable. Thus, here are a few examples of the support they need from our team on the ground:

  • Helping to ensure that the principal is where they are supposed to be when they are supposed to be there,
  • Assisting in managing food/beverages on the go, materials they may need for meetings/presentations, and
  • Managing travel, lodging, restaurant reservations.

If you allow your success to be theirs, you will win their trust and cooperation. This comes in handy, as they are typically the first to know about staffing changes, travel, work, family functions, and so on.

Having this information before it is published can be a game changer when trying to account for the appropriate operational coverage and managing logistics.

Leveraging Technology: It’s the Future

Technology is a rabbit hole that we can disappear down in short order. So, with that, I’ll concentrate on a tool I have used in my previous roles. The first, managing the executive protection and residential security across several estates of a UHNW family based in Silicon Valley. Second and most recent role as the Director of Protective Services at Robinhood, responsible for the entire ELT.

All risks that we mitigate against, whether it’s a reputational attack, formulation of a physical attack, or just plain fraud, begins in the digital landscape. Again, this is driven by the value attached to our data or PII (Personally Identifiable Information), living in a digital age.

If the product is free, then you are the product… plain and simple. Social media accounts, gym memberships, food apps, shopper rewards programs, vehicle purchases — all these relationships end with your data being compromised.

This isn’t a problem that is unique to us ordinary folk. In fact, this impacts the high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth space as well. It means that residential addresses, email addresses, phone numbers, SSN, EIN, VIN, LLC registry numbers, family members, neighbors, and even Amazon Wishlist are for consumption.

A New Era

Therefore, 360 Privacy ‘Digital Executive Protection’ was born. Digital Executive Protection is a critical component against today’s digital threat environment, featuring the most comprehensive digital footprint reduction program coupled with deep reach online threat monitoring, all delivered with an authentic white-glove experience.

360 Privacy’s in-house Security Operations Center (SOC) enumerates and analyzes the internet for:

Reducing available PII on the internet sets a strong foundation against digital threats, making digital targeting more difficult and time-consuming. Adding active real-time monitoring takes the protection to the next level.

The 360 Privacy SOC has combined datasets and feeds that reach the corners of the open, deep, and dark web, crossing languages and criminal online exchanges.

This effectively takes the people we protect off the digital battlefield.

Major Security Breaches in 2022

By
EP Wired Desk
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major security breaches

Cyberattacks and security data breaches are still a big business, despite numerous advances in cybersecurity defense mechanisms. Why? Well, money would appear to be the biggest motive behind these attacks. So, let’s look at some of the major security breaches in 2022.  

Firstly, hackers will spare no industry – from financial services, to healthcare and multinational tech companies. These cybercriminals often use social engineering and phishing attacks to trick unsuspected victims into providing their credentials.  

According to findings by Surfshark, Q3 of 2022 showed a 70% increase in breaches compared to Q2. And while this number is slightly lower than the same time last year, the results are still concerning.

For this reason, it’s important to understand how and why these events took place, and to learn how to protect against them from reoccurring. 

Unfortunately, physical and digital security breaches are common nowadays and a growing threat that no one believes will let up. It is only going to get more sophisticated and worse.

What companies can do differently when it comes to physical access control and security breaches is, first, to set proper expectations from their partners of choice. Too many companies stick with a company based on yesterday’s needs.

The legacy physical access control industry is an industry that set its value propositions and uses cases from the 1970s, or what I like to say are ‘today and yesterday use cases and value propositions.’ The physical access control industry is no longer just about keeping bad people out. We need to make sure the right people are also let in.

This slight change in how systems are built and approached is a monumental shift in our industry’s value proposition and shows the difference between those who are set up for success versus those set up for short-term failure.

I advise ensuring you work with modern companies and products that support current practices and use cases that set you up for success today and tomorrow. I know that sounds simple, but sometimes simple is what is needed.

– Lee Odess, The Access Control Executive Brief

Crypto.com Crypto Theft

The dire event took place in January 2022 and saw hackers stealing 4,836.26 ETH and 443.93 BTC. That’s equivalent to roughly USD15.2 million and USD18.6 million respectively, from 500 people’s cryptocurrency wallets. The attack occurred thanks to the malicious actor’s ability to bypass the site’s two-factor authentication.  

Crypto.com later announced all affected customers have been fully reimbursed for the losses. This came after an initial dismissal of the attack as ‘just an incident.’ In the aftermath, the company also announced they improved the organization’s security posture to ensure that all sensitive data is encrypted.  

Pro tip: The above is a great example of why using a password manager is so important. 

SuperVPN, GeckoVPN, and ChatVPN 

The data of some 21 million users of three different Android VPN services was stolen. Subsequently, it was placed for sale on a popular hacker forum. The information they posted included:  

  • User email addresses,  
  • Full names, 
  • Passwords,
  • Payment information, and
  • Account status. 

The hacker claims this data has been exfiltrated from publicly available databases that VPN left exposed. If this is true, it appears that the VPN providers in question are logging far more information about their users than stated in their privacy policies.  

Moreover, they are leaving default database credentials in use.  

For this reason, users need to always make sure that the VPN in question does not log their online activities or collect personal data about them. Otherwise, data contained on the VPN servers that become compromised will be used to carry out malicious activities such as man-in-the-middle attacks and more. 

Hint: Beware of free VPNs who claim they don’t log user data, and yet collect and sell information about their users to third parties. 

FlexBooker Data Breach 

At the start of this year, the business management group FlexBooker was hit by a data breach, affecting nearly three million users. The company Amazon’s AWS servers were compromised, preventing customers from accessing their data. 

As part of the incident, a hacking band called Uawrongteam extracted FlexBooker’s sensitive data by exploiting their AWS configuration. In other words, they managed to access and download their data storage by installing malware onto the servers. In turn, this allowed them to gain full control over the system.  

The confidential data that was retrieved included: 

  • Full names,  
  • Email addresses,  
  • Phone numbers, 
  • ID information,
  • Drivers’ licenses, and
  • Passwords. 

This stolen information was then offered for sale on popular hacking message boards. As to be expected, and following the attack, many clients left the platform that resulted in the company suffering financially. 

130 Plus Companies Compromised in Phishing Breach 

Cybersecurity company Group-IB details in a report how a months-long phishing campaign went after Okta identity credentials. Some 130 organizations have been compromised in a well-designed and executed attack that uses simple phishing kits. 

Cloudflare, Doordash, Mailchimp, and Twilio are some of the targeted companies in which they imitated the authentication service Okta. They did this by directing targets to a fake authentication page where victims had to enter their login credentials, giving the attackers access to their account. 

major security breaches

Moreover, attackers tried to use one compromised service to breach another. For example, cyber hackers abused access to Twilio’s phone number verification services in order to compromise Signal app users. It was possible for the attacker to try and register phone numbers they accessed to another device using the SMS verification code. 

Medibank 

Australian private health insurance company Medibank announced a data breach detection in October 2022. The hacker contacted the insurance giant claiming to have stolen 200GB of sensitive client data. 

In fact, the data breach in question exposed all Medibank, ahm health insurance, and international student customers’ information in the hands of a malicious actor. Not only does this include significant amounts of claim codes made by customers, but personal information such as: 

  • First name and surname,  
  • Address,  
  • Date of birth,
  • Gender, 
  • Email,
  • Phone number,
  • Client ID, and
  • Medicare card numbers (Australian universal health care insurance number). 

As far as the insurance company is aware, the threat actors have not retrieved credit card and banking details and any primary identity documents, i.e., driver’s licenses.  

It is through this communication with the hacker that Medibank has been able to determine the extent of the breach. Furthermore, they cannot say for sure how many customers are affected. However, they believe the data stolen has been released by the criminal on the ‘dark web’. The dark web is a closed online network, often accessed for criminal purposes.  

Like many other major security breaches, this particular hack is under investigation by the Australian federal police. 

Extra Precautions to Take to Secure Your Online Data 

Looking at the above major security breaches we can outline some common reasons for these cyber threats and lessons to learn: 

  • Human error. The use of weak passwords may expose a company’s systems to frequent attacks. Additionally, clicking on malicious links and visiting phishing sites leaves businesses vulnerable.  
  • Missed vulnerabilities. Understanding who has accessed sensitive information can help to detect a potential data breach. It’s not uncommon for a hacker to leave a secret window where they can access a company’s systems again.  
  • Malicious software. The use of malware like viruses, spyware, trojans, etc., is an extremely effective way to steal confidential information. Especially, when organizations don’t step up their monitoring protocols and repeat attacks happen.  

In response to this, everyone should be advised to take all necessary precautions to safeguard their online identity. Be vigilant with all online communications and transactions. This may look like:

  • Being alert for any phishing scams that may come to you by phone, post or email. 
  • Making sure to verify any communications you receive to ensure they are legitimate. 
  • Being careful when opening or responding to texts from unknown or suspicious numbers. 
  • Regularly updating your passwords with ‘strong’ passwords, not re-using passwords, and activating multi-factor authentication on any online accounts, where available.

In conclusion  

From cryptocurrency thefts to intrusions into healthcare insurance giants, sneaky attackers have been having a field day. And with data breaches soaring by 70% in the third quarter of 2022 in an otherwise dull year, we need to remember to not let our guards down!

An article documenting the major security breaches in 2022 is a helpful starting point to explain the importance of having solutions in place to apply security best practices. By learning from these events, you can hopefully bring new knowledge into updating your cybersecurity efforts to protect confidential information online. 

So, the bottom line: when it comes to preventing data breaches and their financial consequences vigilance and perseverance seems to be the key. Especially as cybercriminal activity shows no signs of stopping soon.

 

EP Providers and Medical Emergencies — You Have No Backup

By
Michael Guirguis
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medical emergencies

Imagine this scenario: You are accompanying your CEO on a private jet flying at flight level 33,000 feet. Your client looks at you and states he has chest pain and feels short of breath. At face value, this may look like many other medical emergencies. So, ask yourself:

  • What are you going to do?
  • What is your medical plan?
  • Are you carrying advanced medical equipment?

This is not a situation an EP provider wants to be in without the proper knowledge, training, medical equipment, and supplies. Have you set yourself up for success in a situation like this?

As a security company owner or team lead, you have a few questions to consider when working with clients and/or their families.

  • Are your security personnel trained to manage medical emergencies or provide advanced care?
  • Do you carry the appropriate equipment and supplies, including proper medications, to carry out that advanced care?

Executive protection has changed since 1970, when the Secret Service first coined it. The White House Police Force was renamed the Executive Protective Service and increased its responsibilities to include the protection of diplomatic missions in the Washington, D.C., area.

Dramatic Improvements

Executive protection is currently a highly specialized field within the private security industry. EP personnel has a variety of specific training categories available to them, including:

  • Security operations,
  • Transportation operations,
  • Threat and risk assessment,
  • Covert operations,
  • First aid,
  • Marksmanship, etc.

A lot has changed since the 1970s. In fact, the advances in medical technology and treatment that can be done in the pre-hospital setting have improved dramatically since that time. No longer should first aid be the standard for the executive protection industry.

Although we have been improving our training, we have focused mainly on stabilizing traumatic injuries. This includes courses like TECC/TCCC while leaving initial treatment and stabilizing medical emergencies to local EMS.

The fact is that your client and their associates are far more likely to have medical emergencies than traumatic injuries. As an industry, we need to recognize and embrace this and start training EP personnel to recognize the signs and symptoms of the most common medical emergencies and to start treating them until we can get our clients to a higher level of medical care.

Scenario With Positive Outcome

Let’s take a look at the scenario introduced at the beginning of the article.

You’re flying with your client and a few company board members on a corporate jet from Los Angeles to New York.

Your client is a 55-year-old CEO, who works 80+ hours a week, and doesn’t exercise as much as they would like. He is under a lot of stress, but more so this week because quarterly financials are coming out, and the numbers are not what analysts expect.

As you level off to 33,000 feet over the state of Arizona, you look at your client and realize he is pale and clammy and looks uncomfortable. You ask if he’s okay, and he looks at you and says he’s not feeling well. As a result, he takes his right hand and clutches the left side of his chest.

What do you do? Are you prepared to ask pertinent questions to determine what is going on?

If so, and you are able to determine what may be going on, is this cardiac chest pain? Is it reflux? Is it anxiety?

Do you have oxygen, a blood pressure cuff, and a monitor that has EKG capabilities?

If you have EKG capabilities, are you able to determine the reading, or have a telemedicine service available?

If it’s determined that the client needs medications, are you traveling with aspirin and nitroglycerin?

What is your instinct at this time?

Are you going to advise the client and the pilots to declare an emergency and land at the closest, most appropriate airport in the vicinity of a major hospital?

Are you dealing with a strong-willed CEO that will not want to land unless you can give him definitive answers to what’s occurring?

medical emergencies

Medical Training for Medical Emergencies 101

Depending on your medical training and how you handle the situation, this scenario can end in disaster. For example, the CEO may be having an acute myocardial infarction (“heart attack”) which could lead to imminent cardiac arrest.

Do you have an AED available, and are you trained in high-performance CPR until you can deploy the AED?

This is where your medical training comes into play. In this scenario, imagine you’ve been trained and asked the correct questions. The CEO describes his symptoms as 8 out of 10 crushing chest pain that radiates to his neck and left arm, he’s nauseated, short of breath, and you notice he’s diaphoretic.

These are classic signs and symptoms of cardiac chest pain and are very concerning for acute myocardial infarction. Since you are well-trained and prepared, you carry a small monitor with EKG capabilities. As you perform the EKG, it reveals an ST-segment elevation MI.

Following Protocol

With medical advancement technology, the AI built into the cardiac monitor will give you reading for classic myocardial infarction. You don’t have to be a cardiologist or emergency room physician to know the basics of reading and interpreting EKGs.

At this point, you’re able to administer treatment per the protocols designated by your medical director, placing oxygen nasal cannula, chewable aspirin, and nitroglycerin until the pain subsides. You’ve discussed with the CEO the emergent need to land and make arrangements with the pilot to do so.

During the descent, you are able to get a hold of your medical director via satellite phone or your pre-designated telemedicine service and discuss this case with them, transmit the EKG, and have them help you relay medical information to the ground units at the airport to help make a smooth transition of care to the ground ambulance and be taken to the nearest emergency department or cardiac cath center.

Same Scenario With a Negative Outcome

This same scenario can go sideways if you are not prepared. In this same scenario, you’re not really sure what to ask him or what to do next. Because your CEO is under a lot of stress, needs to get to New York for an important meeting, and is in denial about his cardiac health, he tells you that his pain is just his acid reflux and indigestion and he’ll be fine.

Your medical training is basic BLS/CPR and TECC. Thus, you’re not confident about this medical situation and unsure what questions to ask. Therefore, you assume that your client knows best, which seems like a recurrent problem, and continue on your flight.

A few hours later, you see him slumped over, you check him, and he’s pale and pulseless. You start CPR and tell the pilot to declare an emergency and needs to land at the nearest airport. As you perform CPR, the pilot tells you that the descent to the nearest appropriate airport will take approximately 20 minutes.

  • Are you prepared to manage your client for the next 20 minutes?
  • Do you have an AED on board?
  • Are you ready to handle such medical emergencies?

Admittedly, neither of these scenarios is common, but they have been exaggerated to demonstrate the importance of being well-trained and prepared. Furthermore, these scenarios show how being aware and knowledgeable in treating common medical emergencies can lessen the chance of situations deteriorating.

Conclusion

We work in an industry where clients and their families travel to secluded places and frequently fly over open oceans where advanced medical care is not accessible unless we provide it. Therefore, we must be:

  • Aware of our client’s medical conditions,
  • Have completed a medical threat assessment based on region, and
  • Performed a medical advance for all legs of the trip.

Suppose you fly on a private charter, visit a secluded island, vacation on a yacht 15 miles off the coast, or in a third-world country. In this case, it’s very likely that you — as the security personnel — will be the initial and prolonged field provider of medical care in traumatic or medical emergencies.

Not only should you be skilled at basic medical care, but you may be put in a situation where you may be performing prolonged field care.

Soft Skills in the Close Protection Industry — Part 1

By
Brady Pesola
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close protection industry

This is the first in a two-part series on soft skills in the close protection industry I’m writing for EP Wired.


Soft skills, the golden buzzword of the executive protection and close protection industry and universally agreed upon as one of the essential skills to master in our field.

But when it shares a plate with a big juicy steak like the cool-guy hard skills, soft skills are the vegetables on the same plate that no one wants to eat — but everyone agrees is good for you. In other words, next to hard skills, no one likes training for soft skills or sitting in boring classes learning about them.

But we must master them. In fact, we must like the taste as it completes a well-balanced diet in our profession.

EP Wired’s editors approached me to write about my specialty in soft skills. I want to share some knowledge about how I specialize, practice, and apply soft skills in the close protection industry.

How I go about it is probably a bit more unorthodox than many of you are used to. And I’m not sure the industry is ready for what I’m about to tell you. But here it goes.

Mastering Skills in the Close Protection Industry

So how does one master soft skills? Well, you never truly master it. You really can’t. The environment around you is constantly evolving, changing, and you must adapt. That means you must be a student of experience, pick up new tricks along the way, and toss out antiquated information. That — in and of itself — is a soft skill. In other words, some of you old dogs must be open to new tricks.

That said, you can get really good at it through continuous experience and study. So empirical experience is going to be your biggest training tool. Similarly, the more you work, the more interactions and situations arise that can be solved by soft skill applications, the better you become and the more wisdom you glean.

But why is soft skill mastery so important?

Philosophy in Action

Soft skills in the close protection industry help keep you from resorting to hard skills and further problems that arise from hard skill applications like:

  • Firearms,
  • Kinetic force,
  • Evasive driving, and
  • Other skills that, while protective in nature, still risk the clients’ safety and create legal liability for you and the client involved.

Speaking of wisdom, in all honesty, what has helped me improve my soft skills is the study and application of philosophy (Philo: Love, Sophy: Wisdom).

“Wait, what? Philosophy? Like Plato, Socrates, and those old guys?”

Well, not exactly, specifically, stoicism. And while Stoic Philosophy is still an old practice, it is just as relevant today as it was 2,500 years ago. As far as I’m concerned, it’s a perfect pragmatic study and real-world use for soft skill applications.

“OK, this got boring really quick. You are losing me, my guy.”

OK, bear with me for a sentence or two.

Stoicism is a practice of logic and reason. Thus, that’s why psychologists and psychotherapists now credit it as the basis for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy development and treatment.

Higher Virtues Explained

The premise of Stoicism is to help one overcome emotional responses from the external environment around you through logic and reason. Therefore, for an agent to utilize their soft skills effectively, they must be able to think logically to create sound judgments in times of chaos and distress without succumbing to emotions like anger, fear, or agitation.

They must be wise about the situations and actions needed to be taken to ensure the desired outcome. In the case of EP, that is client safety.

“OK, so how does this make me better?”

Well, we all agree an excellent EP agent must hold oneself to higher virtues. Hence, the pursuit and achievement of virtue allows an agent to control one’s pride, ego, emotions, and subsequent actions, which allows an agent to achieve desired results expected of himself and what’s expected by the client.

Emotional control allows an agent to maintain a stable mental environment where rational thinking is utilized more — and the urge to react under the influence of emotion is sobered. In addition, that emotional control and rational thought allow for clearer judgment when making tactical or soft skills decisions in the close protection industry.

Emotionally Compromised

Remember, our job is to prevent any and all situations where we may have to use kinetic or lethal force. In fact, a mind compromised by ego, pride, and emotions puts us at risk of making a grave mistake.

If you are emotionally compromised by ego and pride, you are at risk legally and ethically. And worst of all, the client’s safety is at risk. Therefore, you MUST always value reason and logic and pursue higher virtue to ensure your soft skills are applied effectively in the close protection industry.

So, what virtues must an EP agent strive for to sharpen one’s soft skills and remain effective? Well, the Stoics teach that there are four cardinal virtues that one must seek out and practice every day. For EP agents, seeking the four cardinal virtues lets you put your emotions, pride, and ego in check to maintain a rational and effective tactical posture.

Wisdom, courage, justice, and temperance are all virtues that I have adopted from the Stoics for both on duty and in my personal life. These virtues have helped me immensely in my:

  • conduct,
  • behavior,
  • ethics, and
  • performance.

Let’s talk about what this means for an EP agent in the applications of soft skills in the close protection industry.

close protection industry

Wisdom (Prudence)

EP agents must possess wisdom in the decisions they make. It can be one or all of several things:

  • routes we take,
  • gear we choose,
  • interactions we have,
  • conversations and tactical suggestions to the client,
  • resources we exploit,
  • decisions we commit to, and
  • emotions that arise from external stimuli that may affect our judgment of the above.

At one time or another down the road, wisdom might even mean the difference between life and death. Experience in the field and constant self-monitoring allow an agent clearer thinking when adversity strikes. The biggest part of self-monitoring is recognizing the only two things we can control — our emotions and our actions — and in that order.

Everything outside that we must make peace with and react rationally. This means regardless of the client’s behavior and actions, the teammate’s behavior and actions, traffic, vehicle performance, and the chaos in the environment around you. It’s NOT what happens to you that matters. It’s how you react to those issues and your actions regarding them.

Part of an EP agent’s pursuit of wisdom is being at peace with what you can’t control and acting rationally to what you can control to achieve the desired outcome.

“Don’t seek to have events happen as you wish, but wish them to happen as they do happen, and all will be well with you.” ― Epictetus

“There is only one way to happiness and that is to cease worrying about things which are beyond the power of our will.” ― Epictetus

Courage

In other words, action in the face of adversity or courage for EP agents. I would further define “courage” as “professionalism in the face of adversity.”

We are often faced with ethical, moral, and legal decisions regarding our clients and our protection of them. It’s no secret that, at times, we might have to protect a client whose lifestyle and habits may skirt legal, ethical, and moral boundaries.

We are often forced to wrestle with our own ethics and morals when supporting a client who so easily throws them out. However, we must remember that our own feelings of virtue differ from theirs. Thus, it is not our place to judge. We must be indifferent and objective. Our task is to protect them from external threats — or themselves when they are under the influence of substance or emotion.

We must maintain a professional posture despite our own thoughts and feelings about things we witness that make perfect use of NDAs. That said, it also takes courage to walk away from a client you feel has stepped out of bounds with you. But despite ridicule from them or adverse actions from a team lead who may not always align with your boundaries, you must do what you feel is necessary.

Granted, some of us are more patient than others, each one of us has our own line we don’t want to be crossed. Hence, it takes courage to stand up for yourself.

The Nature of the Game

Lastly, we must muster up our professional courage to face the day and do our duty as assigned to us despite whatever adversity we face. Whether professional or personal hardship, we must have the courage to sequester our adverse emotions that cloud our soft-skill decision-making and get the job done.

This is the path we chose. Therefore, we must accept all events we perceive as good or bad that come within the nature of the game.

“Never let the future disturb you. You will meet it, if you have to, with the same weapons of reason which today arm you against the present.” ― Marcus Aurelius

“The first rule is to keep an untroubled spirit. The second is to look things in the face and know them for what they are.” ― Marcus Aurelius

See you soon for part two on soft skills in the close protection industry!

Why Hire a Female Close Protection Operative?

By
Hussein Nasser-Eddin
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female close protection operative

When looking at recent gender statistics in close protection, it is apparent that this industry is still male-dominated. Thus, this article explores why this is so and the potential benefits of engaging a female close protection operative.

To start, let us take the percentage of female security professionals in England and Wales. In 2015, it stood at 9%. After six years (2021), it increased slightly to 10.1%.

We conducted a poll on our Crownox LinkedIn page asking: What do you think are the main challenges faced by female close protection officers?

A total of 57 people participated in the survey with the data as follows:

female close protection operative

Interestingly, no females voted for the option ‘Dealing with Physical Threats.’ This shows that males’ perceptions of what might challenge women when or before joining this profession is different from that of females.

The majority of women that participated in the survey chose the options ‘Male-dominated Industry’ and ‘Stereotypes and Social Stigmas.’ These results should be an eye-opener for males in the industry. In fact, they highlight that males need to make females feel more welcome in this profession.

Why Is There Such a Large Gender Gap in Physical Protection?

The male-dominant reputation of the industry can discourage females from even considering this profession. The reason is that their male counterparts might have better job prospects.

Considering the history of the industry, being accustomed to having a majority of male applicants, sometimes even the job requirements for CPOs include the average physical attributes of men, such as height and weight, not taking into account the average measurements of females.

A career in CP can have certain social stigmas tied to it as a ‘strange’ job for females. The reason is that many people outside the industry might have never come across a female working in this field.

Another stigma is the ‘masculinity’ of the job and stigmatizing females in security as ‘masculine’ or ‘lacking femininity.’ These misused labels might discourage women — especially those from traditional societies — from considering this career.

Traveling for work might also be a cause of the gender gap. For example, it might be more traditionally acceptable for male CPOs to leave their families behind to travel for a task. At the same time, it may seem socially “unusual” for a female close protection operative to do so.

However, this became more common when females, who were also mothers, were serving in the U.S. Army during the Gulf War. It was then that normalizing this conception started spreading to other countries.

female close protection operative

Why Are Women Needed in Security?

Looking at the bright side, the demand for females in physical protection is increasing. Many of our clients are expressing their preference for a female CPO. Similarly, other clients are explicit about only wanting a female close protection operative for various operations.

The CPO industry is not all about muscle (which women do have). It requires effective communication to de-escalate situations when needed and to keep the client safe and secure at all times. The high testosterone levels in men can naturally cause them to escalate situations. In contrast, women naturally tend to de-escalate situations with problem-solving skills.

One positive aspect of gender differentiation in society is that women CPOs will be less likely to be physically attacked by male threats. Men physically harming women is not socially acceptable and has been instilled into most males regardless of their culture. Thus, there is a lower chance of physical confrontation.

Other Benefits of a Female Close Protection Operative

Women CPOs also have the advantage of entering places with their female clients that men cannot enter or would raise suspicions about if entered, such as:

  • Female dressing rooms and restrooms,
  • Hotel room of a female principal or a principal’s children.

Female close protection operatives can blend into these environments. Conversely, male CPOs will stick out like a sore thumb.

Additionally, some conservative religions and cultures prevent women from being alone with men outside their families. Hence, a female close protection operative is a necessity in this case — not a preference.

If you are a female interested in becoming a CPO, now is your time to shine. There is an increasing demand for women in this career. If you are looking for a stimulating profession where you can use your skills to ensure people’s safety and even save lives, this could be an excellent career.

Top Cyber Security Tools for 2023

By
EP Wired Desk
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0
cyber security tools in 2023

Cyber security tools are a must for businesses or individuals interested in ensuring their privacy and safety. Given the rising importance of software solutions, tools, and security to protect companies and persons from possible online threats — it is hardly surprising.  

Cyber security tools often have several objectives. Using them, you can:  

  • Analyze infrastructure data to detect anomalies and even understand vulnerabilities from the hacker’s point of view,  
  • Better automate cybersecurity workflows,  
  • Build secure web-based services, and  
  • Monitor network operations and user activities.  

Now, any CSO or CIO worth their salt will invest a great deal of time and consideration into picking the right tools for the job for 2023.  

A general lack of public information and disregard for security protocols among employees is certainly not helping. Likewise, more than half of internet users still utilize public Wi-Fi. This is happening regardless of the fact over 50 percent know that public Wi-Fi is not safe even when its password-protected.  

But what about our devices and networks at home? We now have more devices out there transmitting data from home networks. To ensure safety, company cybersecurity and popping firewalls might provide adequate protection in the office.  

These environments necessitate revisiting the cyber security tools and solutions in place. Additionally, it stresses the need to re-educate users on the most current cybersecurity best practices.  

Key Features of Cyber Security Tools  

Enterprises need tools well-suited to their use cases, digital maturity, and budget to effectively support their cybersecurity strategy. To find the right cyber security tools for the job of keeping your company and employees safe, ensure that it has the following five key capabilities: 

Scalability: A good tool should protect many endpoints and devices spread across a wide perimeter, like volume and diversity.  

Integration: To enable a holistic cybersecurity workflow without disruption, security tools must integrate with upstream and downstream systems.  

Well-supported: Cybersecurity is a fast-evolving discipline where support is a critical parameter. Including a premium support option when implementing a product is always a good idea.  

Purpose-built: Tools with a unique design to address different scenarios effectively.  

Compatible: The tool must be compatible with different device variants, operating systems, and cloud vendors. Hint: The best choice will be compatible with current and future tech investments.  

Keeping in mind the full range of responsibilities of modern security teams, let’s check out the best cybersecurity software and tools for 2023:  

  1. Wireshark
  2. SolarWinds Security Event Manager
  3. Kali Linux
  4. AxCrypt
  5. Aircrack-ng
  6. Nikto
  7. Forcepoint
  8. Nessus Professional
  9. KisMAC
  10. Splunk  

Wireshark  

As the name suggests, Wireshark is an open-source console-based tool that analyzes network protocols. This tool is a type of harvester solution (credential harvester attacks are a type of cyberattack in which the malicious actor acquires sensitive information) that monitors your network in real-time and traffic at different levels.  

Professionals use it to identify network security weaknesses by capturing and analyzing data packets.  

Key features:  

  • A cross-platform tool,  
  • An open-source architecture that drives relatively easy integration,
  • Real-time data capture and analysis,
  • Decryption protocol supports multiple networks and various output formats,
  • Compatible with Windows, Linux, OS X, FreeBSD, etc.  

SolarWinds Security Event Manager  

The SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor is a network monitoring platform. It has a network packet analyzer capable of capturing data from over 1,200 applications out of the box. 

With it, you can measure packet transfer in real-time and view services with the top response times on a graph. But also, it allows you to see traffic types as categories such as destination IP address, port usage, and application type.  

To avoid false positives, SolarWinds utilizes dynamic baselines to detect genuine performance deviations without overwhelming you with fake alerts.  

Key features:  

  • Smarter scalability for large environments,  
  • Multi-vendor network monitoring,
  • Advanced alerting system,
  • Monitor end-to-end network paths,
  • Cross-stack network data correlation.  

Kali Linux  

Kali Linux is one of the most common and readily available cyber security tools. It provides over 300 tools companies use to scan their networking systems for vulnerabilities. The main advantage is that the platform is amended for experts with different levels of understanding.  

In other words, it’s great for entry-level professionals. In fact, Kali Linux allows them to monitor the company’s network security systems with a single click.  

Key features:  

  • Can be used across multiple devices and environments,  
  • Open-source product for easy integration,  
  • Ideal for penetration testing and highly useful in security auditing,
  • Massive community of users,
  • Compatible with almost all environments.  

AxCrypt  

AxCrypt Premium offers advanced encryption features in a superbly simple setting. You just drag a file onto its window, and that file gets encrypted.  

Similarly, it goes beyond just encryption. You can also decrypt and securely delete files from AxCrypt’s right-click context menu. The only way to breach it is by hacking the endpoint. But then, any software can be compromised in this manner. Also, breaking an AxCrypt file will take approximately a billion years.  

Key features:  

  • 256-bit encryption to secure data that is simple enough for anyone to use,  
  • User support via e-mail, forum, and second-level support via chat,  
  • View automatically and keep files secure using public key cryptography,  
  • Secure file deletion,
  • Supports Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS.  

Aircrack-ng  

Aircrack-ng is a must-have comprehensive suite of wireless tools used to analyze the weaknesses of Wi-Fi network security. This package of tools’ main benefit is capturing, analyzing, and exporting packet data, spoofing access points, and cracking complex Wi-Fi passwords.  

Did we mention it? All of it is free and open source.  

Key features:  

  • Open-source architecture for ease of integration,  
  • Works with most wireless network interface controllers,  
  • Includes a suite of programs like Airdecap-ng, Airodump-ng, Airtun-ng, and Packetforge-ng,  
  • All tools are command line, which allows for heavy scripting,  
  • Works primarily on Linux but also Windows, macOS, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD, as well as Solaris and even eComStation 2.  

Nikto  

This is one of the best cybersecurity open-source tools available. As you can guess, this software focuses on scanning the web for vulnerabilities. In fact, Nikto‘s database consists of approximately 6,400 distinct types of security threats covering both web servers and networks.  

Key features:  

  • Software tool designed to cover both web servers and networks,  
  • Easily updatable CSV-format checks database,
  • The tool is updated continuously, supporting users to easily recognize threats and vulnerabilities,
  • Ultimate lightweight web application vulnerability scanner,
  • Various plugins are created regularly to make them compatible with different systems.  

Forcepoint  

Network and security admins use Forcepoint to customize SD-Wan. This way, users are restricted from accessing specific resource contents. In layperson’s terms, it helps them track malicious acts (or problems) within the network. As a result, users can apply the required techniques to fix them later.  

Furthermore, it can be installed on the premises or accessed from the cloud. Actually, when in the cloud, it warns or blocks cloud servers that pose security risks to the systems. Such a feature is vital for companies with growing numbers of remote workers.  

Key features:  

  • A high level of security in other applications with significant data,  
  • Seamless integration for policies, fingerprints, and classifiers across all channels,  
  • High level of customization to block intrusions and the probable exploitation of vulnerabilities,
  • Provides real-time content analysis and classification,
  • Cross-portfolio and third-party global shared threat intelligence network.  

Nessus Professional  

A handy cybersecurity software for improving the integrity of a network. The pro version of Nessus Professional allows admins and security staff to use a free, open-source vulnerability scanner to identify potential exploits. The main benefit of the tool is that its database is updated daily with new threat data.  

Key features:  

  • Remote scanning tool with high-speed asset discovery,  
  • Easy to deploy, easy to use, 
  • Support of Tenable’s expert vulnerability research team,  
  • Automates point-in-time assessments to help quickly identify and fix vulnerabilities,  
  • Nessus supports Mac, Linux, and Windows operating systems.  

KisMAC  

KisMAC was created to provide wireless network security in MAC operating systems. It scans wireless networks that are supported on Wi-Fi cards, like Airport.  

Because it’s a network-defined tool, the endless high-end features are geared to be used by experts in the field. Still, KisMAC uses different but effective techniques to crack the security of WPA and WEP keys.  

Key features:  

  • PCAP import and export capabilities,
  • Exclusively MAC OS software,
  • Kismet drone support (capture from a Kismet drone),
  • Uses brute force attacks and the exploitation of weak scheduling to improve network security,
  • Supports many third-party USB devices: Intersil Prism2, Ralink rt2570, rt73, and Realtek rtl8187 chipsets.  

Splunk  

This is a fully automated web vulnerability scanner. In fact, it’s perhaps one of the best tools for monitoring network security due to its versatility and speed. Splunk is used to conduct real-time network analysis and perform historical searches to look for threat data.  

Key features:  

  • Splunk collects data from virtually any source and location,  
  • User-friendly tool with a unified user interface,  
  • The power of Splunk lies in its ability to unlock data across all parts of the business,
  • Uses a cloud-based platform and on-premise deployment. 

The Take-Away

We have reviewed some of the top Cybersecurity software tools on the market to aid in identifying, predicting, alerting, and managing cyberattacks. The market is rich with endless options for different cyber security tools, it’s hard to know what to choose.  

There are free, paid, or open-source tools that enable the protection of sensitive data. With that in mind, we hope that this article provided you with the right cyber security tools for the job of keeping yourself, and your organization safe in 2023. 

How to Transition From Overt to Covert Protection

By
Steven Keller
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covert protection

Covert protection (CovPro) is one of many tactical solutions available to mitigate risk. It is a highly specialized close protection niche utilized in situations requiring a specific approach. For instance, when:

  • The principal requires security without a visible presence,
  • Augmenting overt protection operatives, or as
  • A stand-alone measure.

True, covert protection doesn’t have the deterrent effect of overt security. But it does give the close protection operative the tactical advantage. The reason is that the adversary won’t be able to identify you as security and exploit weaknesses in your security arrangement.

CovPro is highly fashionable nowadays, and job advertisements desiring CovPro practitioners are aplenty. However, how does a prospective employer verify an applicant’s CovPro experience beyond what’s written on a resume?

It’s well nigh impossible unless the previous employer — a known CovPro practitioner in their own right — can vouch for the applicant’s tradecraft. Otherwise, the employer is left to the fate of one’s word in the absence of a recognized CovPro school or credential of some sort validating training.

I recently attended Enablement Advisor’s five-day CovPro course in London, instructed by Ivor Terret. The instruction and field exercises were both enlightening and humbling experiences. They trained me to a high standard. As a result, I came away with a better understanding of the nuances and challenges of conducting proper CovPro.

By undertaking covert protection training through a recognized training provider, in addition to top-notch training, I also sought the validation the security industry requires, or should require — a certificate of meeting requirements and not merely of achievement.

Are You Following the Principal?

Such training enables covert practitioners to think like the adversary through risk-based planning. In fact, our first field exercise was to plan an attack on a principal, and the activity set the tone for the remainder of the course. Similarly, it compelled us to look through the lens of the adversary when making and executing an operational plan.

While not dissimilar to planning for protection details more generally, the focus of CovPro is more risk-centric, indeed covert, and absent the service-oriented “prove your worth” aspects of other close protection options.

By ingraining correct terminology from the outset of the course, the intent was to shape our mindsets with the singular focus of CovPro, which is protection. For example, we are not “following” the principal. Instead, we are “protecting” the principal.

Whereas the former indicates surveillance, a function of intelligence gathering, the latter is our raison d’être. Additionally, while we may be hiding our purpose, we are not hiding from the principal, which suggests distance from the principal that can be disastrous during an emergency situation. Without the proper mindset, the effectiveness of covert protection is diminished.

One of the many appealing facets of any security course in an international setting is forcing students to understand the:

  • local culture,
  • conditions,
  • atmospherics of an unfamiliar area, and
  • adapt accordingly.

covert protection

Hiding Your Purpose

Urban camouflage (blending into your environment) is an important concept to grasp. This idea entails crafting credible cover stories and understanding how rigid movements and militaristic bearing can hamper a covert operation. Additionally, it means working in concert with other CovPro operatives so that interchanging positions can occur seamlessly, like a graceful dance.

While conceptually easy to define, covert protection is quite difficult to apply and to do so adeptly. In other words, you may think you know CovPro until you learn from a professional. Overt security practitioners will likely need formal training to employ covert tactics.

As a wise man once said: You can’t simply remove your earpiece and expect to be covert. It takes time, practice, and experience to develop and master this skill set. Moreover, transitioning from overt to covert protection is incredibly challenging. The reason is that overt practitioners are hard-wired with specific tactics that are difficult to interchange.

Final Remarks

As protectors, it’s reflexive that we naturally want to be close to a principal in order to protect, where the close proximity, attendant demeanor, and mindset will consequently expose you as overt.

During the course setting, the further away I was from the principal in a protective capacity, the greater the inclination I had to hide my purpose from the principal by trying to hide from him!

I also found myself frequently surveilling my principal through poor positioning (surveillance and protection are mutually exclusive), which would have suited my former career as a surveillance operative.

It’s not that I’m bringing bad habits to a new protective role. It’s simply that I’m employing the wrong tactic for the wrong situation.

People often say that teaching CovPro to a greenhorn close protection operative is easier than teaching an experienced overt practitioner. In contrast, the former is a blank slate and better able to absorb CovPro tactics from the outset. Conversely, overt practitioners struggle to seamlessly navigate between conflicting tactics.

Ultimately, CovPro is not for every operative because of the difficulty in grasping its tactical nuances. Yet, taking courses is foundational to honing and mastering this skill set.

Turkey Terrorist Attack: What It Means for Security Companies

By
EP Wired Desk
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0
turkey terrorist attack

Police arrested a suspect after the latest Turkey terrorist attack on Sunday — which left six dead and dozens injured. The incident happened on one of the most famous avenues in Istanbul. The bustling Istiklal Street was disrupted by an explosion, leading thousands to disperse and run in terror.

Labeled as the deadliest attack in Turkey in more than five years, authorities believe that a female is behind it. In fact, justice minister Bekir Bozdag emphasized that a woman had sat on a nearby bench for more than 40 minutes. Minutes after she left, people could hear the blast kilometers away.

The minister of interior, Suleyman Soyly, accused the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) of the vicious act. But no one has claimed responsibility for the Turkey terrorist attack yet.

Note: Turkey, the EU, and the US regard the PKK as a terrorist organization. The PKK denies any involvement in this case.

Minutes after the detonation, police, ambulances, and other services rushed to the scene. In the meantime, some wounded tried to get to the hospitals alone, creating an even greater commotion.

Notably, this isn’t the first time terrorists have targeted this area. In 2016, a suicide bomber killed five and wounded 36 individuals. However, these are only two in a string of terrorist attacks from 2015 that took hundreds of lives, leaving even more injured.

All this may incentivize security companies to up their game in terms of travel risk management. And for a good reason!

What This Means for EP and HNW Clients

Many revere Istiklal Street as a popular shopping street where foreigners and locals go on splurges. The endless line of cafes, restaurants, and shops make it a convenient setting to spend quality time.

Along similar lines, July 2022 saw a rise in foreign visitors by 53% in comparison to last year. Equally important, many of these foreigners come from high-net-worth backgrounds, including:

  • Executives and businesspeople,
  • UHNW families, and
  • Other prominent individuals.

In this sense, executive protection professionals are always in a difficult situation when it comes to balancing comfort and safety. Sometimes, the principal doesn’t want to miss out on some experiences or simply enjoys wandering the streets or visiting historical sites. And this was the case of Istiklal Street, where the latest Turkey terrorist attack occurred.

However, there certainly are ways to bypass similar situations if your security company has developed standard operating procedures (SOPs).

Apart from that, what are some precautionary measures that you are taking in order to protect the principal and protectees?

Executive Protection Companies in 2023: Choosing the Best

By
EP Wired Desk
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0
executive protection companies in 2023

We live in the age of overflowing social media posts and photos of security professionals claiming to be the best in their craft. So, it can be tricky to tell the difference between EP firms that deliver on their promise and those that are just for show. Hence, this article explores the major qualities of the best executive protection companies in 2023.

No matter the industry segment you are part of, there are a few timeless markers that have both the protectees and the EP company at heart. In a recent EP Wired poll on social media, we asked the community to weigh in on the vital aspects. In descending order, we present you the most important ones picked by industry members:

  • Geographical footprint (40%)
  • Client identities (29%)
  • Revenue (17%)
  • Workforce size (15%)

Likewise, diverse services seem to be a pain point for many. This aspect can include secure transport, celebrity protection, corporate security, and other EP segments.

Our poll showed that most respondents thought the geographical footprint matters the most. But, truth be told, the vast majority of EP companies struggle to have a worldwide or even region-wide presence. Instead, they typically partner with local subcontractors to provide services to their principals.

Whatever the case, here we will dissect the main characteristics of executive protection companies in 2023 — with help from a few prominent EP experts.

Troy Claydon, Panoptic Solutions

I find that the best executive protection companies in 2023 are the ones that get the job done, they deliver on what they say they will, and they are transparent when hurdles arise to come up with the best solution for you, the client and, overall, principal. It’s not always the company that has the greatest marketing or the loudest voice in the room.

Reliability, likability, respect, and professional courtesy go a long way in an industry that can sometimes have egos and attitudes.

We at Panoptic Solutions have been fortunate to work with some great EP companies as clients, as well as others who support us as vendors or partners. I find that like attracts like — that is, we believe in all those attributes I mentioned and tend to gravitate toward other companies who offer the same respect and professionalism.

Daniel Weil, SCS – Security Crisis Solutions

The professional side is obvious. I want to believe that people do their due diligence to ensure they contract a trusted and professional company to handle their executives.

Anyway, I don’t want to focus on this aspect today.

What distinguishes good executive protection companies in 2023 (and in any given year) from others is their approach and service-like attitude. Nothing is more frustrating than a company that makes you feel like they are doing you a favor by being contracted.

On the other hand, the ones that truly appreciate their client and are always happy to help, be flexible to changes, and do not make a big deal of any slight change in the itinerary are already putting themselves in a better position than other companies.

The nature of EP is to constantly be ready for changes. Anyone who worked with HNW individuals, higher-level corporate executives, or any other VIPs understands that.

Transparency and Sense of Control

As a CSO and even as a corporate security team, you can’t be on every detail the company’s executives have. So you will need to contract a company to support some of these tasks without being there.

If you as a company are able to give the CSO/client that sense of control and that everything is in order, you are making yourself a valuable partner for them. It is extremely important to keep the CSO/client in the loop and to help them feel in control of the operation even when you are not physically there.

Quick tips: If you want to be constantly contracted and have your clients coming back to you again and again, make sure to:

  1. Be flexible. Flexibility is key.
  2. Don’t make a big deal of small things. Try to be helpful and a problem solver rather than adding difficulties.
  3. Be easy to communicate with. Answer your phone, report back according to what you are being asked.
  4. Stay as loyal and transparent as you expect others to be. Your reputation and dignity are above everything.

executive protection companies in 2023

Damien Scott, Bedrock Special Projects

The best executive protection companies in 2023 will have the following major qualities:

Client-focused: The best companies put the client’s needs up front and tailor their work product to meld into their unique lifestyle.

Service-oriented: The EP professional chooses to live a life of quiet service to others. He never places his needs before the client.

Discretion: Everything that occurs within his client’s sphere, relationships, home, and business — is private. The pro will never discuss these matters outside his immediate team. He doesn’t take pictures, selfies, or videos of his work for self-promotion.

Quiet professionalism: The best companies and agents exercise a quiet, humble, and professional approach to their service.

Robert Currie, RC Advisory Services

The best executive protection companies in 2023 are obviously supported by discrete and well-trained operators. These are obvious table stakes. However, they should also be transparent about who they use as EP operators, explain in detail their ongoing training, and be open to feedback.

The most significant indicator of an excellent EP company is its unwavering operational standards. Too often, companies are pressured by demanding clients to do more with less and will “bend,” thereby:

The best companies will explain the necessity of adequate resources and maintain their baseline standards.

Executive Protection Companies in 2023 and Beyond

This article explored the main traits of the best executive protection companies in 2023. We hope to have untangled the web of uncertainty related to what makes an excellent EP firm.

In summary, to distinguish the best of the best, you need to verify if they:

  • Deliver on their promise and get the job done,
  • Tend to be flexible and maintain great communication skills,
  • Have a service-like attitude and put their clients first,
  • Stay loyal and transparent no matter what,
  • Provide the client with a feeling of control,
  • Exude discretion and quiet professionalism,
  • Explain the necessity of adequate resources.

Interestingly, clients are often clueless about which signs to look for when choosing their select security team. In fact, countless principals rely on their personal assistants to choose their EP company.

In any case, we predict that these and similar qualities of executive protection firms will remain sought-after in the coming years. At any rate, we suggest using this article as a go-to guide whenever you have any doubts!

Case Study: The Killing of Adolfo Lagos

By
Pablo Ortiz-Monasterio
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0
Adolfo Lagos

Clients often want to feel powerful, and they want to have armed people taking care of them. The reason is that they think that unarmed people are not security enough and that they will not be able to react appropriately. This was the case with the story of Mr. Adolfo Lagos.

First, this person was a very high-level executive in a media company. He used to have his own bodyguard and support personnel independent from the company. Also, he used an armored vehicle. Apart from that, Adolfo Lagos used to do mountain biking and rode his bikes on trails in rural areas of Mexico.

The Fateful Daybreak

One morning, he was riding his bicycle with some friends. His vehicle would follow him at a distance for security. One day, a petty thief — who probably wanted his wallet and to take whatever he could get — engaged in a crime of opportunity. It appears that he picked his target randomly. In other words, it was a non-targeted attack.

He comes up to them and pulls out a gun. At this point, it is crucial to understand what the bodyguards saw. We work a lot with perception, and when you are driving, what you are perceiving and the number of things you don’t know adds up.

In this case, the perception of the bodyguard was different from reality. They thought they were being attacked; they reacted as if it was a hit.

The driver speeds up toward where the principal and his friends are, pulls out a gun, and starts shooting at the robber. The robber escapes and runs into the field, into the desertic vegetation. 

After the confusion, they realized that the principal was shot in the stomach. So, they decide to evacuate and take him to the hospital. But, unfortunately, he doesn’t make it.

The Aftermath: What Happened to Adolfo Lagos

When experts did the ballistic tests, it turns out that the bullet that killed him came from his driver.

It’s an interesting case because the driver was sure. He saw in his mind’s eye that the bad guy was shooting at his principal. However, there were no bullets from the bad guy’s gun. The only bullets recovered came from the driver and the other support agent with him.

When they look at the situation, the problem is that the driver doesn’t remember. There is nothing in there because everything happened so fast. Many books have an explanation of what happened here. You get tunnel vision, and your capability to focus on your actions narrows to a six-degree circle right in front of your eyes. Everything else around you disappears.

In the aftermath of that attack, they found that not only had he shot the principal, but he had run over the principal’s carbon fiber bicycle and split it in half with the SUV. In addition, his rearview mirror was shot off, which means he was trying to shoot with his left hand while driving with his right hand. He eventually shot the principal.

The Downside of Multitasking

In their place, I would never give a driver a weapon. People think they are good at multitasking. We are not. We believe we can be trained for that, but according to the professionals, that’s a wrong assumption.

Some people would go so far as to teach people to shoot and drive, but our minds work first on one thing and then another. So, you make the decision to drive, and then your brain turns and makes the decision to shoot, and then comes back to driving, and a lot is lost in this switch.

That period between switching tasks is going to add time. When you are driving, time equals distance. You are advancing toward the principal. You might tell your hands to do something, but you might forget to tell your feet to do another thing. This is probably what happened in this case.

On the other hand, having a weapon for a driver gives them a false sense of security. They feel like they can take more risks because they are armed. They don’t necessarily feel or assess the situation around them as they should regarding how big a threat is to them or what they need to do. In contrast, they feel the weapon will get them out of any situation. To them, it feels like a magic wand.

Final Remarks

If you take away the weapon from the driver, they will be more afraid, and fear is good. He will look at the situation differently because he knows he is the most vulnerable. If someone wants to hurt his principal, he has to go through him.

On this line of thinking, if we teach him the right mindset and the right skills so that he can make a decision while his brain is automatically doing the driving, he will be making those decisions in terms of how to get out of there — and not on how to shoot the guy who’s attacking them.

I’m not sure how much training they had. But the problem was that the principal, Mr. Adolfo Lagos, wanted to have his security team independently, and they were not a part of the company he worked for.

We know that the company trains its people, but we don’t really know what type of training these guys had. We just get to analyze this based on the reports that were made available to us through different sources, as well as the media.

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