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Hand to Hand Combat Training and Executive Protection

By
EP Wired Desk
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Hand to hand combat training

Executive protection is an awesome profession. And if you want to have a chance of making it in this business, you will need training and specialized knowledge of a number of skills – from surveillance, first aid, defensive driving to many others. Hand to hand combat training is traditionally considered one of the most basic and essential cards up an EP agents sleeve. 

And yet, even though most people devote themselves to improving their skills when it comes to driving, surveillance or first aid, a lot of professionals are sadly lacking when it comes to hand to hand combat.  

Sometimes, unarmed training is considered less of a priority and often the last resort for agents – who subscribe to the opinion that the goal of EP is the prevention of such situations where their hand to hand combat would be necessary. 

But the sad reality is that conflicts are not always avoided and situations arise where an EP agent needs to ensure their clients safety by rougher means. The ability to protect your client and yourself is vital in cases when environment suddenly becomes hostile or a physical altercation is about happen. 

On Avoidance  

Considering what we said above, try and imagine the following scenario: you and your client are in a dangerous situation where an attack is imminent.  

Either you or the client in your protection will be attacked. There are three immediate objectives in this situation: 

  • Distance the attacker from your client; 
  • Neutralize the threat; and, 
  • Ensure the safety of your client. 

In this situation, in one sense, you already failed by leading into a danger zone that should have been avoided. On the other hand, utilizing your hand to hand combat training and applying the techniques you studied could bring indirect harm to your client. 

Namely, if a civilian is unduly harmed in the process this can result in a lawsuit against the company that you work for or the client that engaged your services. Broadly speaking, avoidance can sometimes be considered the best policy. It allows you to go in another direction, take a different route, chose another venue.  

Hand to Hand Combat Training Benefits 

Now, we need to introduce a certain distinction to make sense of our example above. We need to distinguish between two types of actions: 

  • Preventative actions 
  • Reactive actions. 

It’s quite obvious that a preventative action in our example would include us avoiding the original danger zone in which we found ourselves. Reactive actions are different thing entirely. They are concerned with us dealing with a threat that is too late to prevent. 

This is where your hand-to-hand combat skills and martial arts training come into play. 

Imagine dealing with well-organized threats – coming from another security entity perhaps. How well versed you are in hand to hand combat can mean the difference between success and failure. The skills you honed during your martial arts training can provide you with the means to protect your client. 

Also, apart from direct, situation-related benefits, martial arts and hand to hand combat training offers numerous secondary benefits to executive protection agents. Regular practice will increase your overall fitness levels. It will aslso help you remain calm in stressful situations, as well as further your physical and mental well-being. 

hand to hand combat

Martial Arts to Consider 

A huge number of established professionals suggest Krav Maga. This martial art provides an excellent foundation – and a good way to avoid looking up at your aggressor from the ground, while he has you locked and pined down.  

There is a reason why Krav Maga is taught to soldiers and civilians: it works and works well. It is deadly and efficient. 

Krav Maga is an amazing system of defense, but you have to train and learn how to scale back your violence level. It also has certain practical limitations. Namely, you don’t always get to use your elbows and palm. 

According to statistics, the vast majority of hand to hand fights ends up on the ground. So, as a future executive protection agent, you should definitely make sure that the training you consider includes ground fighting. 

With that in mind, perhaps you should consider studying Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. BJJ has become easily accessible and very popular over the last years. It will help you think, defend against people trying to take you to the ground. Or if you’re on the ground, how to gain the upper hand.  

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a martial art specializing in fighting on the ground and has greatly evolved since its inception. Its applicability has been tested to the extremes and it’s considered the most comprehensive ground fighting system in the world.  

BJJ teaches you how to avoid the opponent’s kicks and punches. It also teaches you to utilize joint-locks and chokeholds, and to take him to the ground and defeat them. Strength and size differences can be made up for with the proper application of techniques.   

Conclusion 

One of the most crucial things that a perspective executive protection agents needs to have in mind while considering the right hand to hand combat training is that reality is almost always very different from the controlled environments in which we practice. 

Training is simply not an accurate description of real situations. We know what to expect and we are not in danger. In the real world, you will not be so lucky. You will often have no idea what to expect in an attack, especially if your opponent is armed.  

That being said, a solid understanding of human anatomy, manipulation of the human body and knowledge of nerve/pressure points will definitely be of great use in practical situations. Sure, your primary goal is to avoid harm of attacks to client. So it will not come down to hand to hand combat very often. 

But, when a conflict cannot be avoided and an executive protection agent’s duty is to resolve the situation in the fastest way possible, hand to hand combat skills are the difference between failure and success in protecting your client. 

The Dangers of Maritime Piracy Today

By
EP Wired Desk
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0
maritime piracy

Even though the days of black flags showing skulls and crossbones are long gone, maritime piracy remains a crime with serious consequences for the shipping industry and the global economy. More importantly, piracy still takes a huge toll in human lives, injuries and psychological trauma.   

As in the previous centuries, today’s ships carry an immense wealth of cargo and personnel across the seven seas. However, we only need to turn on the news to hear reports about Somalian sea pirates hijacking commercial ships.  

In turn, this forced most companies in shipping industry to underline the crucial importance of providing the highest level of security during their maritime operations and to go to great lengths in order to protect their cargo, sailors, ship, and travelers.  

Maritime Piracy Overview

The problem of maritime piracy stretches further into antiquity than we might imagine. Some of the first records concern the threat of Cilician pirates, which plagued the Mediterranean and Rome for centuries. They even went as far as to kidnap Gaius Julius Caesar. Yeah, that Caesar… 

However, we mostly associate piracy with the seventeenth and eighteenth century. In one decade alone – between 1716 and 1726, pirates captured more than 2,400 ships! More to the present, the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) and the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) recorded almost 2,000 pirate attacks between the year 2000 and 2004 alone.  

Until 2008, those attacks were on the rise by more than 350 year on year. Also, according to estimates by maritime authorities, at the beginning of the last decade, maritime piracy cost the global economy between five and six billion dollars.  

Currently, the areas of most concern across the globe are: 

  • Gulf of Aden, 
  • Yemen, 
  • Gulf of Oman, 
  • Nigeria, 
  • Gulf of Guinea, and, 
  • Venezuela. 

The IBM’s recent reports suggest an increase in piracy since 2018. This institution recorded a total of 201 incidents that year – as opposed to 180 in 2017.  

The Gulf of Guinea remains the most dangerous location today for seafarers, with vessels boarded even outside of the territorial waters and crews kidnapped and even taken inland to Nigeria, before being ransomed. 

Most experts agree that maritime piracy has seen such an increase over the last twenty years due to economic reasons. Namely, most transport ships were relatively easy pickings for modern pirates, providing plenty of opportunities not only for theft, but for kidnapping, ransom and extortion as well.  

According to estimates, ship-owners generally suffer between five to seven million dollars in damages, per incident. 

maritime piracy

What Happens When Pirates Attack Today? 

Even though the times and tech changed – the basic pirate m.o. has not. It involves attacking boats from astern, usually at night, using grappling hooks and ropes to board the ship before anyone raises the alarm. 

Now, pirates just pick the first ship they come across. Most of their attacks are opportunistic, with 80 percent of the incidents against anchored ships.  Others, are more sophisticated, with sometimes large scale attacks on ships at sea. 

Pirates steal cargo, kidnap crew members and hold them as hostages for ransom. In Southeast Asia pirates started transitioning from pure robberies towards more elaborate hijackings for product theft – targeting mostly product tankers and crude palm oil ships. 

Instead of using sabers and muskets, modern pirates prefer to utilize:  

  • guns,  
  • rifles, and,  
  • RPGs. 

However, there have been incidents of pirates using open source intelligence as well as modern technology – online tracking apps and surveillance equipment. 

As mentioned above, West Africa’s Gulf of Guinea is a virtual hotspot of piracy. Until July his year, there have been 98 incidents of piracy and robbery – presenting a 25% increase compared to 2019. Also, 77 sailors were taken hostage in the attacks in the Gulf of Guinea in the first half of this year, accounting for more than 90% or maritime kidnappings in 2020. 

The global security company, Constellis, reports that the impact and damages of kidnappings and piracy in the Gulf of Guinea average approximately USD 771 million every year. This presents a significant risk for the supply chains and finances of shipping companies around the world. 

Anti-Piracy Security Services 

The modern threat of maritime piracy resulted in huge losses for quite a few shipping companies. Because of this, the industry had to consider new methods of tackling this problem. Now, a lot of security companies started to provide maritime security services. 

Because a large percentage of trade is done through the ocean and piracy is a very realistic threat that needs to be countered, shipping companies often employ maritime security officers. These professionals maintain peace and security on board a ship, and protect its’ cargo and passengers. Maritime security professionals are usually appointed to their respective ships by their companies. 

Because safe and secure transport services are crucial, risk prevention is often considered the best solution. Therefor, some of the measures used to deter pirates include: 

  • water hoses 
  • razor wires and, 
  • watchmen with IR binoculars. 

Of course, the list of counter measures extends well beyond simple deterrents, and companies utilize a combination of other security protocols, including training and armed security officers.  

Maritime security teams are usually highly trained, professional and licensed. For example, their companies also help by providing logistical support, government permits, administrative interface and security operations for clients all over the world.  

Conclusion 

Piracy remains one of the most significant threats facing the international shipping industry. And maritime security services are proving to be an excellent solution to keeping crews and cargo safe and pirates off ships. 

Maritime piracy victims are often simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.  

Now, the economic and medical fallout from COVID-19 poses additional challenges in the war against maritime piracy. Namely, pirate hotspots in West Africa and South America are now harder to police due to the pandemic.  

With hospitals filling with up with patients, regional governments shift their efforts from sea piracy towards more pressing concerns inland. Simultaneously, less global trade and reduced revenues negatively impact the companies spending on maritime security guards and other methods of protecting their ships. 

In turn, all of this creates more opportunities for pirates. 

Travel Risk Management: All You Need to Know

By
EP Wired Desk
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0
Travel risk management

Travel risk management is an integral part of every organization’s security. It’s a complex process of protecting the company and its employees from travel risks. TRM also includes the ability to prevent crises by eliminating all possible risks.

In a challenging year, like 2020 definitely is, with a massive impact on traveling worldwide, travel risk management is even more critical.

Not many people know the details of a safely planned trip and the complications one might come across. With that in mind, in this article, we’ll introduce you to what travel risk management is all about. So, let’s start!

The subject of this particular article is at the heart of any corporate security’s beginnings. Prior to establishing a full-scale executive security program, any company should always teach these principles to their corporate travelers.

Quite often, the safety and security of executives really come down to a sharpened sense of situational awareness. They become heavily engrossed in their respective company tasks for any period, and their senses become dulled to all else. Training them to have a heightened sense of their surroundings removes a number of pitfalls that can be easily avoided.

An important point I would make is that along with correct policy, communications, improving strategies, and feedback, there should be thorough intel/analysis reports provided and broken down to be clearly understood. A well-informed C-suite executive group is not only safe and secure but capable of thoughtful self-planning and execution of daily operations without the incessant worries of immediate surroundings or circumstances.

Chris Grow, Executive Protection Specialist

The Key Points of Travel Risk Management

There are so many risks associated with traveling. The main include cultural and language difficulties, health, crime, war, and political instability, and terrorism. However, so many more threats are present while traveling. Still, even matters concerning disease, hygiene, transportation, cultural differences, and other uncertainties need to be covered with a comprehensive travel risk strategy.

Companies are obligated to provide safe and pleasant trips to their employees who travel for business purposes. For travel risk management, specific points are vital for making that happen. Some of those are:

  • Right policy setup,
  • Communication with travelers in cases of emergency,
  • Continually improving risk management strategies, and,
  • Listening to the feedback,

Companies need to review their policy setup regularly. Without the right policy, you won’t be able to minimize traveling risk and develop a risk management strategy. The procedure can also contain the list of high-risk destinations, safer routes, any traveling limitations of any kind.

Important Considerations

Communicating with employees in cases of emergency is extremely important for their safety. Keeping databases up to date is a priority – you need to remind employees to review and update their contact information. If something goes wrong during the trip, specific alerts are essential. These alerts can be sent through a mobile app on the employee’s phone.

Continual improvement is the key to efficient travel risk management. A company needs to continuously evaluate the effectiveness of its current risk management strategy. All departments included in TRM should be involved in this process. It’s the best way to identify the gaps and oversights. Also, by monitoring ongoing global threats, the companies can receive early warnings and manage the exposure of their employees.

travel risk managementFeedback is vital for improving every step of the travel risk management strategy. Employees directly involved in a crisis can provide the best information. These are useful for creating simulations and for a post-crisis analysis.

Understanding the needs of travelers is essential for a comprehensive approach to travel risk management. By understanding their perception of risks and safety, companies can create not only adequate risk management policies but a prevention strategy as well.

Cultural Factors

The existence of cultural differences means that citizens of distant parts of the world won’t have the same reactions in certain stressful and endangering situations. Also, they won’t perceive the same occurrence as risky. Even if the same risk is introduced to a single group of travelers, their reactions will still be different.

Factors that influence people’s risk perceptions aren’t exclusively cultural. There is the impact of age, gender, and social status. It can also depend on whether a person travels alone or in a group, the stage of travel, or how someone is capable of risk recognition.

All of these factors apply to the perception of safety and security as well. This is essential because it influences people’s intention to travel and to put their safety in a company’s hands.

Travel risk management needs to have an insight into the structure of its employees in order to adjust its security strategy accordingly. Risky situations create a specific state of mind – when emotions, anxiety, and fear are overwhelming, only the most precise information will stick in a person’s mind. Therefore, educating the employees is vital for successful travel risk management.

Which brings us to the next part.

Educating Employees as a Vital Part of TRM

Travel risk management starts way before any of the employees go on a business trip. Educating people about the destination of their trip is the first step. Travel risk management’s role is to provide information about potential health and safety issues, along with cultural and climate conditions.

Mandatory seminars about their trip or about prohibited actions and conduct in certain countries can also be beneficial. Travel risk management benefits a lot from this proactive approach.

Educating the employees is an even more critical part than the risk assessment. If people don’t know how to use that information, nothing makes sense.

Training on behavior in endangering situations are essential as well. Introduce your employees to all of the security mechanisms in your company. People need to know how to keep in touch if something bad happens.

On the other hand, when crises pass, employees need to reach out and let the company know they are safe. A support system and active response service are vital parts of TRM after the departure.

Keep in mind that all the existing mechanisms need to be presented to the people. They need to be aware of all their available resources in case of an emergency. If they don’t know something exists, how will they use it? Monthly awareness newsletters are a great idea to keep them on track.

Travel Risk Management to the Rescue

As you can see, there is a lot more to TRM than it seems.

All the problems from losing a passport to emergencies in cases of natural or political disasters are part of TRM. A comprehensive and customized strategy is where you start from.

TRM needs to include the risks and safety perceptions of the employees. Customized Security travel mechanisms are vital for an employee’s safe departure, stay and return from a specific business trip.

Every efficient TRM needs to have the right policy setup as well as ready communication channels with their employees in need. Continuous improvement of the risk strategy and listening to feedback should always be at the top of your priorities.

7 Steps to Becoming an Executive Protection Agent

By
EP Wired Desk
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1
executive protection agent

Most people can’t handle high-pressure environments and having to be continually on their toes. But then those people certainly dont have “executive protection agent” as their job title. Similarly, when you think of agents, you likely have an image of a James Bond-like figure on your mind. 

Not intending to crush your deeply held beliefs, executive protection agents are so much more diverse and versatile than that. Apart from constantly being calm – or at least pretending to be, and showing they have everything under control, these guys need to be able to convince everybody that they don’t look kindly upon any disruption or disturbance.  

Always perfectly dressed, with black sunglasses and a sleek look, and stunningly well-trained in tactical mobility, EP might seem like the dream job you have been looking for since you were a kid watching thrillers on Netflix. Or whatever platform was around back then.  

Rarely mentioned, still, are the unfortunate downsides, which we’ll also dig into in this short article. 

7 Steps to Becoming an Executive Protection Agent

Whether you believe that this is something for you or not, here are a few of the principal steps to becoming an executive protection agent. 

Get the Proper Training First 

Like any other job, this one requires you to possess some soft and hard skills to be successful at it. Frequently referred to as the best and worst job on the planet, EP implies that you need to specialize in specific fields.  

These may include:  

  • Hand-to-hand combat 
  • Fluency in Microsoft Office applications 
  • Perimeter security 
  • Ground transportation security 
  • GPS 
  • CCTV services 
  • Journey management 
  • Risk assessment 
  • Corporate security 

There is a whole bunch of state-of-the-art courses out there, both online and offline. So, if you’re looking to become an executive protection agent, you don’t have too many excuses: the knowledge is out there. You just need to grab it. 

Of course, having common transferable skills from your previous career is advantageous. But there is no substitute for an intense EP training program. 

Aside from that, you need to get a license to stand out and master the basics of EP – advance and operational work, to be even considered for an entry-level position in the industry.  

Courage and Determination 

Being tough and a genuine badass is oftentimes the norm in people’s heads when they think about this type of employment. Yet, the crucial factor for anyone wanting to get a job in the sector indicates that you must be courageous, determined, and in excellent physical and mental shape to complete all your work-related tasks.  

Therefore, maintain high mental discipline, character, teamwork, be mature in judgment, and have a burning desire to perform. These are the qualities of a professional executive protection agent. Its also what separates those who roll up their sleeves and act from those who don’t. 

Manifest Leadership Skills 

When we think of leaders, we usually imagine politicians or military commanders, but this is taking a narrow view of the vast spectrum of leadership. Close or executive protection agents are also leaders because they tend to operate in groups and have subordinates and colleagues they always work with nearby.  executive protection agent

Usually, clients don’t hire a single bodyguard, but they onboard between 3 and 10 people tasked with protecting them. And handling the sheer size of such teams takes many hours of training and steadfast work. 

Simultaneously managing people and work tasks, while proving you are a devout head of the team make up only the tip of the iceberg of this on-demand job opportunity. 

So, prepare to lead others and yourself, where self-leadership is defined as the practice of individual accountability. 

Technical and Equipment Know-How 

Executive protection agents are kings in the realm of general knowledge because they have a broad range of skills and expertise.  

Exploring the job’s nitty-gritty can be a daunting task since it involves knowing about stuff. You have to know about things like software, cameras, emergency breath systems, drones, survival toolboxes, and a ton of other elements. 

Essentially, everything from a needle to an anchor, and it’s all important.  

Acknowledge that EP is Not for Everyone 

You don’t have to be a mastermind to realize that EP is not for everybody. 

Contrary to the Hollywood-hype, EP work is done under a systematic and established procedure mode, conducted by a controlled form of behavior.  

It’s done using practical methods aligned with a plan to keep the client and EP team safe.  

You Don’t Matter, Your Clients Matter 

One of the more prominent characteristics of the job is that you stop incessantly thinking about yourself. You exclusively ponder the client’s concerns, like their minute-to-minute physical safety and getting them safely where they are going.  

Everyone has their own personal issues and problems, and EP agents should keep those to themselves.  

Therefore, remember to keep the relationship professional, and not personal. Even in case you get a baby or something terrible happens to you personally. 

Your Normal vs. Professional Life 

Nothing is ordinary in the experience of an EP agent.  

Living an affluently alongside a client can be quite a devastating thing once you get back home. As soon as you return, there is no more fine dining, fancy cars, and you can forget about the opulent lifestyle altogether. 

It’s apparent by now that it takes a distinct mindset and a very particular skill set to master the art of becoming a close protection agent. 

Hopefully, you haven’t been intimidated by the downsides or overtly encouraged by the job’s positive aspects mentioned above. 

The Wrap-Up  

Remember that the people who never succeed in anything all share a single distinguishing trait: they know all the reasons for failure. Whatever the ultimate truth may be, if you are looking to thrive as an executive protection agent, simply try to: 

  • Get the proper training (and licensing) 
  • Be a dependable, courageous, and determined leader, and 
  • Never compare your personal to your professional life 

Every single day of EP work is unique. Naturally, there are recurring tasks. But every new day brings new problems to be solved, making up your mind as you go, and improvising in the heat of the moment. 

Oh, and don’t forget that there are many more pros and cons to the job, but we fished out the ones you will likely find most enticing and useful. 

Top 5 Biggest Celebrity Protection Scandals

By
EP Wired Desk
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0
celebrity protection scandals

Celebrity protection is about providing high-profile clients and their families with personal protection services to insure their peace of mind, safety and security. Because of who they are – or who they are perceived to be, celebrities are almost constantly at risk from personal assault, kidnapping and being the victims of terrorist attacks. And over the years, there have been quite a few celebrity protection scandals.

The celebrity protection industry is very complex and constantly changing. Because of their high-profile clients, for celebrity protection teams:

  • discretion is imperative,
  • clear communication is necessary, and,
  • adapting to new circumstances becomes second nature.

When these simple tenets are observed, all is well. However, when they are not observed, all kinds of hell can break loose. The result can be public humiliation, infamy, financial loss or, in some cases, even death.

So, without further ado, we present some of the biggest and loudest celebrity protection scandals in recent history.

5. Pamela Anderson Sex Tape

The Baywatch star and Mötley Crüe drummer husband, Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee, shocked the world when their private tape became one of the world’s first viral sex videos in 1997.

The famous couple made the tape in 1995 and kept it locked in their safe. However, that safe was stolen by an electrician working on their home.  He had been previously fired and threatened by Lee. He stole the tape along with a safe of their things and tried to sell it to a few outlets until it was eventually distributed on the internet

What a breach of their home security!

Not only did this celebrity protection scandal cause infamy to Pamela Anderson and her then husband, but also, porn was big money in the 90s. And their tape made an estimated USD 77 million in the first year alone.

So pretty much everybody saw it— that is, except Pamela Anderson, who said in 2015 that she’s still never seen the video.

4. iCloud Leaks of Celebrity Photos

The Pamela Anderson sex-tape pretty much foreshadowed many celebrity sex tapes to come. But the biggest celebrity sex scandal occurred in 2014, when nude photos and private videos of stars – including Jennifer Lawrence, Kirsten Dunst, and Kate Upton, were leaked on 4chan.

In one of the biggest cybersecurity breaches in history, more than 100 celebrities had their private data stolen via compromised accounts.

Apple later reported that the victims’ iCloud account information was gotten by using a targeted attack on user names, passwords and security questions, such as phishing and brute-force attack guessing.

The hacker that claimed responsibility for the hack said that more pictures and videos of the celebrities were available. He wanted money before the rest of the stolen images and videos get posted.

3. Bill Gates and a Face Full of Pie

celebrity protection scandals
Source: ASSOCIATED PRESS

In 1997, when the whole world knew him as the richest person on the planet. And sill Bill Gates ended up with a face full of pie during a security incident in Brussels.

While rushing with his security detail to a meeting with 400 Belgian educators, business leaders and government officials, a group of pranksters ambushed him with a cream pies, messing his glasses and suit.

Shocked and rather less presentable than his pie-less celebrity protection, Gates continued to walk toward the building. Although, accompanied by a couple more pies casually thrown his way. The pie toss was masterminded by Noel Godin, a Belgian personality who stages such attacks and tries to sell footage of the incidents.

Surprisingly, Bill Gates decided not to sue his attackers – but we can bet he changed his security team.

2. Notorious B.I.G. Murder

Biggie Smalls died on March 9, 1997 in a drive-by shooting in New York. In an interview, just a few days before his death, he said he hired a security detail since he feared for his safety – due to being a celebrity in general and not specifically because he was a rapper.

The incident occurred while Biggie Smalls, his associates and bodyguards, were returning from a party.

Accounts say that a car stopped next to their vehicle, while they waiting for the traffic lights to change. It was then that an unidentified man dressed in a blue suit and bow tie, rolled down his window, drew a 9 mm blue-steel pistol, and fired at Biggie’s car.

Smalls was hit by three bullets. The exact circumstances of his death remain a mystery and the investigation to find his killers is still ongoing.

1. Princess Diana’s Death

The world was shocked when the life of Princess Diana suddenly ended at the age of 36.

Called the People’s Princess, she was one of the most beloved celebrities in the world. She was also one being most mercilessly hounded celebrities by the paparazzi.

Princess Diana died of injuries from a crash that occurred while she was in the back of a Mercedes in Paris in 1997. At the time, many speculated that the crash had occurred as a result of the paparazzi stalking her. However, an investigation eventually determined that the driver had also been drunk.

The princess’ ex-guard – who resigned from Diana’s service in 1993, said her death in Paris shouldn’t have happened. He blamed the new security team that was by her side at the time of the incident.

The Take-Away from Celebrity Protection Scandals

Visibility and access are at the very core of what it means to be a celebrity, this in itself carries elevated levels of risk. Therefore, in matters of celebrity protection anticipating and planning for all types of potential negative scenarios.

The goal is to prevent the incident from happening, avoid scandal, while not disrupting the celebrities’ life or livelihood. Sometimes, a celebrity’s personal wishes and preferences conflict with the advice of their security.

Perhaps the route they prefer to take is not in the lowest risk scenario? Perhaps their social media activity puts them at risk of cyberattacks? All of this only further emphasizes the need for careful consideration and detailed preparation, as well as continual communication between the celebrity and their security.

Close Protection 101: What’s it all about?

By
EP Wired Desk
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0
close protection

Providing close protection services is a very complex and demanding profession. We all know that all-important statesmen and celebrities always walk around with their bodyguards, but not many people know what close protection services exactly entail.

It`s so much more than being tall, strong, and keeping close to your client every time they go out. So, if you thought that was all there was to it, keep reading on and get ready for few surprises.

Here`s everything you need to know about close protection.

What Does Close Protection Service Entail?

It`s important to know what you can expect when hiring a close protection officer.

These professionals have a lot of responsibilities. Their main role is to provide protection to their clients in case of:

  • physical attacks,
  • any form of harassment,
  • kidnappings,
  • unwanted attention, and,
  • other endangering scenarios

As the word bodyguard implies-itself, close protection officers act as human shields, while securing their client to remain untouched when something goes wrong.

These activities are just a small part of a close protection operative`s job.

Their responsibilities start even before the client arrives at a certain location or event. They need to be on the spot several hours earlier to make sure everything is safe: and they need to be aware of any potential threats.

Close protection officers also have to secure the location and make sure all the exits are available and clear. This is a way to get familiar with the space or the building, which allows these professionals to act quickly and provide adequate protection to their clients in case of an emergency.

The most commonly known element of bodyguard`s job is to shadow of their clients. That`s what the public can sees – and it`s also the reason why so many people think that that`s all they do.

Providing protection and 24-hour surveillance is the main, but not the only part of their job.

Not only do they have to secure the place before the client arrives, but their role continues even after the client`s public appearance is over. Operatives have to plan the safest route for arrivals as well as departures. The planning process happens well ahead of the scheduled outing, trip or appearance.

In other words, these professionals need to be ready for every potential scenario, at any given moment.

Who Needs Close Protection Services?

Another widely spread, but not quite true popular opinion is that only movie stars, famous singers, and performers use or need this type of protection services. Even though celebrities truly make up the majority of the clients, bodyguards protect people from a myriad of industries.

Statesman, lawyers, government ministers, famous journalists, influencers are just some of the people who hire bodyguards to ensure their safety. Close protection is an essential part of basic security procedures when it comes to diplomats and politicians, members of royal families, judges and even, in some cases members of a jury, depending on circumstances.

Every person who attracts a lot of public attention, who shares a lot of personal information online, or is famous for any reason is the perfect candidate for close protection services. Even people that are not in the public’s eye can also be in danger. For instance, people in witness protection programs put their personal safety at risk. Also, quite a few extremely affluent people feel exposed and vulnerable, and are more at ease with bodyguards around.

Of course, this is not a definitive list and people from other walks of life also utilize close protection services. The situation becomes even more complex when members of the client`s family enter the calculation.

In some cases, a client’s family member can be at even greater risk than the client and become the main target. Attackers usually come for them because they believe that will provide more pain to the client or use their family as leverage. The person they actually want to harm can feel more threatened when someone close to them is attacked.

See how close protection operatives have a lot on their plate?

It doesn`t come as surprise why they are regarded as a family after working for some time with the same client. The profession requires them to know their client very well, but also the habits and movement of their family members.

close protection

What does it take to become a close protection operative?

It`s very clear that not everyone can become a close protection operative.

It takes a lot of theoretical and practical knowledge, experience, intelligence and readiness to improve on a daily basis. These professionals need to attend a large number of initial and on-going trainings to make sure they can maintain operational standards.

First, they need to go through mental and physical special protection training in order to get a license. License is required in every serious security company that hires professionals. That means they need to know how to properly use their equipment and what their responsibilities are. Also, they need to learn a certain way of thinking which allows them to provide professional and competent service.

When working with important and famous clients, close protection specialists have to be highly trained because of even larger responsibility they have.

Often, these security services don`t include just one operative. Mostly, the client needs a team of several officers.

This means that they are also trained to operate as a team, a unit whose goals is to secure their client’s safety. When working in a team, all operatives need to act according to their specific roles. This allows them to use their full potential and ensure service at the highest level.

Continuous learning and the constant improvement of one’s skills allows close protection officers to keep track with newly emerging forms of risks and new threats.

The Take-Away

To sum up, close protection is a very old profession, but one that is constantly evolving.

Therefore, all the operatives who provide close protection services have to be ready for new challenges. Close protection is about the need to always be aware of your surroundings and detect even the slightest changes.

So, that is why it’s wrong to think of these security specialists simply as muscle. The close protection industry requires a lot more than physical appearance and large frame is not all that it takes.

What Is Executive Protection?

By
EP Wired Desk
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1
executive protection

Often called the best and the worst job in the world, executive protection encompasses a wide variety of security measures and techniques aimed at ensuring the safety of very important persons – VIPs. It is its own specialized field within the private security industry.

For most people unfamiliar with the security sector, the protection of VIPs simply means bodyguards for rich people. Movies like Taken or The Hitman’s Bodyguard – awesome though they are, have shaped popular opinion, so we instantly associate executive protection with celebrities needing protection from overly zealous fans.

Theoretically, that is not wrong, but there is just a lot more to it in reality.

For instance, certain CEOs or other high-ranking executives achieve notoriety – or even fame due to their coverage in the media. However, their roles within their organizations usually make them essential to their company’s well-being. If something bad happens to them, it would negatively affect the whole company and all its employees.

And it’s not only about preventing physical harm to the client. Disgruntled employees could disagree with the CEO’s policies, or the competition could try and steal company secrets – both scenarios carry risks for the CEO, other relevant executives, and their families.

This is precisely why an ever-increasing number of companies are becoming interested in executive protection programs. EP professionals help them plan for various risk scenarios, and anticipate and plan for danger, whether involving the day-to-day operations in their headquarters, during the CEO’s business trips, or even in their personal homes.

The tragedy is that most realize the importance of executive protection only after some terrible event.

Who Needs Executive Protection?

We can try to generalize and say that executive protection is needed by high-profile individuals. This includes people from the entertainment business, but also industry leaders or other individuals with access to trade secrets, as well as government officials.

So, we are mostly talking about:

  • Politicians
  • Celebrities
  • Dignitaries
  • Executives and CEOs
  • Professional athletes
  • Musicians and Performers
  • Wealthy individuals, etc.

As we said, EP goes beyond securing one just individual. Even though individual protection is the main intention and purpose behind executive protection, the process extends to the protection of information and the client’s family as well.

executive protection

When is Executive Protection Required?

Certainly, not all situations necessitate executive protection. Not every celebrity or CEO needs EP professionals around them 24/7.

On the other hand, there are instances in which executive protection is almost always needed.

Protection on International Trips

Traveling abroad could be quite risky for a company CEO or some other executive, especially when traveling to countries with elevated levels of danger. In these situations, the threat of kidnapping or corporate information theft is very realistic.

Alternatively, due to internal political turmoil, the security situation in a country can change overnight. A place thought of as safe one day can become extremely dangerous the next.

This is where executive protection comes into play.

Teams of highly trained professionals take all of these factors into account – they plan and cover every possible scenario that could jeopardize their clients.

The Safety of Family Members

Usually, an important figure’s family is as much at risk as the individual themselves. It does not matter that their family members have no connection to their role or business – kidnappers looking to score a ransom or access company information are not deterred by this.

This makes the protection of the client’s family a very high priority. Teams of experts are specially trained to make sure that they do their job as discretely as possible, without interrupting their everyday rhythm while providing protection from every possible threat.

Cybersecurity Threats

Because of their role, CEOs are especially attractive targets. Their expertise and function place them at the very top of their organizations. The CEO’s access to privileged information is the basis of their attraction to competitors who would not think twice about using nefarious methods to obtain that information.

With that in mind, the protection of computers, data, and other important equipment is a vital aspect of executive protection services. These usually include the provision of physical monitoring of the client’s devices – computers, mobile phones, or tablets.

This service is especially important while the client is traveling abroad.

Protection during Public Appearances

Almost any time that a celebrity of foreign dignitary appears in public, there is a certain potential of threat. Imagine a movie star making a speech during a press conference a foreign diplomat attending a cultural event or an executive at a conference. There are ideal scenarios for people looking to do them harm.

A crazy fan, an angry protester, or a mad ex-employee – or even a potential kidnapper, could be lurking among the crowd. This makes public appearances situations where protection is always needed.

The Benefits of Executive Protection

While the bodyguard’s role is to generally provide protection from physical harm – hence the name, executive protection firms aim at a more holistic approach. They aim to provide a full and complete security service.

This includes a wide array of techniques and practices – such as advance work, operational intelligence, in-depth observation, threat information, etc. The ultimate goal of executive protection companies is to prevent any type of incident from happening. Risk assessments and planning significantly lower the risk of danger, with minimal intrusions and interruptions to the daily goings-on of the client.

Therefore, beyond the client’s immediate safety, some of the benefits of executive protection include:

  • More and safer traveling,
  • Increased productivity, and,
  • Peace of mind.

Security is always a concern while traveling, and this is even truer when a CEO is visiting an emerging market. With the support of executive protection risk is lower, allowing for more and safer trips. And, whether at home or traveling, clients who benefit from executive protection also enjoy increased productivity.

Finally, EP means that the client can finally have some peace of mind. Individuals in positions of power can especially appreciate being at ease, knowing that someone has their back in every sense.

Conclusion

So, what is the takeaway?

We learned that executive protection is a special type of security service – it can be either overt, covert or something in between, depending on the circumstances. Its objective is to prevent harm or loss to the client from threats in the physical or online environment.

EP professionals go to great lengths to ensure that a client is safe. They provide protection services, but they also conduct all the advance work, surveillance, logistics, and driver duties if needed. Because of the specific and complex skills that you need to be an executive protection agent, most professionals have prior military – typically elite, or law enforcement training, as well as real-world experience in combating physical and other kinds of threats.

Simply put, executive protection focuses on maximizing security while minimizing inconvenience to individuals and businesses.

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