Executive Protection Pointers

Share these points, collected from security executives and former Secret Service agents, with colleagues who are looking to start an executive protection program or beef up their current one.

By Daintry Duffy

May 01, 2006 — CSO —

Share these points, collected from security executives and former Secret Service agents, with colleagues who are looking to start an executive protection program or beef up their current one.

KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE. Analyze which people are critical to your organization. Have any of these people been subject to threats? In what situations are they most vulnerable? Do they keep a low profile or court media attention? Is it easy for outsiders to gain information about them and their families? Answers to these questions help determine if you need a little caution or a full-time security detail. Also remember: The answers can change over time.

BRAINS BEFORE BRAWN. Research and preparation aimed at identifying potential threats and contingency plans supersedes the need for big bouncerlike bodyguards. Executive protection professionals receive training in skills such as defensive driving, emergency medical response and physical fitness. They know how to prepare for important events ahead of time and counter threats. And they act and dress like their protection subjects.

ACCENTUATE THE POSITIVE. Some protected executives bristle at what they see as restrictions on their movement, or the extra burden of security measures. Veteran practitioners suggest pointing out that the advance work required to keep them safe also reduces their time spent waiting in airports or stuck in traffic jams.

DONâ¬"T FORGET THE KIDS. The families of protected executives, if the executive is high profile or the subject of a threat, may need coverage. They may be more vulnerable, in fact, than the executive ensconced in a corporate setting.

MAKE LOTS OF FRIENDS. Reliable information is what makes prevention possible. It pays to work closely with fellow security professionals as well as executive assistants, hotel staff and event organizers. Ask them to help you assess risks at settings that are unfamiliar to you. And donâ¬"t hesitate to share info when they call you.