Previously, executive protection was heavily focused on protecting the physical safety of an executive. While this is still a high priority, there have been changes that require security professionals to protect intangible assets, such as brand reputation and data privacy as it relates to their executives. Online threats towards VIPs not only jeopardize them individually but also the company as a whole. Whether it is an online impersonation of the executive or their confidential information being exposed to public and searchable records, this negative sentiment can lead to reputational damage to both the brand and the executive. It is important that security teams are able to detect incidents before they escalate to ensure that the brand does not suffer and the executive’s reputation is protected.

Globalization has opened up new levels of unknown threats. The increase in globalization has impacted how executives do business. More and more companies are expanding into international markets which leads to executives spending more time in other countries. While the security team may have a strong strategy in place to protect the VIP locally, different countries pose different risks. Security teams need to understand how to use threat intelligence to maintain situational awareness while their executive travels.

Cyber security and physical security must know work together to provide thorough protection to the VIP. There needs to be a stronger relationship between those gathering intelligence behind the computer and security professionals on the ground.

Situational awareness has always been of high priority for executive protection. However, there has been a shift in how this information is collected and how the security team responds to this intelligence. Previously, situational awareness would be the responsibility of physical security professionals “on the ground”. Itineraries would be laid out in detail beforehand and there would be little to no real-time modifications. With the capabilities of technology, security teams are able to use different tolos to detect ongoing threats to ensure that the security teams are aware of any risks to the VIP at any given time. Using a holistic approach not only enhances the situational awareness of both the cyber and physical security teams but also provides them with the actionable intelligence they need to modify plans and ensure the executive’s safety every step of the way.

*With information from www.mediasonar.com