Personal Digital Security + Physical Security =
Modern Executive Protection
How The Executive Protection Industry Has Expanded into
Securing the Personal Digital Lives of its Clients
The Foundation
Since the origination of protective intelligence, executive protection agents and operatives have understood a serious threat actor usually studies their target before attacking. This act is called "pre-operational surveillance", where information about the target is attained in the form of photographs, videos, route maps, social network maps, drawings, etc... Pre-operational surveillance can be done over a period of days, months, or even years. Criminals capitalize on the behavioral patterns of their targets and take advantage of any vulnerabilities discovered. Sometimes, this is a very easy task to accomplish because human have been "creatures of habit" since the beginning of time. The gathered information is then used by the threat actors to attempt to carry out attack plans as smoothly as possible.
This is where counter-surveillance comes into play. Operatives and security agents involved in this field attempt to identify who the threat actors are and then disrupt/end their attack plans before they can reach the target. Threat actors can be identified during counter-surveillance through a variety of methods including physical observation, technical surveillance, social media monitoring, behavioral analysis, and intelligence gathering.
It is interesting to stop here and note the striking similarities between counter-surveillance operatives and executive protection agents. In fact, many of the same skills used in traditional counter-surveillance are several of the core foundational principles of the executive protection industry today.
That being said, technology has advanced considerably over recent years, creating more avenues the bad guys can exploit in order to collect sensitive intel about their target. For example, digital data is being mined by intelligent cyber hackers and then used to threaten executives not only physically - but also reputationally, financially, emotionally, and more.
Outside the walls of the corporate office or anything linked directly to the respective business operations, company security teams only have so much access to an executive's personal life. An executive's personal life is usually separate from the company, and for good reason too. How an executive acts while at work versus how she/he acts "off-the-clock" isn't necessarily the same.
There have been several high-profile cases in which an executive's personal life being leaked out to the public caused serious damage to the executive's respective company. Some examples include:
Mark Hurd: In 2010, Mark Hurd, then-CEO of Hewlett-Packard, was forced to resign after allegations of sexual harassment and expense-report irregularities were made public. The revelations not only damaged Hurd's reputation but also hurt the image of HP, which was already struggling at the time.
John Mackey: In 2007, John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods Market, was found to have posted anonymous messages on internet message boards criticizing a competitor and praising his own company. The revelation caused a backlash among customers who felt betrayed by Mackey's behavior, and Whole Foods' stock price dropped significantly.
Brian Dunn: In 2012, Brian Dunn, CEO of Best Buy, resigned after an investigation into his personal conduct revealed that he had engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a female employee. The scandal damaged the company's reputation and led to a decline in its stock price.
Travis Kalanick: In 2017, Travis Kalanick, CEO of Uber, faced a series of scandals related to his personal behavior, including allegations of sexual harassment and discrimination within the company. The revelations not only damaged Kalanick's reputation but also hurt Uber's image and led to calls for his resignation.
These are just a few examples of the dangerous outcomes that can follow an executive's personal life being broadcasted to the public. In today's hyper-connected world, executives must be mindful of their behavior both in and outside the workplace, as any misstep can quickly become public knowledge and cause significant damage. This is exactly why Executive Protection Agents are becoming more involved with protecting their clients' personal digital life.
Personal digital data needs to be monitored 24/7 for high-powered CEOs, key executives, celebrities, and high-net-worth families. For example, every time a client goes home and hops on his/her computer or uses a personal cell phone - there needs to be some sort of software security making sure no hackers are hacking in and accessing sensitive information. Ideally, there also needs to be an alert system, someone who is actively monitoring the account, and a 24/7 help desk.
The New Job Description for Executive Protection Agents
As executive protection agents, we know our industry is in a constant state of expansion. There is no going back to how things used to be. Solely protecting an executive from physical harm while walking through the mall doesn't cut it anymore. We are now becoming responsible for preventing and protecting our clients from any attacks that stem from the digital world such as data exploitation, hackers, data brokers, the dark web, social media, etc..., all of which could cause physical, financial, and/or emotional harm.
The expansion of the EP field is exciting because it is now giving us the opportunity to work for clients in ways we never have before. This will broaden the need for hiring digital executive protection teams who could work for a client "24/7" ensuring their family and home life are protected from hackers and other forms of threats.
The home is the new battleground for threat actors and we need to be ready to fight back by preventing and responding swiftly to digital attacks. One of our goals in digital executive protection is to stay ahead of technological advances and creating software that can stop hackers before they have a chance to implement any new digital tactics on their targets. If we can help ensure our clients are secure when they are at home and in other areas of their personal lives, we can prevent extortion, intellectual theft, financial damage, physical harm and so much more from being able to manifest themselves and wreak havoc.
What Does Digital Executive Protection Entail? Here Are a Few Important Components:
As executive protection agents we can offer solutions to executives that help eliminate digital threats from ever reaching them. Digital Executive Protection starts with, but is NOT limited to:
Conducting a Comprehensive Risk Assessment
The first step in protecting an executive from digital threats is to conduct a comprehensive risk assessment to identify potential vulnerabilities and threats. This includes assessing the executive's digital footprint and identifying potential cyber attackers interested in the executive.
Implementing strong passwords and authentication measures
Ensure that the executive uses strong passwords that are UNIQUE and set up multi-factor authentication measures to prevent unauthorized access to their accounts. The passwords should not be the same passwords used for accessing sensitive company information while at work.
Providing security awareness training
Provide security awareness training to the executive to help them recognize and avoid common digital threats such as phishing emails, social engineering attacks, and malware.
Monitoring social media accounts
This one is HUGE! Monitoring the executive's social media accounts for any suspicious activity, including fake accounts, posts, or tags that could be used to gather information about the executive or their movements. For example, if an executive protection agents can see if anyone is posting pictures of the executive and broadcasting their location to the world. They can also search the internet to see if there are any threatening posts being published on social media that could indicate the physical safety of the executive is in jeopardy. It is interesting how many criminals will spill their beliefs, plans, and intentions on social media before committing crimes.
Implementing encrypted communication methods
Using encryption and other secure communication methods to protect the executive's sensitive information from interception or eavesdropping. Great apps for providing secure communication are Signal and WhatsApp.
Regularly updating software and security patches
Ensuring that all software and security patches on the executive's devices are up to date to prevent known vulnerabilities from being exploited by hackers.
Implementing network security measures
Implementing network security measures such as firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and network segmentation to prevent unauthorized access to the executive's personal devices and data.
By implementing these measures and more, digital executive protection agents can help protect an executive from digital threats and minimize the risk of a security breach, data theft, or data loss.
Ultimately, understand that no criminal is going to take it easy on a target. Cyber criminals don't care about hurting anyone's feelings or committing crime.
They are going to penetrate the weakest link, which happens to be the digital security inside an executive's home.
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