Atlanta Security & Protection Services

Executive Protection: How it Works and Why You Need It

Published on January 21, 2013 by: Wayne Manning

Your high-profile life as a high profile CEO, entertainer, heiress or heir or politician can leave you vulnerable to bodily harm and abduction attempts throughout your day-to-day life. Your family might also be at elevated personal attack attempts because of your high-profile status. Your best defense against sudden, immediate harm to your family could be found in executive protection services. Taking an honest assessment of your risk factors for attack, and how you can best circumvent these attacks with the help of one of more around-the-clock personal protection services, are the first steps to protecting yourself and your loved ones from a planned assault.

Executive Protection 101

Risk Factors

If you are a celebrity, it is obvious that you need a highly trained 24-hour-a-day security guard to protect you from capricious fans. However, if you are not constantly in the public eye, you might have a harder time accepting that you need a professional, or team of professionals, to look after the best interests of you and your family. Some questions that you really need to ask yourself are:

• Do I handle, or have control of, large amounts of money for my organization?
• Although I live a quiet life, can others easily find out that I am a CEO, CFO or other high-level executive with access to large amounts of cash or other valuables?
• Are there any new people in my work or social circle that are giving me the gut feeling that their intentions towards me or my family are insincere?
• Could my job title and responsibilities leave me and my family open to a random kidnapping or physical harm attack?
• Have I recently been awarded with a public honor that might draw new attention to me or my family?
• Have I recently been given a large bonus from my company that was mentioned to other people, or the local, national or international media?
• Are there any other reasons for me to believe that my elite position in life will leave me vulnerable to outside attack?

How Executive Protection Works

Once you determine your need for executive protection, you need to know how your new team will work to curb any attempts made on you or your family's lives. The first step is a security vulnerability audit which will take note of you and your family's daily itinerary. Then, they will look for weaknesses within your family's schedule that would allow outsiders to come in and seize control over you or one of your family members. Some examples of this would be arriving and departing to work and school or social events, traveling for work or pleasure, and leaving or returning home at very early or very hours of the day or night.

Once your usual routines are established, the security guards will then take note of you and your family's websites and social media pages. They will then estimate how much information about you and your family can be gained by people with malicious intent. From there, the security guards will take a closer look at you and your family's lives, and decide on the best course of action to take to protect you and your loved ones at all times.

How to Choose the Right Executive Protection Company

Choosing the right company is essential to your family's daily survival. It is wise for you to interview several security guard companies before you make your final decision. When performing your due diligence, ask for references, testimonials, state licensure certificates and written, detailed plans of action before you commit to any one company. Because this type of security service is very personal you may want to meet with and interview the personnel who will be with you everyday.

Special Considerations for Security Personnel

Obviously your chosed security team should be professionally trained and experienced in self-defense, firearms and security detail protocol. Some of the top body guards and personal protection experts are former military or government intelligence agency members. Your particular lifestyle or situational needs may provide cause to look for special qualifications of security detail officers. People seeking personal protection services often have a need for their body guard to know foreign languages, be able to plan travel routes and alternate routes, be able to be highly visible or minimally visible, be able to dress well, and be a good spirited traveling companion.

These plans of action should include physical security guard protection in addition to sophisticated home and work surveillance security measures.

Executive Protection - Domestic and International Travel

Executive Protection Services

Published on November 1, 2012 by: Wayne Manning

As a high-level corporate executive, dignitary, celebrity or high-profile heir or heiress, you might wisely consider employing bodily protection at home, and while you are abroad on business or vacation. Like most people, you are probably quite familiar with bodyguard protection. However, in all actuality, you might really need round-the-clock executive protection. Educate yourself on the differences between the two, to better learn which one will be more advantageous as you interact with the public at home, and in other countries.

Executive Protection at Home and Abroad

Professional Bodyguards

Most bodyguards never leave your side during their shifts. They often come to work dressed exactly as other members of your organization. They can often carry the same laptop bags, cell phones and other work accessories of your business. Bodyguards usually blend in to your entourage, except for their large statures, and unrelenting vision holds on your body. Most people employ at least two bodyguards per shift. Some bodyguards even live with their employers to be available at a moment's notice.

Executive Protection

While a bodyguard's job is to physically protect you at any cost, the job of an executive protection employee is to stabilize any threatening situation before it gets out of hand. EP employees seek to ultimately diffuse any potentially physically harmful situations at their origins, before a potential face-to-face confrontation, or long-range attempt on your life, is initiated. Therefore, execution protection contractors or employees often use surveillance, electronic and traditional correspondence screening, and employee and work associate background checks to find patterns of ill will towards you. They can also act as bodyguards when accompanying you to work or social events.

International Travel Security

As international travel security members, executive protection professionals work in teams to ensure your safety at both your point of origin and your destination. In situations like these, numerous international travel security professionals look for signs of ill will from everyone involved in your travel itinerary, including airline or private plane staff, welcoming officials, fans, competing companies, and even friends and family members. Executive protection employees also check your hotel room for signs of misconduct, such as bugging, and accompany you to and from all of your scheduled travel events.

Private Security Company

Although you can employ executive protection professionals from several reputable agencies, your best bet is to go with a private security company. Private security companies thoroughly train their executive protection contractors in all facets of VIP services, and stress discreteness throughout each client project. Private security company employees must also be trained and licensed to carry weapons, maintain ongoing security training, and receive high marks from previous clients to remain eligible to take ongoing executive protection assignments.