Corporate security - Large U.S. companies allocate less money to executive security

HEADLINE: Large U.S. companies allocate less money to executive security

SUMMARY: The economic crisis has corporate boards examining executive perks for ways to cut costs. One expense that several U.S. corporations have reduced since 2008 is personal security for top executives, Marketwatch.com research reveals, despite the opposite trend for international companies, which face a greater threat for executive kidnapping.

STORY LINK: http://homelandsecuritynewswire.com/large-us-companies-allocate-less-money-executive-security

ANALYSIS: While their corporate security budgets have been reduced or eliminated, the threats facing executives are not decreasing. Once again the recent event of attempted terrorism this week in Times Square has illustrated how lucky we have been since 9/11/01. Another “Kramer Jihadist” was foiled by his lack of training or experience in bomb-making. The Mexican border situation does not seem to have peaked yet and shows no signs of any end in the near future. Workplace violence and its potential carryover to home justify a self awareness for executives that it is a dangerous world.

Executives need to be their own advocates and need to be better informed and more hands-on than before. Your own preparation and mindset are a big component to preventing and surviving an attack. From a corporate loss perspective, violence against an executive can impact shareholder confidence, company value, public relation challenge, ability to attract new executives, and more.

Some pointers to stay safe:

·         Be careful of that GPS system in your car. All your personal stops can be copied off your GPS while you are at that special event for an hour or two. When kidnappers/attackers know the location of your home, children’s school, the office, the gym, your favorite watering hole, etc., they can act when you are most vulnerable. Most attacks happen extremely close to home or the office.

·         Kidnappers/attackers don’t just show up and decide to act randomly. They plan and plan. While they are planning is when you need to be observant of your surroundings. Just making prolonged eye contact and pretending to take a digital picture of a person of interest can be enough for them to pick a softer target.

·         Develop a situational awareness mindset: Have a security audit performed of your home, the landscaping around the home and immediate vicinity; conduct a personal and professional threat assessment; conduct a vulnerability assessment; have a plan in place for your home and your office and share your daily plans with your assistant; attend training courses; ask HR about conducting background checks according to your threat and vulnerability analysis.

·         Choose a high quality, reputable company to assist you (make sure they specialize in executive protection). Good security is seldom obvious and rarely defeated.

·         Mix up your work schedule, changing your departure and arrival times and routes a few times a week. When stopped in traffic or a light, make sure you can see the bottom of the tires of the car in front of you. That distance generally allows you enough room to cut the wheel and get out of that traffic lane.

·         Take a professional level evasive driving course (most abductions happen around the car). Learn to use your car to your advantage and know how to reduce your vulnerability.

--Scott Watkowski, Firestorm franchise principal