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 executive Protection – Threat Assessment

The first step in devising an anti-kidnap system is making a realistic baseline assessment of threats and vulnerabilities before conducting business missions abroad. Executive safety is avoiding as many dangers as possible. Knowing what the dangers are gives you a much greater chance of keeping secure. An essential part of executive travel is obtaining accurate threat information on the particular country and city you will be traveling to. Do not rush into an international business assignment without first doing your homework. You have to know the threats. Taking a proactive approach to your safety will eliminate or greatly reduce the kidnap threat. First, learn about the country you will be visiting such as the local laws, religious traditions, customs, business practices and standards of behavior. Next, engage resources of your embassy to provide specific reports on safe places and areas to avoid within your destination country.

Then executives should obtain professional threat assessments prior to departure and read them as other people read novels. Every piece of up-to-date information you can gather about potential threats within your destination country should be assembled and studied to assist in your threat assessment efforts.

 Conducting a threat assessment on the Internet would be a wise investment of your time. Scan the world news section or conduct a Google search of the destination country. Use key search words such as “criminal threats,” “terrorist threats,” “dissident threats” and “organized protest threats.” Follow closely any news stories about criminal groups along routes to and from the airport, carjackings, route security risks or protest groups involved in organized violence such as bombings, sabotage, property destruction or anti-Western sentiments. Download maps showing which roads carry the highest risk of kidnappings or other in-country threats. Search for vulnerability mapping of areas prone to crime and terrorism.

Study details made available concerning terrorist groups within the country. Learn the group’s size, intentions, willingness to kill, willingness to give up life, weapons and methods such as bombings, suicide operations and kidnappings.

Analyze the political corruption within your destination country, especially the corruption levels of the military and law enforcement, individuals susceptible to bribery and reports of military or law enforcement not rendering professional duties and justice. This threat assessment process shows what you can do to prevent incidents before they occur by looking at the history of incidents within your destination country. Also, you should ask your associate company, host representative or a well-informed contact to e-mail you current in-country criminal and terrorist threats and vulnerabilities for “research purposes.” This will optimize your local threat assessment. Historically, the earlier the threat assessment process is brought into the overseas business mission, the greater the chances become for kidnap prevention and safety. Keep safety as a foremost consideration. Keep safe on your international business trips and God speed.

Doc Rogers is the author of the new book entitled: Corporate Executive Protection – A Manual for Inspiring Corporate Bodyguards. Step-by-step instructions on providing corporate executive protection for those new to the industry as well as veterans. Doc is the Director of Dipolmatic Protection (DDP) for International Corporate Executive Protection. He is a Certified Protection Specialist and has a Ph.D in Security Administration. Prior to his appointment as DDP for International Corporate Executive Protection he was a former veteran police officer. Doc is widely regarded as the leading authority on Executive Protection In Southeast Asia and India. Order online at: http://books.trafford.com/07-1402

Executive Protection – Threat Appraisal

Threat assessments only reduce uncertainty; they do not eliminate the kidnap threat entirely. Executives will have to determine the presence and degree of the kidnap threat involved in each of their particular destination locations. This includes identifying the threat groups, defining the threats, determining the threat level and the level of protection needed. Executives will also have to increase their situational awareness through personal contact and observation to fully understand the local situation.

However, executives who collect threat information are not intelligence collectors. To satisfy threat appraisal needs, many multinational corporations engage executive protection risk management firms to contribute and facilitate their threat appraisal efforts. The best firms include threat appraisal information based on local knowledge, trusted local nationals, police, town officials and key figures within the foreign military forces.

There are private companies that conduct, for an international business clientele, ongoing risk assessments of countries, cities, airports and hotels. An executive protection risk management firm can assist with overseas business planning to ensure that executives have situational understanding of the kidnap threat, unique local area conditions, hazards that may be encountered and other nasty threats to avoid as well.

When conducting your own country threat assessments and appraisals from newspapers and Internet research, make sure the information is reliable and backed up by a trusted local source. When conducting your threat assessment, you may find it useful to document threat findings under the following ratings.

General Non-Threat

In view of your threat assessment, this is an area that contains no immediate threats of kidnapping or other violence. This does not certify the area as safe nor does it signify you can let your guard down. All it means is the general area has minimal kidnap risks that do not go beyond everyday common in-country risks. These areas are commonly located in tourist and upper-class sections of the city center such as luxury hotels with high standards of security, service, accommodations and facilities, affluent shopping centers and malls and fine dining restaurants and bars. If possible, executives should restrict movements within these coordinate points. Be prepared to react immediately whether or not your area is considered a general non-threat location as kidnapping can happen anytime and anywhere.

This is an area that needs to be clearly examined for potential threats of kidnapping or other violence. These areas would include the older or poorer sections of the city, an area where the morale of the population is suspect or areas where security forces may not provide procedures that deter planned kidnappings. It’s suggested that executives do not enter these types of environments alone or after dark. A potential threat area is not inherently dangerous, which is why executives don’t normally notice them. There is no reason to fear them; it’s what lingers there that you need to avoid. Such areas may have criminal elements lurking in the shadows or shadowy organizations known to exist. Nevertheless, acts of violence do not exceed moderate levels, and these elements are not considered so intense as to require executives to avoid the area entirely. Nonetheless, executives should avoid run-down areas and poor sections commonly located at the outer edges of the city. These are potential places from which to stage an attack.

The risk of kidnapping is persistent, and there have been informational warnings within the local newspaper and on television. The area is inappropriate for executive safety, and executives are strongly cautioned from entering such areas due to the harsher kidnap risks or lower security force capabilities. These are probable places from which to stage an attack.

High Threat

The area definitely contains threats of kidnapping or other violence. Executives are strongly urged to make these types of areas “no-go zones.” It is a dangerous, crime-infested area.The threat of kidnapping is high, and executives should be restricted from such areas and take the threat rating seriously. Such areas have excessive violence, a strong history of kidnappings and are often located on the outskirts of the city or an underdeveloped part of town. These are high-risk places from which to stage an attack.  “When the enemy is close at hand and remains quiet, he is relying on the natural strength of his position.” – Sun Tzu. Keep safe out there and God speed.

Doc Rogers is the author of the new book entitled: Corporate Executive Protection – A Manual for Inspiring Corporate Bodyguards. Step-by-step instructions on providing corporate executive protection for those new to the industry as well as veterans. Doc is the Director of Dipolmatic Protection (DDP) for International Corporate Executive Protection. He is a Certified Protection Specialist and has a Ph.D in Security Administration. Prior to his appointment as DDP for International Corporate Executive Protection he was a former veteran police officer. Doc is widely regarded as the leading authority on Executive Protection In Southeast Asia and India.