122 AUGUST 2019
using a variety of tools, including Social Searcher and Sprinklr,
to assess the number of vengeful references. When in doubt, he
hires Securitas to provide physical guards. Sometimes, you still
need a gorilla to scare away the bad guys.
All that being said, notes Cherries’ Aaron Cohen, if someone
makes her living off Instagram sponsorships, as his client Kar-
dashian West does, and she is charging millions for every post,
“that’s her job—so her digital security better be even better.”TOUR DE FORCE
For travel to exotic destinations, experts encourage private jets,
but security on the move is constantly changing. McIndoe’s
WorldAware has 110 intelligence analysts in four operations
centers around the world who track threats and plot flight plans
accordingly. Youngblood gives his high-profile CEOs loaner lap-
tops with no essential documents on them—and no connections
to companies’ main servers—for trips to unstable countries. “The
security detail keeps an eye on the devices, but they lose contact
when the devices go through airport screenings—and we usually
find malware on them,” he says. Programs such as Cylance use AI
to improve anti-malware software, but cyber viruses, like living
ones, are quickly adaptable and tricky to impede.
Even though Cohen works with conspicuous clients, he rarely
sends them from airports to hotels to fashion shows in armored
vehicles. “You don’t need all that unless you’re going to Iraq or
Syria, where the average baller is not going,” he says. Instead, he
advance-teams hotels by sweeping them with a technical counter-
surveillance crew on the hunt for listening devices, then installs
cameras and hires security guards trained in predictive-behavior
profiling and hand-to-hand combat. At least one guard followsthe client in a counter-surveillance vehicle and keeps an eye on
entryway doors during meetings.
Founded in the 1850s, Michigan-based Pinkerton, much like
WorldAware, specializes in comprehensive risk management in
foreign places and in offering real-time threat advisories that
it can send to clients’ satellite phones if cell service has been
knocked out. If there is a terrorist attack or other emergency,
Pinkerton will tell clients to shelter in place until they can be
evacuated or head to the airport in a provided car. “We monitor
hundreds of data sources, including weather alerts, government
emergency feeds, social media, news outlets, live web-cam feeds
and emergency service communications and filter that into intel-
ligence that can be used to direct our boots on the ground,” says
Pinkerton vice president James McClain. “If you’re a frequent
international traveler, especially to hot zones of unrest, and youhire a company that is not global, you are at a disadvantage.”
K2 Intelligence goes a step further and provides clients with
pre-travel intelligence reports. “We assess on-the-ground condi-
tions, potential political turmoil, boycotts at the hotel or on the
road, potential for violence, national protocols on health,” says
Doherty. His team prepares an emergency plan for kidnapping,
maps the fastest route to the nearest hospital and determines the
best spots for evacuation should the need arise. Medical evacua-
tions are the most common, and Doherty says his team is always
prepared for them. He recently created an intelligence report for
a client traveling to Latin America, where his team pinpointed the
nearest reputable English-speaking hospital as well as medical-
evacuation services through a partner firm. Good thing: “Our
client suffered a particularly rough fall, breaking several bones,
and was transported to our recommended hospital by his close-
protection security team,” he says. There it was determined that
the client would need surgery. “Fortunately, our pre-travel plan-
ning included medical evacuation, and at no cost to the client, he
boarded a dedicated flight to the US to receive top-tier care.”
Doherty also determines whether a well-known client’s trip
is being publicized online, thus leaving the home vulnerable and
requiring beefed-up security. In high-risk places or emerging
economies, K2 Intelligence sets parameters for a specific target
and assesses threats in that area, whether a city, a neighbor-
hood or a convention center. The firm also hires vetted drivers
trained in defensive driving and at times uses bullet-resistant
cars. Covert, close security dress in suits and pose as business
associates—and rarely leave the client’s side.
But even the wealthy who have fewer place values in their net
worth can sign up for a digital version of what K2 Intelligence
and Pinkerton offer. Newly launched app CloseCircle monitors
users’ exact locations and sends alerts about, say, rioting. In case
of a true emergency, a panic button prompts a human response—
no matter how remote the client is. “If the worst case happens,
CloseCircle deploys bodyguards and orchestrates evacuations,”
says COO Chris Job. “We are a virtual emergency response team.”
In the modern era, regardless of the client’s celebrity status or
net worth, experts say the best security is unseen. “Executive pro-
tection is usually provided in a low-key, under-the-radar fashion
that a protectee may never see, but that we can step up quickly if
risk spikes,” says Robert Oatman. “Good protection doesn’t sell
fear. It sells the opposite: freedom from fear.”One firm sweeps hotels for listening
devices and hires guards trained
in hand-to-hand combat.
Safe & SoundG2G_Aug_ModernSecurity.indd 122 7/2/19 3:49 PM122 AUGUST 2019
usingavarietyoftools,includingSocialSearcherandSprinklr,
toassessthenumberofvengefulreferences.Whenindoubt,he
hiresSecuritastoprovidephysicalguards.Sometimes,youstill
needagorillatoscareawaythebadguys.
Allthatbeingsaid,notesCherries’AaronCohen,ifsomeone
makesherlivingoffInstagramsponsorships,ashisclientKar-
dashianWestdoes,andsheischargingmillionsforeverypost,
“that’sherjob—soherdigitalsecuritybetterbeevenbetter.”TOURDEFORCE
Fortraveltoexoticdestinations,expertsencourageprivatejets,
butsecurityonthe move isconstantlychanging.McIndoe’s
WorldAwarehas110intelligenceanalystsinfouroperations
centersaroundtheworldwhotrackthreatsandplotflightplans
accordingly.Youngbloodgiveshishigh-profileCEOsloanerlap-
topswithnoessentialdocumentsonthem—andnoconnections
tocompanies’mainservers—fortripstounstablecountries.“The
securitydetailkeepsaneyeonthedevices,buttheylosecontact
whenthedevicesgothroughairportscreenings—andweusually
findmalwareonthem,”hesays.ProgramssuchasCylanceuseAI
toimproveanti-malwaresoftware,butcyberviruses,likeliving
ones,arequicklyadaptableandtrickytoimpede.
EventhoughCohenworkswithconspicuousclients,herarely
sendsthemfromairportstohotelstofashionshowsinarmored
vehicles. “You don’t need all that unless you’re going to Iraq or
Syria, where the average baller is not going,” he says. Instead, he
advance-teams hotels by sweeping them with a technical counter-
surveillance crew on the hunt for listening devices, then installs
cameras and hires security guards trained in predictive-behavior
profiling and hand-to-hand combat. At least one guard followstheclientinacounter-surveillancevehicleandkeepsaneyeon
entrywaydoorsduringmeetings.
Foundedinthe1850s,Michigan-basedPinkerton,muchlike
WorldAware,specializesincomprehensiveriskmanagementin
foreignplacesandinofferingreal-timethreatadvisoriesthat
itcansendtoclients’satellitephonesifcellservicehasbeen
knockedout.Ifthereisaterroristattackorotheremergency,
Pinkertonwilltellclientstoshelterinplaceuntiltheycanbe
evacuatedorheadtotheairportinaprovidedcar.“Wemonitor
hundredsofdatasources,includingweatheralerts,government
emergencyfeeds,socialmedia,newsoutlets,liveweb-camfeeds
andemergencyservicecommunicationsandfilterthatintointel-
ligencethatcanbeusedtodirectourbootsontheground,”says
PinkertonvicepresidentJamesMcClain.“Ifyou’reafrequent
internationaltraveler,especiallytohotzonesofunrest,andyouhire a company that is not global, you are at a disadvantage.”
K2 Intelligence goes a step further and provides clients with
pre-travel intelligence reports. “We assess on-the-ground condi-
tions, potential political turmoil, boycotts at the hotel or on the
road, potential for violence, national protocols on health,” says
Doherty. His team prepares an emergency plan for kidnapping,
maps the fastest route to the nearest hospital and determines the
best spots for evacuation should the need arise. Medical evacua-
tions are the most common, and Doherty says his team is always
prepared for them. He recently created an intelligence report for
a client traveling to Latin America, where his team pinpointed the
nearest reputable English-speaking hospital as well as medical-
evacuation services through a partner firm. Good thing: “Our
client suffered a particularly rough fall, breaking several bones,
and was transported to our recommended hospital by his close-
protection security team,” he says. There it was determined that
the client would need surgery. “Fortunately, our pre-travel plan-
ning included medical evacuation, and at no cost to the client, he
boarded a dedicated flight to the US to receive top-tier care.”
Doherty also determines whether a well-known client’s trip
is being publicized online, thus leaving the home vulnerable and
requiring beefed-up security. In high-risk places or emerging
economies, K2 Intelligence sets parameters for a specific target
and assesses threats in that area, whether a city, a neighbor-
hood or a convention center. The firm also hires vetted drivers
trained in defensive driving and at times uses bullet-resistant
cars. Covert, close security dress in suits and pose as business
associates—and rarely leave the client’s side.
But even the wealthy who have fewer place values in their net
worth can sign up for a digital version of what K2 Intelligence
and Pinkerton offer. Newly launched app CloseCircle monitors
users’ exact locations and sends alerts about, say, rioting. In case
of a true emergency, a panic button prompts a human response—
no matter how remote the client is. “If the worst case happens,
CloseCircle deploys bodyguards and orchestrates evacuations,”
says COO Chris Job. “We are a virtual emergency response team.”
In the modern era, regardless of the client’s celebrity status or
net worth, experts say the best security is unseen. “Executive pro-
tection is usually provided in a low-key, under-the-radar fashion
that a protectee may never see, but that we can step up quickly if
risk spikes,” says Robert Oatman. “Good protection doesn’t sell
fear. It sells the opposite: freedom from fear.”One firm sweeps hotels for listening
devices and hires guards trained
in hand-to-hand combat.
Safe & Sound