Concern among chiefs of security about the safety of business leaders has risen sharply. That’s according to a World Security Report, commissioned by Allied Universal, the United States-based security and facility services contractor, and its international arm, G4S. The global report surveyed 2,352 chief security officers (CSOs) or those in equivalent roles, anonymously online, who were working for medium and large, global companies, in 31 countries, with total annual revenue exceeding $25 trillion. The study includes the perspectives of 200 global institutional investors managing over $1 trillion in assets. Near all of the institutional investors asked, 97 per cent, deemed it important for companies to invest in security for their executives; and seven in ten said that the contributions of senior executives represent 30pc or more of the value of the companies they invest in.
Misinformation and disinformation (incorrect or purposely false) is pervasive and can put senior executives at greater risk of harm, the study suggested. Three quarters of CSOs (75pc) say their companies were targeted by such a campaign last year. And 42pc say mis/disinformation motivates at least half of threat actors targeting their businesses. Activist groups, who often deploy this, increasingly pose a physical security risk to facilities and executives, according to 85pc of investors.
Physical security budgets will increase in the next 12 months, most, 66 per cent of security chiefs say. To mitigate the threat of violence to company executives, near half, 49pc of security chiefs say they have enhanced their security procedures (such as enhanced background checks, on site firearms or explosives screening) while 45pc say they are carrying out risk assessments for leaders (pre-event assessments, travel risk management, and TCSM – technical surveillance counter-measures). Some 44pc of security cheifs are monitoring online threats (whether social media, deep web or dark web) and 40pc are offering training and preparedness for leaders (such as in self-defence, or situational awareness).
What they say
