In this day and age, threats emanate from multiple directions. Some of these are physical threats that jeopardize the lives and security of high-profile clients. However, alongside these physical threats, there is a growing array of digital dangers that have escalated in recent years. These digital threats can be nearly as perilous, if not equally so, as physical threats because they have the potential to expose the client’s sensitive information, such as their address, to the public.
To mitigate and prevent digital risks and threats, celebrities and high-profile executives need to engage a high-quality, intelligent executive protection team. By adopting essential lifestyle changes and security-informed behaviors, it is possible to significantly reduce digital threats and bolster a client’s privacy and overall safety.
Social Media and Its Threat to Clients Safety
In today’s era, almost everyone is active on social media, often without much consideration for the content they share. Celebrities and billionaires are not exceptions to this trend. Many of the most well-known clients frequently post publicly without fully appreciating the sensitive information they unwittingly divulge to various malicious individuals.
For instance, many individuals will use their personal email addresses or phone numbers when registering for new social media accounts. Extracting this information from an account is significantly simpler than people might realize, rendering the individual vulnerable to various threats, particularly from stalkers. Likewise, it is common to observe celebrities sharing photos showcasing their homes, both interiors and exteriors. They may assume that the gated and secure communities in which they reside provide adequate protection against trespassers.. However, this perception is far from reality.
Criminals and stalkers possess a high level of determination and ingenuity, enabling them to circumvent community security measures and gates. It is paramount for clients to grasp that indiscriminate online postings of their residences can have dire consequences. Coordinates can be distressingly easy to decipher for unscrupulous individuals.
Keeping the Client’s Family Safe on Social Media
Another common social media mistake that clients make in the digital age is posting photos of their family and children on Instagram and other accounts. For very high-profile individuals, such as CEOs and billionaires, this is a dangerous thing to do. It can expose children to the threat of kidnapping or other targeted attacks. Instead, their privacy should be preserved for as long as possible so that paparazzi and bad guys cannot figure out what the children look like, where they attend school, or what their usual routine is.
Another key mistake all types of clients make is posting in real time. This shares directly with all types of people on the internet where the client is and exactly when. From this information, bad guys can stalk the client’s movements and begin to track their routine. Now, not only is the client in danger, but so is their entire family whenever they are included in posts.
Clearly, social media needs to be monitored carefully by the protection team to ensure that the client is not making one of these simple, but dangerous mistakes. And clients need to make small changes to their online presence that will have a huge impact on their safety and security.
Professional Boundaries with Protection Agents
Social media presence extends to those who are around the client, including their security detail. It is important to hire protection agents that are not chasing fame or money through their wealthy or famous clients. These bodyguards can actually create more of a risk for their clients instead of keeping them protected and safe. Unprofessional bodyguards are known to pose for photos with their clients and post them publicly. This shows bad guys where the client is and who their security is as well, which can lead to weaknesses in the security detail overall.
A flashy bodyguard might also flaunt their handgun on social media. This is something that should not be done for two reasons. Firstly, if there is an issue regarding the use of force or deadly force by the protection agent and then the agent is seen to be showing off their weapon on social media, it can leave the client open to a lawsuit and hurt their public image. Secondly, it can send the wrong message that the client is endorsing a flashy, muscle heavy approach toward their security. Instead, the security detail should be subtle and operate in the background.
Anonymous Lifestyle
The World Protection Group offers an exclusive service to our billionaire clients, the 001 protection service.
Part of this service is creating an anonymous lifestyle for the client in which all their private data and communications are completely anonymous and cannot be linked back to them. This can protect the client from all types of digital threats and is essential for these exceptionally high-profile individuals.
Read: How Billionaires Invest in Confidentiality and Privacy
Clients need to commit to maintaining an anonymous lifestyle through a few simple yet highly effective lifestyle changes. For instance, a pivotal adjustment involves altering how the client uses their phone. Instead of placing calls or sending texts directly from the device, the protection detail will install encrypted communication apps. These apps enable the client to communicate using alias numbers and emails, ensuring that the communication remains untraceable to them in the future. This level of security proves invaluable, benefiting both personal relationships and business collaborations.
Another strategy for preserving anonymity involves switching the search engine to DuckDuckGo, rather than relying on Google or Bing. DuckDuckGo is crafted with privacy and security as core principles, assuring that the client’s data remains uncompromised and undisclosed.
These represent just two modest adjustments; the protection detail would undertake a comprehensive assessment and implement a series of changes to establish a fully anonymous existence tailored to each client. Nonetheless, every client can effect smaller changes to bolster their security and safety against looming digital threats.
