Rethinking Executive Security in an Era of Escalating Risk, by Chuck Randolph and Fred Burton

The tragic killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson has forced corporate leaders to confront a stark reality: the threat landscape facing today's executives is more complex, visible, and unpredictable than ever before. For years, many organizations have treated executive security as an ancillary service or an unnecessary luxury.  

This perspective is no longer tenable.

 With decades of experience in government and corporate security, we've observed firsthand how the convergence of physical and digital threats has created new vulnerabilities for executives. Protecting these key individuals is no longer just about shielding them from harm—it's about safeguarding shareholder value and the future of the organizations they lead. 

 The Converging Threat Landscape 

Executives today face risks from multiple fronts. High visibility in the public sphere, combined with the power of social media, has made it easier for adversaries to track movements, spread misinformation, or incite violence. Digital threats like doxxing, which exposes executives' private information, often spill over into the physical realm, putting leaders and their families at risk. 

This new era of risk requires a modern approach to security. Relying on reactive measures after a threat becomes imminent is not enough. Instead, organizations must adopt a proactive, protective intelligence model that integrates physical security, digital monitoring, and robust risk analysis to anticipate and mitigate threats before they materialize.

 Key take-aways:

· * In our elevated threat landscape, holistic threat assessments are required on the CEO, and re-evaluated quarterly.

·   * Digital monitoring for adverse intelligence signals is imperative.

·   * Discreet counter-surveillance teams need to be deployed on executives whose names have surfaced on wanted posters, in social media, and targeting cards. 

·  * Enhanced protection should be in place at public venues or scheduled events. 

·   * For the most part, a two-person shadow team of protection agents can cover any move by the CEO is a discreet fashion, if trained properly. 

  Balancing Security and Accessibility 

Many executives resist robust security measures, perceiving them as intrusive or counterproductive to their leadership style. This reluctance often stems from a misunderstanding of what modern security entails. The most effective programs are tailored, discreet “shadow” teams, and designed to support the executive's ability to lead without fear or disruption.    

For example, trained protection agents often double as logistical coordinators, offering both safety and efficiency, ensuring executives can operate confidently. Meanwhile, quiet investments in digital threat monitoring and home security systems can provide peace of mind for executives and their families without creating a visible "security bubble."   

To make these solutions work, organizations must foster a culture where security is seen as an enabler rather than an obstacle. This requires ongoing education and open communication between security professionals and the executives they protect.   

 The assassination of Brian Thompson is a wake-up call for corporate leaders, but it also represents a call to action for the security industry. Protecting executives is no longer just about physical safety—it's about empowering them to lead confidently in an increasingly unpredictable world. 

 Failure to recognize this is openly placing business, and CEOs’ lives at risk.

 Authors:  

Chuck Randolph is a decorated security and intelligence leader with over 30 years of experience. As Chief Security Officer for Ontic, he drives innovative solutions to complex risk challenges through the company’s Center for Connected Intelligence. A retired Lieutenant Colonel, Randolph has led security, protective, and intelligence operations in the military and a Fortune 50 company. He co-founded the International Protective Security Board and has been featured as an expert on CNBC and Fox Business News.

 

Fred Burton is a former special agent and New York Times best-selling author.  Voted by Security Magazine as “one of the 2021 most influential people in security”, Burton is routinely described as a “pioneer” in the field of protection.  He was the first to bring the concept of protective intelligence to the private sector in 1998 and his ground-breaking model has since become the gold standard in the protection of Fortune 1000’s and Ultra-High Net Worth individuals.   Burton has been featured as a terrorism, protection, and security expert on major news, tv and radio, to include, Canada Talks, Sirius XM, ABC Nightly News, CBS Evening News, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Morning Joe, The Daily Show, NBC's The Today Show, CBS's The Early Show, CNN, NPR, and FOX & Friends.  

Fred Burton in Security Management Magazine on the Murder of the UHC CEO

“The one thing that I’ve learned in this business… is that tragedy forces change,” said Fred Burton, executive director, protective intelligence for Ontic. “And it usually takes tragedy for security protocols to change.”

Fred Burton on CNN - UHC CEO Murder

Many firms will now increase corporate security personnel at offices and residences, deploy enhanced mail screening and focus on public events executives are attending, said Fred Burton, executive director of protective intelligence at Ontic.

“This is a watershed moment,” said Burton, a former US Secret Service official who later worked at the Diplomatic Security Service, the security agency of the US State Department.

Fred Burton on the Russian - U.S. Prisoner Swap

Fred Burton, executive director of protective intelligence at Ontic, says security practitioners traveling to certain countries—like Russia and China—can be viewed as intelligence personnel of the West and draw untoward surveillance.

“As someone who has debriefed many hostages held captive, none of the victims ever believed they could have been taken hostage,” Burton says. “Sadly, in today’s challenging security environment, Westerners—specifically Americans—can find themselves as hostages or political prisoners and used solely as political tools of foreign policy.”

Fred Burton on "The Hunt" with J.J. Green - WTOP (DC)

A missile attack by Yemen’s Houthi rebels on a commercial ship in the Gulf of Aden killed two of its crew members and forced survivors to abandon the vessel Wednesday. On this week’s edition of “The Hunt with WTOP national security correspondent JJ Green,” Fred Burton, executive director of Protective Intelligence at ONTIC, says this could lead to an escalation of the conflict in the region.