Issue 63 - Impersonating Humans by Circuit Magazine

News

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Reviews

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Opinions

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Intel

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Exclusives

CAN

HOW DO OUR

PRINCIPALS SEE US?

AI IMPERSONATE HUMANS? DEALING WITH A

MASS CASUALTY

INCIDENT

WHO IS

PROTECTING THE

PROTECTORS? A DAY IN THE LIFE

SAFETY FIRST CULTURE

CONTRACT MANAGEMENT 1

contents ISSUE 63 04

UK FOREWORD

US FOREWORD

INDUSTRY NEWS

WHO IS PROTECTING THE PROTECTOR

CYBERSECURITY FUNDAMENTALS: CAN AI IMPERSONATE A HUMAN?

HOW DO PRINCIPALS SEE US?

BEST PRACTICES: SECURING CLIENTS DURING A MASS CASUALTY INCIDENT

MEDIA SAFETY TRAINING: RESPONDING TO THE DEMAND

SO, YOU WANT TO BE A BODYGUARD?

TACTICAL MEDICINE: ESTABLISHING BOUNDARIES

BAD DECISIONS: AVOIDING THE HONEY TRAP

CONTRACT MANAGEMENT: FOR SECURITY PROVIDERS

CREATING A SAFETY FIRST CULTURE

CLOSING THE GAP: CORPORATE V CELEBRITY PROTECTION

GEOPOLITICAL ANALYSIS: AL-ZAWAHIRI'S LEGACY

ASK THE NABA NETWORK

GLOBAL SITUATION REPORT

104

TACTICAL FIREARMS FIREARMS FOR CLOSE PROTECTION

120

SITUATIONAL AWARENESS TRAINING

126

INDUSTRY EVENTS

128

KEEPING YOUR EDGE A DAY IN THE LIFE

135

CLASSIFIEDS

128

30 50

EDITOR FOREWORDS

UK FOREWORD Wow life is moving so fast. Did someone press fast forward on 2022? I feel like I only just finished writing the foreword for the last issue, and we are back here again with another issue of the Circuit Magazine.

The Circuit Magazine provides content covering a vast array of relevant topics within our sector. Each contributor works within the industry or has a skill set that can offer knowledge or services that will be beneficial to our readership. In addition, people who take the time to contribute to the magazine and podcast are potential assets that could become part of your network, so don’t be afraid to reach out.

Anyone spending any time in the Executive Protection space knows that time flies and situations can change rapidly, and a lot of the time changes will occur with little notice and through unforeseen, not predicted circumstances. So, how do you bounce back when times change, and you find yourself on Our goal as a magazine is to share insights the wrong side of the coin? from these contributors so we can all benefit from their knowledge and experiences, The executive protection space is an giving us different perspectives from extremely small world, and reputation is operators around the Globe. Why don’t everything, so to remain in good quality you consider contributing yourself? Pass work when times are tough, you need on some of the knowledge you have gained to have a first-class network. The costfrom your career, no matter what stage you of-living crisis in the UK is bringing many are at someone within our readership will personal and professional challenges to benefit and you may well reach someone individuals and businesses alike, so growing who you may not have previously aiding the your network has become ever more so expansion of your own network. important. However, whilst having a strong network is essential, you also need to be Summer is upon us so here’s from all at The someone that people within the network Circuit wishing you safe travels wherever you would happily readily call upon. A network may find yourself! is a two-way thing, and you should also be prepared to contribute, whether by sharing Stay safe connections and leads, sharing knowledge and resources or having a unique skill set Shaun West that can benefit others within the network. Editor

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EDITOR FOREWORDS

US FOREWORD Welcome to the latest edition of The Circuit Magazine, and while summer's coming to an end, rest assured, we aren't going anywhere. Proof of that is the fact that you are currently holding the latest issue in your hands (or on your screen) and I’m happy to announce is jam packed with useful information from front to back. On the subject of information, for those that remember the old Burger King motto, there at The Circuit, you really can, “have it your way.” What I'm saying is, the time has never been better for the Close Protection practitioner to have the ability to easily gather knowledge from a variety of sources. One of the beautiful things about the Circuit Media, which includes this magazine, our podcast, the weekly newsletter, and the NABA Protector & BBA-Connect apps, is the fact that we allow you to tap into a global network, that spans Australia, Asia, Africa and more. (I'm really just trying to find someone in Antarctica, and we've got things locked down!) Seriously, with all of these different writers and contributors, you get access to opinions and viewpoints from Protectors that you wouldn't normally interact with. Sure, there's traditional social media, but the problem is that there's so much noise and clutter that

it's hard to get to the essence of a thing, when you have to give a shout out to your grandma or have to keep scrolling past the latest teen dance challenges. So while we as consumers have a variety of social media at our disposal, I’m a bigger fan of the niche ones that focus specifically on the craft. In this case, I'm talking about the NABA Protector App, and the BBA-Connect App. Asks questions here, and you’ll likely get a answers minus all the smoke and mirrors from Keyboard Commandos and Super Ninjas. Ultimately, what we want to do is leave the industry a better place than when we came into it, so if you want to read a magazine, we got you covered. If you want to listen to a conversation, we got you covered. If you want to watch videos, we got you covered. If it's multimedia, and it's got anything to do with the close protection industry, the Circuit Media has you covered. Take a look at the following pages, and let me know if I'm lying. Elijah Shaw Editor

CIRCUIT MAGAZINE ISSUE 63

Industry News At A Glance

We cast our eye over the main stories impacting the security industry. Here's what's appeared on the radar since the last issue.

Jiu-jitsu legend Leandro Lo shot dead in Brazil club Leandro Lo, the Jiu-Jitsu world champion from Brazil, was shot and killed at a club in Sao Paulo. The suspect, an off-duty police officer, Henrique Otávio Oliveira Velozo, had reportedly swiped a bottle from Lo’s table. The action prompted the jiu-jitsu fighter to take him down and hold him. They were separated, and then Velozo got back

to his feet, pulled a gun and shot at Lo’s forehead. Lo was taken to Dr. Arthur Ribeiro de Saboya hospital but was declared brain dead hours later. “When in a foreign territory notoriously known for extreme violent crimes like Brazil the goal is never allow yourself to be sucked into a worthless ego fight over anything material.” – Ben Alozie Source >

INDUSTRY NEWS The 2½ seconds of security lapses that sealed Shinzo Abe's fate Bodyguards could have saved Shinzo Abe's life had they shielded or removed him from the line of fire in the 2½ seconds between a missed first shot and a second round of gunfire that fatally wounded him, according to eight security experts who reviewed footage of the former Japanese leader's assassination. The failure to protect Abe from the second shot followed a series of security lapses in the lead-up to the assassination of Japan's longest-serving prime minister on July 8, the Japanese and international experts said. In addition to the security experts, Reuters spoke to six witnesses at the scene and examined multiple videos available online, taken from different angles, to piece together a detailed account of security measures ahead of Abe's shooting. After leaving 67-year-old Abe exposed from behind as he spoke on a traffic island on a public road, his security detail allowed the shooter — identified Prince Andrew will KEEP his police bodyguards following review of his security detail in wake of Jeffrey Epstein scandal Prince Andrew will continue having taxpayerfunded, round-the-clock police protection after a full review of his security by the Metropolitan Police and Home Office. The review was revealed in January after the Queen stripped her second-eldest son of his military and charitable affiliations, as well as stopping him from using his HRH title. He later agreed to a significant financial settlement with Virginia Giuffre, who brought a legal case against him in the US and claimed he sexually abused her three times in 2001 when she was 17 after being trafficked by paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein. Andrew has consistently denied any wrongdoing. The settlement was originally claimed to cost £12million but reports last weekend asserted

by police as Tetsuya Yamagami, 41 — to come unchecked within metres of Abe. Yamagami was carrying a weapon, the footage showed. "They should have seen the attacker very deliberately walking toward the rear of the prime minister and intervened," said Kenneth Bombace, head of Global Threat Solutions, which provided security to Joe Biden when he was a presidential candidate. Although Abe's security tackled the assailant moments later and arrested him, it was the "wrong response" for some of the security to go after the shooter instead of moving to protect Abe, said Mitsuru Fukuda, a Nihon University professor specializing in crisis management and terrorism. There was enough security, "but no sense of danger," said Yasuhiro Sasaki, a retired police officer in Saitama prefecture near Tokyo. "Everyone was startled and no one went to where Abe was," he said. Source > Andrew’s lawyers negotiated a cut-price deal between £3million to £5million. The Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures assessed the security threat against Andrew but concluded he was still entitled to police bodyguards, according to the Daily Telegraph. Andrew will continue to have a personal protection officer whenever he leaves his home. The 30-room Royal Lodge on the Queen’s Windsor estate has permanent security arrangements. Andrew no longer undertakes official royal duties. The current day-to-day activities of the disgraced prince are unknown beyond horse riding and regular visits to the Queen. Andrew’s security is estimated to cost the public purse between £2million and £3million annually. Source >

CIRCUIT MAGAZINE ISSUE 63

General charged with murder in new twist to case of bodyguard Police in South Jakarta had initially said 27-year-old Bodyguard Nopryansyah Yosua Hutabarat had died on July 8 in a shootout with another team member at the home of his boss – Inspector General Ferdy Sambo, the head of internal affairs at the National Police – after sexually harassing Sambo’s wife. But after Hutabarat’s family claimed he had been tortured and his body was exhumed for a second autopsy, that narrative has been ripped up and replaced by a far more sinister version of events. Hours after President Joko Widodo again weighed in on the episode urging a thorough probe to protect the reputation of the police, the country’s top police officer said investigators now believe Sambo, 49, had ordered the killing of his bodyguard and driver and attempted to cover it up. General Listyo Sigit Prabowo, the national police chief, told reporters that an investigation involving ballistic and forensic examination, CCTV footage

and phone records had determined that Hutabarat had been shot at in the direction of Sambo. “After the fatal shooting, [Sambo] fired [Hutabarat’s] gun into the wall of his house in an attempt to simulate a shootout,” Prabowo said. Sambo has been charged with premeditated murder, an offence that carries the death penalty in Indonesia, as have two other men including another member of his protection crew. A fourth man, junior officer Second Patrolman Richard Eliezer Lumiu, 24, who is accused of firing the fatal shots at Hutabarat on the instruction of Sambo, has been charged with murder. According to news reports in Indonesia, Hutabarat had been suspected of having an affair with Sambo’s wife, Putri Candrawathi, for whom he also served as a driver and aide. But police said they were still investigating the motive behind the shooting. Source >

INDUSTRY NEWS Prince Andrew will KEEP his police bodyguards following review of his security detail in wake of Jeffrey Epstein scandal A federal investigation has determined that Professional Security Consultants Inc. – a Los Angeles-based security company that provides officers for shopping malls, schools, hotels, hospitals, office buildings and gated communities – repeatedly exposed its employees at the Boise Towne Square mall to workplace violence hazards and failed to follow its own procedures for interacting with armed individuals to enforce the mall’s code of conduct.

following the fatal shooting of an unarmed security officer on Oct. 25, 2021. OSHA cited the company for not instituting controls to protect security workers from hazards likely to cause death or serious physical harm. the agency proposed penalties totaling $14,502.

Who’s protecting Who’s protecting Who’s protecting YOU, while you YOU, while you YOU, while you protect others? protect others? protect others?

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration initiated an inspection

“Professional Security Consultants’ policies and procedures did not effectively address the risk of gun violence, a recognized hazard in the security services industry,” said OSHA Area Director David Kearns in Boise. “Every worker has the right to a safe and healthful workplace. This employer must provide enhanced safeguards and training to ensure workers have the knowledge and tools to better protect themselves against assault.”

Source >

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CIRCUIT MAGAZINE ISSUE 63

Oligarch ‘left fearing for his life in Ukraine bomb shelter’ as he faces trial

strikes and the threat that he will be targeted personally by Vladimir Putin’s forces.

A billionaire who lived in a £62.5 million London mansion has been hiding in his tracksuit in a bunker in Ukraine fearful of being targeted in a Russian hit, a court has been told.

His barrister Clare Montgomery QC told a hearing that the war has “rendered oligarchy a worthless concept in the Ukraine” and that Mr Bogolyubov “ends up as a man in his tracksuit leaving his home because he is frightened of being bombed.

Gennadiy Bogolyubov spent years enjoying his lavish home on Belgrave Square after moving to London in 2009 with his future wife Sofia. But the High Court has been told that Mr Bogolyubov – who is fighting legal claims that he and fellow oligarch Igor Kolomoisky defrauded billions of pounds from Ukraine’s biggest bank – is now a “frightened man” who has been forced to go into hiding in his home country because of the danger from Russian

“He has lost his bodyguards, it doesn’t appear that money would buy you bodyguards in the situation that appertains in Ukraine, and there he is faced with being on the Russian sanctions list, of being the subject potentially of the list for capture and either death or removal to Russia if the stories about the Russian hit list are true.” Source >

INDUSTRY NEWS Four people shot and injured at Marbella nightclub 'where Spanish king's nephew was celebrating birthday' Four people have been shot in a Marbella nightclub after a gunman went on a rampage on the crowded dancefloor. The shootings took place in the early hours of this morning at Opium Beach Club, a club popular with British tourists in the Spanish holiday hotspot. Footage shared online shows a fight breaking out among revellers in the VIP section, before a shooter took out his gun, causing a huge stampede as partygoers desperately fled the venue in chaotic scenes. He was then stabbed in the head and torso, sources said, and he remains in hospital in a serious condition. Police sources said the gunman was Dutch and one of the victims was an Irishman who was shot in the chest. At the club last night was Froilán de Marichalar, the nephew of the Spanish King Felipe VI, who was celebrating his 24th birthday, Look claimed. Dutch Love Island star Kelly van der Minne was also partying there and the influencer described the moment a

woman on the table next to her was shot in her backside. The shooting is believed to have occurred during a fight between two groups of revellers in a VIP area of the beach club after a man was thrown out moments earlier by bouncers. He is understood to have returned moments later to confront the gunman who reacted by pulling out a pistol after being knifed and missing his intended target as he fired the weapon. One man could be seen grabbing a giant bottle of Belvedere Vodka and swinging it round his head while another took his shirt off as if he was preparing for a punch-up before the shots rang out. One source said: 'The bouncers are understood to have thrown out a man who had been involved in an altercation and that man is believed to have returned with a knife and gone for the gunman who he had previously had a fight with. 'Police are working on the theory the gunman reacted by getting out the weapon he was carrying and trying to shoot him after being stabbed, but he missed his target and instead shot four other people.'

Source >

CIRCUIT MAGAZINE ISSUE 63 SIA Releases its Annual Business Plan – Highest Ever Number of Applicants The SIA intends to have ‘a significantly more visible presence’, the chief executive of the UK sector regulator has said in the document, Mark Rowe reports. The plan is for the number of SIA posts to top 400; in contrast to many years when it had something like 200 staffers. The rise is explained by the two largest categories: ‘Licensing and Standards’ 145 posts, and ‘Inspections and Enforcement’ 130. The document covers what the Authority plans to do in 2022-23 to deliver on its corporate plan, the resources that will be deployed, the performance indicators and measures the SIA will use to monitor progress and the ‘key strategic risks’. To repeat, the document states that the SIA will be ‘significantly increasing resourcing, our visibility and impact in our compliance, inspection and enforcement work across

the UK’. On the other arm of the SIA’s work (and income) besides SIA individual licences, the approved contractor scheme (ACS), a perennial subject for reform or tweaks, the document speaks of a scheme ‘fit for the future supporting high standards in security provision’. SIA in numbers According to the document, the SIA predicts over the year a total of 140,000 applications for individual licences will be received, ‘around 10,000 higher than experienced in the corresponding year of the preceding three-year licensing cycle. The SIA anticipates receiving over 230,000 ‘service requests’ in the technical support jargon; and 60,000 telephone calls in support of applications. The UK has some 445,000 ‘active licences’, and last year saw the highest ever number of applications received since the SIA began badging the sector in the mid-2000s.

Source >

TIKTOK LESSONS FOR SECURITY PROFESSIONALS WORLDVIEW

Imagine your thirteen-year-old girl sets up a TikTok account and posts harmless videos of herself having fun dancing and lip-syncing to her favourite tunes. Her popularity skyrockets on the social media platform as more users subscribe to view her latest videos. She is also active on other online social media platforms where she makes no effort to hide the fact that she is the girl with that TikTok account. Her followers, well… follow her to other social media sites and play online games with her. They chat with her and, being the personable and chatty girl she is, she says hi back to them all. Most are happy just to connect once and have a brief chat. However, it feels uneasy when your daughter mentions that one of her fans, an eighteenyear-old male with the username EricJustin111, seems to be present wherever she is online and always

Powered Stratfor tries to by communicate with her.

Now, imagine the peace of your safe and sleepy neighbourhood in Florida being shattered when Eric Justin strides up to the front door of your home and shreds it with a blast from his shotgun after having tracked down your daughter to your residence! That is exactly what happened to Ava Majury, a teenager who has lived to tell the tale, seemingly thanks to pure chance. Justin’s shotgun jammed mid-rampage, and Majury’s father, a retired police officer, was able to get to his handgun and incapacitate the intruder. Threats Are Everywhere Justin had gathered personal information on Majury by connecting with her classmates who sold him photos and information. He even did a child’s

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CIRCUIT MAGAZINE ISSUE 63

WHO IS PROTECTING THE PROTECTORS?

By Thomas Pecora

WHO IS PROTECTING

THE PROTECTORS? As a “protector” our primary mission is to ensure the safety of our protectee, but the other side of the sword, is we cannot accomplish our mission if we put ourselves in jeopardy (allow ourselves to become vulnerable). So how do we protect ourselves while accomplishing our mission? We should start with the basics – situational awareness! Situational awareness for protection specialists begins with research and intelligence gathering. We need a clear and current understanding of our threat environment – not only the actual

documented threats but also the possible and likely threats. We should assume that these threats are continuously evolving so this must be a never-ending process of assessment and adjustment. On the street, we will need to be processing the environment for the threats uncovered during our 17

CIRCUIT MAGAZINE ISSUE 63 research and analysis, but this is not enough. We also need to do ‘on the spot’ analysis of our environment for new threats and possible “wrong place – wrong time” situations. We need to be aware of our effect on the environment. Are we a natural part of the area or are we an anomaly? Do we blend in, or do we stand out? If we are not blending into the environment, we pose a risk to ourselves and our protectee as we are drawing unwanted attention. This may be harmless, or it may give an unfocused threat a target (target of opportunity). Better to be more of the “Grey Man”. I was transiting the Tokyo Narita international airport several years ago and I noticed a very tall (6 foot 7) male standing in the middle of a women’s clothing store in the airport duty free area. He stood out so dramatically I had to stop and watch to see what was happening. He was a clear anomaly in the environment. Lo and behold, a few minutes of observation rewarded me with a glimpse of Beyonce and her mother exiting a changing room in the store. I would never have noticed her if the “protector” had been outside the store maintaining a discreet distance and had lowered his profile by sitting or assuming a “shopping” persona. 18

Specialized Situational Awareness Training Personnel involved in protection, as a member of law enforcement, a security officer, or a protective agent, need to have specialized training in situational awareness to ensure they are able to recognize and appropriately react to any potential threat in the environment. There are several training courses available as well as some exceptional books on related subjects (Gavin de Becker’s “The Gift of Fear”, and “Left of Bang” by Patrick Van Horne). Arcuri Group has a 4-hour Situation Awareness Specialist® (SAS) course as well as a 5+-hour advanced course, the Advanced Practitioner (SAS – AP), which specifically addresses the terrorist attack cycle and protective operations. The most important aspect of the craft of situational awareness is that its principles must be practiced religiously - until they become a part of one’s subconscious. Only then can we focus on specific duties like protective operations and ensure we remain ‘switched on’ to possible threats to our protectee as well as to ourselves. Only if we can adequately “protect ourselves” will we be able to protect others. Low Profile Protection Details The move towards low profile protective details has shown some serious merit especially in

WHO IS PROTECTING THE PROTECTORS?

Only then can we focus on specific duties like protective operations and ensure we remain ‘switched on’ to possible threats to our protectee as well as to ourselves. Only if we can adequately “protect ourselves” will we be able to protect others.

situations where the protectee is not readily recognizable or does not maintain a predictable schedule and has no known threats. Creating the capability to conduct low profile protection cannot be done on a whim – it takes concentrated effort. The critical components include a selection process for personnel with surveillance or other clandestine activity experience and then combining that with specific training within the existing protection team. Low profile protection is a ‘team sport’ as coordination is critical to prevent misunderstandings and gaps in coverage. Creating and maintaining low profile protection programs is an art form and there are several professionals that have specialized in this area. The CIA’s Global Response Staff (GRS) was one of the first government programs that specialized in providing this type of protection, mainly for protecting CIA Case Officers conducting clandestine operations in high threat environments (high crime areas, low intensity conflicts, and warzones). I was a “plank-owner” in this unit having attended the first official training course in 1991. The GRS had to evolve to everchanging environments and has had a remarkable success rate while maintaining anonymity until the 2012 incident where 19

CIRCUIT MAGAZINE ISSUE 63 a GRS team rescued US State Department employees under attack in Benghazi, Libya. This incident was later documented in a book and movie called “13 Hours”! I wrote the prequel to this incident documenting the history of the GRS in my autobiography, “GUARDIAN – Life in the Crosshairs of the CIA’s War on Terror”.

this cycle could be exploited to prevent or mitigate an attack. The weakness was in the requirement for terrorists to conduct surveillance on the target to acquire the data necessary to plan and execute a successful attack. This attack cycle was later found to be in use by organized criminal elements and even active attackers.

A Change in Strategy: CounterSurveillance Teams If I was to describe the top level of protective operations, I would have to discuss the use of counter-surveillance (CS) personnel to augment the protection team. As a response to successful terrorist attacks on a number of notable figures in the 80s and 90s, protective operations theory changed from the ‘Iron Box’ modus operandi (guys with guns and armored vehicles) to a focus on attacking weaknesses in the terrorist planning cycle. When protection teams realized that the Iron Box was ineffective, they had to find a new method to prevent or mitigate the terrorist threat.

As a result of this realization, and the serious threat posed by some terrorist elements to the CIA Director and Deputy Director, a CS element was created to specifically look for the terrorist surveillance signature. I was a member of one the first countersurveillance teams in the US Federal government working with the CIA Director’s Protective Detail and we often operated independently from the detail but maintained constant communications with them to ensure they knew our location, what we were doing, and how we would support the movements.

A thorough study of the terrorists and their methods revealed that they were all using a variation of a terrorist planning and attack cycle and that weaknesses within 20

This CS element became an essential part of protective operations efforts at the CIA, augmenting advances in protective intelligence investigations. I participated

WHO IS PROTECTING THE PROTECTORS?

in and then managed countersurveillance teams specifically focused on providing this additional capability for protection teams. In situations where protection teams were unfeasible, the CIA utilized specialized Counterterrorism Surveillance Units to look for the terrorist surveillance signature on our personnel in hazardous environments.

These CT units have remained a clandestine element in the CIA’s arsenal except for a revelation of the unit’s role in finding and documenting Carlos the Jackal in Khartoum, Sudan, in a book written by Billy Waugh titled, “Hunting the Jackal”. The only other mention of this unit and its activities was in my book, “GUARDIAN” where I discuss my time working in the unit in 21

CIRCUIT MAGAZINE ISSUE 63 Europe, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. Protectives Operations CS Teams If adding a protective countersurveillance team is an option, there are some definite advantages, not only for the protectee, but also for the protective detail. CS teams, dedicated to advancetype activities and overwatch positions during protection activities, provide the highest possible protection envelope. By combining the best of protective operations techniques with the best surveillance techniques, we can saturate an area, in advance, recognize threats or possible threats, and adjust tactics - all prior to the arrival of the protectee. This is the best “avoidance” capability and, avoiding the need to react to a threat should the primary goal of a protection team. The US Secret Service felt that if the protection team had to react to a threat,

they had failed on several levels – protective intelligence, advances, etc. Staffing appropriately and adequately is critical for the success of any element within protective operations and this is no less the case with a CS element. Personnel experienced in covert operations or surveillance are ideal for this work if they are thoroughly trained in protective operations methodology. All members of the protection team must know what and how the other elements support each other to prevent mistakes and gaps in coverage. Starting with the situational awareness responsibilities of the individual protective agent, we can add low profile protective operations, and if staffed and trained correctly, a CS element, to provide protection for not our the protectee but also for the protection team members.

Thomas (Tom) Pecora is a former CIA Senior Security Officer who retired after 24 years of protecting Agency personnel. He managed large security programs and operations in Africa, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, and in the war zones. He has over 29 years of experience in protective operations, crisis management, personnel/physical security, and counter-terrorism. As Director of Pecora Consulting Services, he provides security vulnerability and threat assessments, as well as personal safety and crime prevention/ avoidance skills training. His memoir, “GUARDIAN –Life in the Crosshairs of the CIA’s War on Terror” will be published on May 7th, 2019.

WHO IS PROTECTING THE PROTECTORS?

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CIRCUIT MAGAZINE ISSUE 63

CAN AI IMPERSONATE A HUMAN? By James Bore

cyber security fundamentals

Can AI Impersonate a Human? Given a recent bit of controversy around Google's new AI, LaMDA, being claimed to be sentient I thought it was a good time to talk about AI again.

If you've not come across it, an engineer from Google (now suspended) claimed that he was convinced the AI was 'sentient'. In judging these claims, the chat log he used as 'proof' was heavily edited for readability, and was compiled from nine different conversations with the chatbot, so conscious, sentient AI is still a long way off. I've spoken about Deep Fakes and AI-generated content before,

but while there have been a few incidents of faked voice calls for scams, and faked videos for humour, Russia's activities in Ukraine have highlighted how these can be weaponised for propaganda purposes. In May, the Ukrainian government released a series of audio recordings in which Russian officials were allegedly discussing the situation in Ukraine. The twist? The people speaking on the 25

CIRCUIT MAGAZINE ISSUE 63 recordings had been replaced by AI-generated voice clones. This is far from the first time that AI has been used to create fake content. In 2017, a company called Lyrebird released a platform that allows anyone to create an AIgenerated voice clone from just a minute of audio. The results are impressively realistic.

In the wrong hands, AI-generated content is used to create fake news stories, spread misinformation and propaganda, and even to generate fake reviews and testimonials. As AI gets better at generating realistic content, it's becoming more difficult to tell what's real and what's fake. This poses a serious threat to our ability to distinguish between reliable information and disinformation. Deep fakes are a particular concern because they can be 26

used to create realistic, believable audio and video content that is very difficult to distinguish from the real thing. This means that deep fakes could be used to spread misinformation, or even to impersonate people for fraudulent purposes. Can you tell the difference between AI and human content?

Now this is a bit of an experimental post, and I'll explain why in a bit, but I want to ask how sure you are that you can tell the difference between something created by an AI, and something created by a human. To help with this, I've got two pieces of content. One is AIgenerated, and one is humangenerated. Can you tell which is which? One is a photograph of a dog on a beach from Meg Sanchez

CAN AI IMPERSONATE A HUMAN? on Unsplash, and the other is a completely artificially generated picture of a dog on a beach from an AI tool called DALL-E 2. To avoid spoiling the surprise, I'll tell you which is which at the end of this article. All fairly light-hearted so far, but this has real consequences for security on individual and national levels. Let's try another one. One of the two pictures above is a frame from a genuine video. The other is taken from a faked video of Prime Minister Zelenskyy announcing peace and demanding Ukrainian troops lay down their arms. The video was established as a fake quickly,

and generally ridiculed for poor quality, but there are much more sophisticated fakes out there. We're very much past the time of Deep Fake technology being used to create fake pornography for sale, or for extortion purposes, which has been going on for years. With technologies like DALL-E 2, 'proof' of guilt can be created from nothing more than a description in photographic form, and it won't be long before that applies to video as well. Deep Faked audio is already sophisticated enough to be difficult to distinguish from reality, as you can find out if you try Lyrebird. Of course, it doesn't stop there.

CIRCUIT MAGAZINE ISSUE 63 Can you tell the difference between AI and human writing?

There's a second experiment at play in this article. Roughly half of it is written by an AI system, while the other half is written by hand (well, typewriter). See if you can tell which is which. The reason why I'm doing this experiment is to show just how good AI systems have become at imitating human communication. In particular, I wanted to test whether an AI system could successfully impersonate a human in any context.

So far, the results have been mixed. On the one hand, the AI system has been able to fool some of you into thinking that it is human. On the other hand, other people have been able to tell that it is not human. Of course, that does mean some of you have decided that I'm not

human either (unless that was written by the AI of course, this could get a bit confusing). Regardless of the outcome of this experiment, one thing is certain: Deep Fake technologies are getting better and better, and are a genuine threat on both individual and societal levels through misinformation, potential extortion, impersonation, and myriad other attack vectors that we haven't even conceived of yet. Tools to recognise generated content are far less developed and less common than tools to generate it, and so currently maintaining suspicion of anything that seems out of character and validating content through other means is the only approach that seems viable. Incidentally, with both of the sets of pictures above, it was the left hand one which was the fake.

James Bore is an independent cybersecurity consultant, speaker, and author with over a decade of experience in the domain. He has worked to secure national mobile networks, financial institutions, start-ups, and one of the largest attractions’ companies in the world, among others. If you would like to get in touch for help with any of the above, please reach out at james@bores.com 28

CIRCUIT MAGAZINE ISSUE 63 By Greg Threatt

Have you ever looked at your Principal and thought, I wonder what they think of us?

How do Principals see us? 30

HOW DO PRINCIPALS SEE US?

This subject has been on my mind for some time, but I’ve been hesitant to ask due in part to confidentiality, discretion, and frankly, the lack of opportunity. But having built the relationships and earned the trust of the interviewees, I was able to capitalize on these unique circumstances and explore this subject to a deeper degree. It’s important to note that this information wasn’t obtained in a vacuum. It was done in the context of security, which entails a certain level of privacy and discretion, no matter the end goal. Any shared thoughts were

with the understanding that they may appear in this article. So, the question remains, what do we look like to a Principal? Do they see the value that we add, or are we just a necessary part of doing business at their level? Are we a help or a hindrance? Do they realize the ROI, or are we just someone that follows them around because of someone else’s risk assessment? And the answer is, as it often is: It depends. It depends on the Principal’s view of their own status, their current knowledge of any threats against 31

CIRCUIT MAGAZINE ISSUE 63 them and their families, their experiences having a security detail around them, and many other factors. Now, I believe their view of their status is worth clarifying. Everyone’s viewpoint is through the lens of their history, current circumstances, and ambitions. The way you see yourself is not always the way others see you. In the same way that what someone says can be misunderstood or “taken the wrong way,” viewpoints are subjective. This article will discuss some of the widely varying factors that help shape the Principal’s overall opinions regarding Security Practitioners. One of the most significant factors in a Principal’s view of security is their experience with having a security detail at all. Those that have employed Security Practitioners in the past were much more inclined to trust newly hired Practitioners with every day and low-risk tasks early on, mainly to gauge their actions, responses, and ability to follow simple instructions. Those Practitioners that did well tended to remain gainfully employed. Unfortunately, those overzealous in their drive to be a “rock star” or opposingly too passive found themselves seeking other employment. As 32

I’ve been a CEO for 40 years and never had security before, and now they [the company] say I have to have it. I think it’s a sign of the world we live in.

HOW DO PRINCIPALS SEE US? always, The Golden Rule always applies: Those that have the Gold… make the rules!

through the lens of your own experiences.

So, what effect does having After speaking with a UHNWI, Personal Security impart on their and a few CEOs, I was able to lives? When done correctly, even gain some remarkable insights. though that is also sometimes subjective, having Personal To better understand what Security should add value to Personal Security looks like from the Principal’s professional and the Principal’s perspective, we personal life through services need to know a little more about like; knowledge of protocols, their state of mind, whether facilitating schedules and travel, they’ve employed Security route planning, protective Practitioners in the past or if it’s intelligence, security and safety, new to them. Their viewpoints and so much more, all while can be vastly different. being done with discretion in a concierge-style service. All When asked, “What comes to of the available services and mind when you think of Personal their utilization add to the Security?” one Saudi Prince experience, their outlook on it, said, “High Qualifications and and more importantly, it can Confidentiality.” While on the add to the bottom line. Profits other hand, a Fortune 500 CEO can largely be affected by the said, “I’ve been a CEO for 40 loss of time during the day years and never had security performing tertiary tasks. These before, and now they [the tasks could be sitting in a traffic company] say I have to have it. I jam, getting coffee, or picking think it’s a sign of the world we up dry cleaning. Whereas this live in.” time could be better-spent strategizing, communicating Unfortunately, when someone with board members, or in some hasn’t had a security detail cases spending time with their assigned to them, much less families. for most of their life, it can be daunting to have a constant If, for example, the Principal is reminder of one’s own safety new to having a Security Detail, following them around. they may see them simply as Remember, your world is viewed another Personal Assistant or, 33

CIRCUIT MAGAZINE ISSUE 63 worse yet, a burden. Those viewpoints seem to lack a thorough understanding of the full potential of employing a Security Practitioner and their potential to be a capability multiplier. However, a Principal that has previous experience or better still has allowed the Practitioner to spell out the advantages of their services is much more likely to view this added personnel in an overall favorable light in which they

can reap the rewards of the Practitioners years of expertise. Now that we’ve learned a little more about how it can affect their outlook regarding Personal Security let’s delve into where they are most likely to find those highly trained professionals. Of the three main categories: Military, Law Enforcement, and Security, which group are they most likely to hire from and why.

HOW DO PRINCIPALS SEE US? I’ve always found that the best place to start anything is the beginning. And in this case, that’s the hiring process. With all things being equal, I inquired, if you had a choice to hire a Security Practitioner with ten years of Law Enforcement, Military, or Personal Security experience; which are you most likely to engage? The Saudi Prince responded: “I would prefer ten years of Personal Security experience, and here is why: People with that kind of experience deal with clients on a very high level. They’ve built up expertise in certain mentalities. They deal with Royalty, CEOs, and very wealthy people on their level. And they have experience keeping them safe, not just from being attacked but also from the media, blackmail, and other unique threats. People from the Military or Law Enforcement won’t have that personal touch.” One young CEO had a different outlook, however. He preferred Practitioners with Law Enforcement backgrounds, as they were able to use their connections in the city to facilitate convenience, and “they know the best routes and traffic

patterns which makes for fewer delays when navigating large cities like New York.” No matter the preference or the specific category their Practitioners were pulled from, there was an undeniable theme throughout. To explore that further, we need to determine what particular traits are valued most by those who hire Personal Security details. Is there a commonality across the board that is highly sought after? Overall, the answer is yes. And it was consistently three traits: First and foremost was Confidentiality, followed by specialized training, and then being an exceptional problem solver. In general, doing business requires at least a modicum of confidentiality. And since all of the Principals I spoke with lead their answers with that specific trait, it stands to reason that any incongruence with that would be seen as the worst offenders. With that being said, one of the aspects of having ten years of experience dealing with Principals on their level is the skill to determine when to share information, with whom, and for what reason. There 35

CIRCUIT MAGAZINE ISSUE 63 is an implication of trust just because we are present, and we are regularly the recipient of highly sensitive information. When used correctly and with the utmost discretion, dissemination of selective information can significantly increase the Practitioners effectiveness while simultaneously reducing the inconvenience of an already tight itinerary. I will explore this further in subsequent articles. Thoughts shared by Principals on specialized training ranged from Martial Arts to EMT certifications. While these Principals rarely had specific knowledge of what it takes to become a Professional Security Practitioner, they were confident that specialized training was required to operate at their level. The years of unique experience dealing with clients on their level hones the Practitioner’s skills, making for more efficient applications. Effectiveness and efficiency are essential to reducing liability and mitigating risk to the Principal. They were adamant that the Practitioner they hired would reflect themselves and their companies. This meant that the expectation of professionalism is a standard that was unspoken but very much a standard by which the Practitioner was judged. 36

And third, being an exceptional problem solver was frequently expressed as a highly soughtafter trait. Whether they were new to having Personal Security or have had it their entire lives, these Principals expressed the advantages of having a Practitioner that was an exceptional problem solver. This trait was sussed out early when the everyday tasks were assigned, and the results were analyzed. Even when they are daily tasks, solving seemingly innocuous problems has paid off down the road on innumerable occasions. Exceptional problem solving is a talent and, therefore, difficult, if not impossible, to teach. Working problems from outside the box can be one of the most significant opportunities to maneuver the Principal into a favorable position without disturbing the natural order of things from the Principal’s perspective, which is rarely seen and even more rarely rewarded. In general, the Principal doesn’t get to see the things that almost all of us have wished they would see at some point in our careers, which is just how much work goes into making it all look like magic. The Swimming Swan is

HOW DO PRINCIPALS SEE US?

In general, the Principal doesn’t get to see the things that almost all of us have wished they would, which is just how much work goes into making it all look like magic.

my favorite analogy for this. Beautiful and serene on the surface for everyone to see, but underwater, paddling like mad. The times missed with families, the mental and physical stress of travel, lack of sleep, and poor diet due to hectic schedules are all part of the game. But if it were all that bad, we would stop doing the job. I want to borrow a quote from the film “Fury”; “Best job I ever had!” As Security Practitioners, we do as much as possible, and in some cases, the seemingly impossible, to ensure everything goes right for our clients and with the absolute least amount of impact on their schedules. As stated before, some Practitioners can become a bit overzealous in their pursuit to impress their employer. When that occurs, the Practitioner is lucky if the Principal doesn’t hear about it from someone else and is even luckier if the Principal doesn’t see it themselves. In some cases, the Practitioner isn’t intentionally overstepping their boundaries, they are simply trying to do what they think the Principal wants, based on their viewpoint. …Remember that? From earlier? Overstepping boundaries can be anything 37

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from getting front row tickets to a concert when the Principal asked for general admission tickets for his family, to arranging hotel reservations before the Personal Assistant had a chance to because they thought it wasn’t being done promptly. Whatever the misstep, it is rarely missed by the Principal and is, in fact, one of the failings they see most often. When asked which attributes they had seen to be the most 38

damaging, the overwhelming responses were: Overstepping boundaries, which we have just explored, and a revolving door of agents. Suppose what the Principal wants is unclear or changes without the Practitioner noticing, and missteps are made. In that case, it can cause the Principal to lose trust in the Security Practitioner, which has sometimes led to the necessity

HOW DO PRINCIPALS SEE US? of replacing the offending party, which, if you haven’t guessed by now, is almost always the Practitioner. The revolving door of agents isn’t something that the Principal wants because they now have to start building trust in someone new. The efficiency of their itineraries can be affected, in turn affecting the bottom line. They then have to expose their privacy to another person. In other words, they want to see the same person so they can feel comfortable with having them around, and they want to feel confident in that person’s skills and that the Practitioner understands their role in the organization; however, they don’t want the Practitioner so comfortable that they start trying to be one of the group. This can be one of the easiest traps for a Security Practitioner to fall into. Many Principals are very gracious and inviting, partly in an effort to make themselves feel more comfortable with having the Practitioner in such proximity, all hours of the day and night. But partly because they want the Practitioner to get to know the group in an effort to blend in with their environment better. The problem isn’t that the 39

CIRCUIT MAGAZINE ISSUE 63 at all. Keep in mind that they are sensitive to turnover. The discomfort sometimes stems from a lack of awareness and utilization of the benefits of having security. And as we all know very well, trust is earned. But what do Principals see as In fact, trust is difficult to achieve, harder to maintain, the most significant problems and virtually impossible to they experience with having security? The number 1 answer, regain. hands down, was: Hesitation The good news is that once the on the part of the Principal to Principal has a more thorough feel comfortable in front of understanding of the benefits of their Security Practitioner. But employing the right Practitioner, what, you may ask, does that mean? Well...you guessed it…It the Principal can then capitalize on the capability multiplier depends! of those services. The focus can then move from building It could also mean that the trust to realizing the return on Principal hasn’t had the investment. opportunity to get to know them. It could mean that the So how the Principals see Principal has observed things us depends on what we that have given them cause show them through our for concern regarding the practitioner’s skills or behavior, professionalism, training, or it could mean that they aren’t tireless work ethic, and love for the job itself. comfortable having security Practitioner is being included in the group; it’s when the Practitioner forgets that they are an employee and starts overstepping their boundaries.

Greg Threatt is a 28-year veteran of the Security industry with expertise in International Security Operations, protecting highranking members of the Saudi Royal Family, Fortune 500 CEOs, and other Ultra-High Net-Worth Individuals. 40

TEAM BEHAVIORAL TRAITS SHOW MINDSET GAPS

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Best Practices for Securing Clients During a

Mass Casualty Incident

When you think about attending a major high occupancy event (concert, ball game, political rally etc.), what are some of your pre-event considerations? Pre-event planning minimal considerations

event being held deep in a rival’s territory? Who are their rivals and/or who It is critically important you stands to gain from your understand the physical client’s demise? If this is event space as well as a concert, is their ‘beef’ the audience who will between artist camps be attending the show or record labels (i.e. (i.e. demographics and financial disputes, gang psychographics). How well relationships)? What are do you understand the the MCI protocols? What event? Is this a political are the on-site capabilities rally, how supercharged of the response team? is the audience? How polarizing is the speaker When you can't do or political group? Is this a full advance or at 42

BEST PRACTICES FOR SECURING CLIENTS By Mark “Six” James CPO, EPS, CAS

minimum of a hasty advance how do you gain perspective on a new location to be visited? Consider virtual advances using Google Earth, venue websites or mall maps. Consider training trusted individuals who may have prior location knowledge. Additionally you can enlist onsite management (promotor, security, production management, executive

assistants, production assistant/ artist liaisons, etc.). If you are out with the principal, and the family or their team get separated, what instructions have you given them on how you will communicate or reconnect, where will you reconvene? Before we can discuss potential strategies and tactics if is first important that we level set a few 43

CIRCUIT MAGAZINE ISSUE 63 definitions. These definitions can help us understand the various contingencies we may have to consider.

injury or death to a specifically identified population using multifaceted conventional weapons and tactics.

Active Shooter Event (ASE) An active shooter is an individual actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a confined and populated area; and continues to do so while having unrestricted access to additional victims.

Examples: Bataclan Theater Terrorists – Paris France (AKS-74s Rifles, Semi-Automatic Pistols and Suicide Vests)

Examples: Las Vegas Shooter (Multiple Modified Carbine Rifles – Colt, Noveske, LWRC, Smith & Wesson, FNH, Daniel Defense etc.). Buffalo Shooter – Buffalo, NY (Semi-Automatic AR15 Rifle) Active Shooter/Mass Casualty Incidents AS/MCI range from extensively planned terror related events to unplanned revenge –motivated or random events. We cannot merely focus on strategies to mitigate risks from ASE we must also think other MCI, because outside of the USA 70% of the MCI are with IEDs. Example: Boston Marathon Bomber – Boston, MA (IEDs)

West Gate Mall Terrorists – Nairobi, Kenya (Incendiary Devices, AK47s, G-3 Assault Rifles and Grenades) Before the Flashpoint The active shootings at Buffalo, Uvalde, El Paso, Dayton, Paris (Bataclan Theater) Las Vegas, or Charleston left a trail of victims because the shooters were far more prepared than those who suffered in those ordeals. Active shooters generally have a singular focus - cause as much carnage as possible. They often seek to block, or booby trap exits to increase the number of casualties and impede law enforcement’s response. Quick, accurate assessment of conditions is critical to surviving.

During the Emergency Take immediate action. Lock and barricade doors. Evacuate Hybrid Target Violence (HTV) your family or client and other (HTV) is defined as an intentional relevant personal via preplanned use of force to cause physical evacuation routes to your 44

BEST PRACTICES FOR SECURING CLIENTS

preidentified safe haven. The Department of Homeland Security has done a great job of educating the public on the concepts of Run, Hide, Fight but what does that really mean. RUN - Evacuating Once you’ve oriented and put the sounds you are hearing into context, you will need to act. Fleeing must be purposeful. When evacuating consider taking cover - avoid going prone particularly on hard surfaces it limits your mobility and bullets often travel along the floor and other hard surfaces.

If left without cover, move to concealment (i.e. hedges, clothes rack, and drywall). While concealment can’t stop a bullet it can hide you from the view of the shooter. Exit the kill zone as soon as tactically possible. Consider leap frogging away from the shooter using cover as you retreat. Consider assisting those with special needs or disabilities if appropriate (remember special needs may include language barriers). Getting out and away from the problem is the best survival option. Consider Primary, 45

CIRCUIT MAGAZINE ISSUE 63 Secondary and Tertiary Exits. Consider lower-level windows escape options. If pinned down, try to wait for a lull in the firefight: • the shooter reloading, • weapon malfunction or • getting distracted. Call emergency services (911 in the US) and get help on the way. From the initial onslaught you will be on your own. Expect the Unexpected In a crisis time people naturally migrate toward leadership. Be prepared for other unknown terrified civilians to follow your lead or alter your plan out of fear. After the initial shock and awe shooters often move to the clearing stages, hunting for additional victims. If you are unfamiliar with the layout of

In a crisis time people naturally migrate toward leadership. Be prepared for other unknown terrified civilians to follow your lead or alter your plan out of fear.

BEST PRACTICES FOR SECURING CLIENTS the location, look for information such as mall directories or evacuation maps to identify exits. Hide If evacuation is not possible, find a place to hide where the active shooter is less likely to find you. Your hiding place should be out of the active shooter’s view and provide protection if shots are fired in your direction. Your hiding place should not trap you or restrict your options for movement. Barricading If your temporary safe haven is inside of an office building, school, library or similar facility consider barricading in an office as you take cover. Use heavy furniture (filing cabinets, desks, bookshelves) or credenzas to barricade an office door if it opens inward. Once your furniture is in place consider filling them with large books such as manuals. This will increase the ballistic stopping capabilities of the furniture while also increasing the weight making it more problematic for a perpetrator to move.

on the door. Turn off radios and computer monitors if possible and silence cell phones. Signs can be placed on interior doors and windows…remember the shooter can also see these signs. Place signs in exterior windows to identify the location of injured person(s). Keep occupants calm and quiet - create a sense that no one is inside the room. Stay out of sight and behind items that might offer additional protection. Consider angles and layers. Choosing to Fight Don’t go looking for an active shooter. Try to find cover and a position that gives you a tactical advantage. We are not looking for a duel, we are looking for a controlled ambush. Remember this is a deadly force situation. Stay quiet and be attuned to environmental sounds.

A backpack, soft sided briefcase or small duffle-bag stuffed with books may serve as impromptu body armor. If you encounter the threat, do whatever is necessary to neutralize the threat. Other team members should secure something to bound and gag the shooter while Preparing the structure and awaiting law enforcement. Move occupants: Close the blinds, turn others into a position of cover off interior lights, block windows away from the initial line of fire 47

CIRCUIT MAGAZINE ISSUE 63 and prepare to defend. Avoid leaving a secure barricade with a firearm visible unless you are going to hunt for the shooter. If you decide to pursue the shooter or bomber it will involve shifting the mindset, objectives, and tactics of both you and the perpetrators.

nervous system. Your objective is not to take life, but to protect life. Suicide Bombers Understanding suicide bombers. When suicide bombers feel pressure, they detonate. If you choose to engage a suicide bomber your objective is to engage them outside of the arena, office, or other high occupancy area. Consider engaging them from a distance. Make sure you are outside of the projected blast radius.

Shifting the Mindset You must shift the active shooter’s mindset from murdering to surviving; from surviving to escaping; from escaping to surrendering. Your objective is to stop the threat. What do we do post violence or Neutralizing the threat may be if we have injured in a secure accomplished multiple ways and location? does not always involve injuring or putting the shooter down, the shooter surrendering is threat neutralization. Anything we can do to stop the shooter from murdering and injuring people is winning. If you find yourself inside a MCI and you are armed and forced to encounter a perpetrator wearing body armor, you may be forced to consider alternate engagement zones other than the thoracic cavity (high center mass). You may consider taking the mobility of the shooter by targeting the pelvic girdle; or neutralizing the shooter by targeting the ocular cavity shutting down the central 48

BEST PRACTICES FOR SECURING CLIENTS Emergency Treatment Considerations: • Treat for shock • Treat for Bleeding • Treat for Blast injuries

First Responders The first response team will typically be a small unit of officers or a solo officer. They may be in uniform or plain clothes but will generally be identifiable as law When we look at civilian enforcement either by uniform, terrorist attacks, uncontrolled badge, or tactical vest. Don’t hemorrhaging will be the highest expect first responders to render leverage-able area that lifesaving first aid; their initial concern is intervention can take place in neutralizing the threat. the initial moments of a terrorist attack. Interacting with First Responders Do not immediately run toward Most Common Blast Injures the officers but listen for their • Over-pressurization force commands. Put down any (Blast Wave). Ruptured items in your hands and keep eardrum, pulmonary damage, your hands in plain view (fingers air embolization, hollow viscus spread). Avoid making quick injury. movements toward officers. • Injuries from Projectiles If you are carrying a firearm, (Bomb Fragments/Flying consider holstering your weapon. Debris). Penetrating trauma, fragmentation injuries, blunt We hope the above trauma. considerations will help • Injuries from displacement significantly enhance you and of Victim. Blunt/penetrating your client’s chances of surviving trauma, fractures, and a mass casualty incident. traumatic amputations.

Mark “Six” James is Founder and Executive Director of Panther Protection Services, LLC. He is an internationally published author, keynote speaker, security consultant to educational institutions and frequent contributor to print, broadcast and online media. Panther Protection Services is a full-service protection agency focusing on Risk and Crisis Mitigation, Protective Services, SelfDefense Training, and Firearm Instruction. www.pantherprotectionservices.com 49

CIRCUIT MAGAZINE ISSUE 63 By Ken Perry

Media Safety Advisor Training Responding to the Demand

MEDIA SAFETY ADVISOR TRAINING

Over the last 5 years the threat to journalists has increased dramatically, this is down to several factors from the ‘fake news’ narratives which have grown in prominence over the last 4-5 years to the rise in online abuse and threats.

The need for Media Security has never been greater especially so this year since the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In Ukraine the threat is as high as it can get for News Teams. The military hardware being used in the war is cutting edge technology and the threat is as much from air as it is on the ground by a very capable military force – Russia. My first media task was in January in 2010 supporting an American News Network covering the earthquake in Haiti. I quickly noticed the difference in the kind of security support and advice that was needed to support news teams. Many of the journalists that I met on that task were highly experienced in Hostile Environments, most of them had recently been in Iraq & Afghanistan. At that time, the only way to get into media security industry was by word of mouth and personal recommendation, with the vast majority of Media Safety Advisors coming from the SF community. There were no courses that a would-be Media Safety Advisor could attend and most of the requirements of the job needed to be figured out whilst on the ground. Needless to say, it took me some time, and the help and advice of some extremely experienced and professional colleagues to gain the experience and knowledge that I now pass on to these entering 51

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the industry. Working within the media sphere offers the operative an unrivalled opportunity to travel the world and experience different environments and cultures, often witnessing first-hand moments in history by covering major events in world affairs such as the removal of dictators changing of regimes, natural disasters as well as ongoing wars like Ukraine etc. It’s fast paced 52

and one part of the industry where the standards of pay remain high. Being deployed with a news team can be challenging, expect to be the primary medic, the military expert (know your weapon systems!), to be the logistics coordinator, in addition to being responsible for writing daily risk assessments that go to the very top of the news

MEDIA SAFETY ADVISOR TRAINING network for approval. You may even find yourself being the team chef! Often media teams work with very few resources. In 2021 during the pandemic, I designed and wrote a Media Safety Advisors Course. Once the Russian invasion started, the need for security with media literally increased overnight like nothing that has been seen since the Arab Spring. Those with experience were booked up straight away by the networks. The shortage was evident. I rewrote the Advisors course based on the current situation and SOP’s being developed in tune with the threat in Ukraine. Having just returned from a 6-week assignment with a leading International News Network, and being one of the last teams to leave Mariupol, completing a deployment that saw several major incidents, I had gained an invaluable insight into what was required of Media Safety Advisors in such chaotic, unpredictable and dangerous situations. I have incorporated the lessons I learned into the revised Media Safety Advisor Training course which has now been delivered to over 150 operatives from all over the world. Cosain is the only company within the industry to offer this unique niche training. Media Safety Advisor assignments can vary in their duration, some only a few days, such as the 53

CIRCUIT MAGAZINE ISSUE 63 recent Champions League Final in Paris, during which we had a safety advisor on the ground with another major news and sports network ensuring the safety of the news team in some difficult circumstances. Others, like the coverage in Ukraine, are longer and come with their own distinct challenges. The one constant is that news is a 24 hour, 7 days a week, 365 days a year industry and, as such, the requirement for well trained, competent and professional Media Safety Advisors is always there. From my experiences around the world with a wide variety of news teams over the last 12 years, the one piece of advice I would offer to anyone with a desire to explore this diverse, complex and hugely rewarding role is to keep a bag packed at the door, breaking news waits for no one!! In addition, here are my top tips for breaking into the world of the Media Safety Advisor: 1. Undertake a Media Safety Advisors Training course. 2. Ensure you have an in-date medical qualification (FREC3 is the standard, FREC4 is

particularly advantageous). 3. Keep you knowledge of weapon systems and military hardware up to date in. Especially in any theatre of operations to which you may be deployed. 4. Be prepared to move at very short notice (breaking news waits for no one!!). 5. Maintain a calm character with a ‘can do’ attitude. 6. Stay proactive. 7. Keep up to date with world current affairs. 8. Stay fit; often you will be carrying spare camera equipment as well as body armour and potentially a fully stocked trauma kit. 9. Have serviceable PPE (body armour, helmet, respirator as a minimum) 10. Have an IFAK & Trauma Kit 11. Carry two Passports 12. Have a sense of humour!

Cosainhas over 25 years of experience within the media safety and executive protection industry and has a network of trusted relationships with global media companies across the globe. Our services include crisis management, risk assessment, ground truth, rapiddeployment and bespoke training for our clients.We deliver the only Media Safety Advisor Training course available today that is based on extensive, operational experience, preparing the attendees for the varied and challenging demands of media safety.For more information go to: www.cosainconsultancy.comOr contact us directly at: ken.perry@cosainconsultancy.com 54

CIRCUIT MAGAZINE ISSUE 63 By Andy Wilson

So, You Want To Be A Bodyguard?

There is no ideal type of person that makes the best bodyguards or close protection operatives. Qualities that will aid you in the close protection business are common sense, flexibility, discipline, a sense of humor and the ability to communicate with people from all backgrounds. 56

SO, YOU WANT TO BE A BODYGUARD? A lot of people’s view of a bodyguard is a big martial arts expert who will, out of a sense of duty for his client, take a bullet or beat someone up. That’s complete BS and a Hollywood creation! The real role of the bodyguard is to identify and prevent any situations that could be potentially dangerous to themselves or their client.

are under, and make plans to minimize them. Apply what you have learned about residential security to your home, etc. etc. You can never stop learning in the close protection business. When you think you know it all, it is time for you to leave the business and do something else, you will also be doing the rest of us a favor.

You need to keep an open mind People, including a lot of people and respect other people’s in the close protection industry, experience. You never know seem to think they are just when or where you might there to react to problems learn something new. Some when they occur. Unarmed people who work in the close combat and shooting skills protection industry seem to are only part of what you believe that they have a special need to know. If you plan your authority to do as they want operations properly and take and push people around, I have the necessary precautions seen this... All civil bodyguards you will, hopefully, never have are no different from anyone to apply your shooting or else and must work under the unarmed combat skills. When regulations of the law the same you consider all the things in as all other civilians. Basics rule: the world that can harm you You must always respect the or your client the threat from a law and co-operate with law shooting is not at the top of the enforcement agencies. list. Operational experience is You must learn to identify all a necessity and can only be threats in your everyday life; gained by working in as many the most important person you different environments as will ever protect is yourself. Do possible. Experience can be a threat assessment on yourself gained from all aspects of the and work out what threats you security industry and will help 57

CIRCUIT MAGAZINE ISSUE 63 you in the close protection industry and also help you to get your first job.

Most operational bodyguards when not on close protection jobs work as investigators, surveillance personnel, hotel Very few people work as fullsecurity, functions/event time operational bodyguards security or door supervisors. (operational does not mean just A lot of people leave the close being a trainer or instructor) for protection industry to get a various reasons. The majority of regular job after a year or two, bodyguards are freelance and as they get fed up with the long work on a short-term contract anti-social hours and irregular basis and do have quiet times. payments that are all part of the When you have a quiet time, close protection industry. you will still have to earn a living. Being skilled to work in All the above-mentioned sectors another sector of the security are good areas to work in when industry will be advantageous not working as a bodyguard. to you and your bank account. They are skill sets you can use

SO, YOU WANT TO BE A BODYGUARD? and places you are likely to visit and work in when you are on close protection details, so you should learn as much about them as possible.

Operational bodyguards when not on close protection jobs work as investigators, surveillance personnel, hotel security, functions/ event security or door supervisors.

The mindset of a bodyguard should be that of a problem solver who is not afraid to fail. You must be able and willing to adapt to difficult situations as they arise. You must be strong enough to be able to admit when you are wrong and take advice from others. You must also be willing to experiment with new and unconventional ideas to perfect your procedures. If you want a job where you are jumping in and out of cars and saving damsels in distress, then being a bodyguard is not the job for you. If you have a lot of patience, discipline, take pride in what you do and are willing to work hard and live hard to achieve your goals, this just might be the business for you.

Orlando Wilson has worked in the security industry internationally for over 25 years. He has become accustomed to the types of complications that can occur, when dealing with international law enforcement agencies, organized criminal and Mafia groups. He is the chief consultant for Risks Inc. and based in Miami but spends much of his time traveling and providing a wide range of kidnapping prevention and tactical training services to private and government clients. 59

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By Krisztian Zerkowitz 60

TACTICAL MEDICINE

tactical medicine

Why putting solid boundaries on scope of practice matters. Don’t get me wrong, if you ask me, everyone in the protective industry should be a paramedic, or hell, a doctor, when it comes to being able to treat potential casualties.

On the team side or the client. So, this article, even if it hurts me to write it, might make sense. The thought came up to me on my last deployment last month, to Libya. Where I was teaching a Law Enforcement agencies working 61

CIRCUIT MAGAZINE ISSUE 63 check points in remote areas, about medicine. To make a long story short, the terms of reference asked for basic first aid, but the ground operations required keeping people alive for over 3 hours of transport time. In Libya… under Libyan conditions. Well, for me, basic first aid was not going to work and I had to come up with an idea on what to teach these officers that would make sense, fit in the given time frame and in the end, save lives. When you look at many different first aid courses that are available out there, they all adhere to some level of accordance, to some scope of practice and to some skillsets. As I look at some of these, these are either not enough, going too far or not long enough for the skills provided. Let me explain. First things first, fortunately, both in hostile environment as well as in executive protection, the number of medical emergencies dealt with by team members are minimal. There are not so many issues to be reported and I guess this is why, as a medic, I am sometimes “shocked” by the medical readiness of some of the 62

It seems that some people disagree about the need of having a paramedic on board. There is cost to consider of course, having a paramedic is going to cost you (or the client).

TACTICAL MEDICINE teams we work with. Back to training and the skills. Most, if not all, operatives are trained in the skills of first aid, CPR, bobo-treatments and the use of an AED. Great, they should be. If you are reading this, YES, this is a minimum. Not just for a CP operator, but, for life, like you know, to help people… Besides this, some take it up a notch and will do a TCCC-like training, to get some of the tacticool things under the belt and have that vital skill for when everything else goes wrong. Also, GREAT. You should, because, well, things might go bad and you might need this at one point or another. Some operators will even go further than this, do an ACLS class, ITLS, PHTLS, FREC, FPOS, whatever you want to call it. And I personally, can only applaud this! Keep it up, go for it! But, what about this cope of practice, which is so important and where does it come into play. Well, it comes into play with the program providers, the training schools. All of whom are genuinely trying to provide the best possible training out there, giving people the best possible skills in the least

possible of time. So, for them as well, GREAT! Please, don’t get me wrong. So where comes the issue? Well, it goes to the following. Medicine is a very complicated science and it actually is not a half-time job, it is sort of full time and it takes a lot of skill. Everything is connected in medicine and for this, learning a little, will take you to learning a little more, to practicing more to, well… never stop learning. And this is the issue. Let me give you a small example: You are attending a TCCC class for all providers. You are not in the medical field, but want to be able to save patients from avoidable deaths. Ok, great. And in your class, they tell you at one point, check his pulse. Ok, so they teach you to do so. You check the pulse. So now, have they taught you what that pulse means? Have they taught you about the heart rate, pressure, the absence of a radial pulse, but the presence of a central pulse? This is just an example, to go here: You have been taught a skill, on which you will act, check, but actually not know what it means, how to go about it. So your course, which I am sure was 63

CIRCUIT MAGAZINE ISSUE 63 a great course, has taken your scope of practice further than the courses content itself and has left you doing things without understanding it, or being able to act upon it. Another example, you take, the same TCCC class and they take out some raw meat, a trachea of some animal. They show you the landmarks to cut and the entire kit to perform your first Cricothyroidotomy. Yes, you now know how to cut, insert a tube and get air in the patients lungs. GREAT! How much air, how much pressure on the BVM, what’s next, what if it doesn’t work? Again, so many questions, unanswered, but skills given.

not, or if your role doesn’t really require you to do so, or even better, your local legislation doesn’t ALLOW you to do so, you should not learn about them. In this case, you should become VERY good at the basics, VERY proficient at YOUR scope of practice. Do you have a medical director in the State, country, region you work in? Are you as the “team medic” getting licensed to practice in the region you are operating in? Think about these as your client might need to understand the “scope of practice” you are able to provide him.

Having a CRIC kit, O2 bottles Ok, ok, last one… Learning to IV and a full IV kit in your extensive the patient. Great, love it! Good med bag, with someone who can skills. So, why? When? How do the “procedure” is not that much? What? Why not? When hard. As the “skills” themselves not? What if it goes south? Signs? are easy to teach and many Symptoms? providers will teach them. The hard thing is the when do I use Sure, I will stop. And yes, all of it, may I use it, what happens these are teachable skills and if I use it and the outcome is can be taught in a very long, different then what it was on the course. And are these things truly mannequin, or, ok, done, now necessary, for YOU? In your role, what? in YOUR SCOPE OF PRACTICE? Because, yes, they might be and I would have never thought I if they are, you should go out would say this, but sometimes, there and spend a lot of time less is more. Sometimes, it is learning about them. If they are not your thing and you should 64

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not venture out in the field you are not ready to walk through completely. Being real good at the basics is FINE, also in a high speed profession like EP. Think about it;

You don’t call yourself EOD because you did a Level 3 IED course of which half was online. So why would you call yourself a medic, if you did a 5 day course? You are not and shouldn’t 65

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want to be, you are a good first responder, which is fine! If you want to do more, be able to do more and be a medic, a team medic, than strap in and know that you are going to be a team specialist. You are going to focus more time on this and you will probably be the one distributing band aids to the entire team, but also the one attaching a 6-lead to a client who suffered an arrest in the sticks, get him back to life with your

meds and instruct the team on how to help, what to organize and what steps 4, 5 and 6 will be. Because lets face it, if you need those sexy advanced skills in your job, your job is somewhere where it is UP TO YOU, NOBODY ELSE IS COMING. And in that case, 5 days of training, just won’t cut it! Scope of practice, what changes the outcome for the patient, the provider and the team!

Krisztian was raised as a Diplomatic Close Protection Officer, working mainly for diplomatic missions, including assignments to the Middle East and Africa. Recently certified as a Tactical Paramedic, Krisztian spent the last 10 years of his protective career specialising in tactical medicine in high-risk environments and close protection. Two passions combined where enough remains to learn and experience. 66

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Bad CIRCUIT MAGAZINE ISSUE 63

By Dale L. June

Decisions Honeytrap (N): A strategy in which an irresistible bait is used to entrap a victim usually of the opposite sex in an effort to compromise them for information or advantage.

This is usually done in the form of romantic or sexual relationships. With another United States Secret Service Agent being 68

sent home from an overseas assignment because of an “incident” involving a foreign female, it is important to remember that certain off duty behavior must come with certain

BAD DECISIONS

CIRCUIT MAGAZINE ISSUE 63 restrictions. First is the reminder that when in a foreign country you are an ambassador to your home country, in this case, the United States. Any behavior not in keeping with accepted norms reflects badly on you, your client, and your country.

warmly and openly against him and slip a note with her name and telephone number into his pocket and whisper in his ear for him to call her after he is off duty. That is a siren song type of a dragon. That can all be very tempting and flattering, especially to a young This remined me of a section and inexperienced agent, but of my book, Introduction to complications that can arise Executive Protection 4th Edition from a liaison of that nature by Dale June and Elijah Shaw, have a very high potential for “Could it be the agent’s proximity disaster. to power, his professional, selfconfident and polite manner, or Obviously, there is the health the fact he walks a thin line of and safety risk, but additionally, possible danger, that makes the the late-night tryst, may hinder protector especially attractive to the agent’s performance of members of the opposite sex? duty on an early morning shift, Call them “groupies,” “roadies” or or cause momentary loss of whatever, but there are always concentration at a very critical those who will attempt to charm time which; of course, could him for their own unfulfilled very well be the intent of the fantasies or to participate in provocateur. Not to be forgotten what they perceive as the high is the possibility of extortion and life. Some are brazened enough blackmail for an opportunity to to appear at the agent’s hotel be introduced to the protectee, room door during the middle or an invitation to a special of the night and seek to bestow function, etc. One favor begets special favors. Others will, while another or “quid pro quo.” the agent is very much occupied in shielding the protectee in a The dream angel can quickly tight crowd situation, make eye turn into a nightmare, and the contact with the agent, lean person who was so flattering 70

BAD DECISIONS

The dream angel can quickly turn into a nightmare, and the person who was so flattering and generous could be mentally or emotionally unstable and generous could be mentally or emotionally unstable, and begin stalking the agent, writing letters, sending gifts, and becoming a potential threat to the effectiveness of the agent. Not to be overlooked, and is a real possibility, the person may be a “front,” seeking intelligence information for later use that in some manner could place the protectee in jeopardy or could cause serious embarrassment to him or the agent and his organization. An agent must be alert to the possibility that he

is being used and decline such gracious invitations. It is not the person of the agent that attracts the attention, but rather the position. This same attention must also be applied to the modern protector in the private sector. Just as we use the United States Secret Service as the bar for Protective Standards, we must also take the cautionary tales they provide to heart, as they help us navigate any treacherous minefields ahead of us.

Dale L. June is a former U.S. Secret Service Agent serving the Presidential Protective Division at the White House with four presidents. He’s worked directly with executives of multi-national corporations, VIPs, political figures, royalty, and celebrities. An accomplished author, his two most recent works Introduction to Executive Protection (4th Editon) & An Introduction to Celebrity Protection & Touring, co-authored with Elijah Shaw, spent weeks on the best sellers list. Find them both on www.ArmsLengthAway.com/books 71

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By Denida Grow & Chris Grow

Contract Management for Security Providers

One of the biggest challenges that the majority of the security companies will have to deal with is not so much being able to obtain a contract, but to be able to properly maintain that contract once it’s signed and done.

We are all quite aware of how many times the intricate contracts for various clients have changed hands over the years. While some might think it is hard to land a good contract, maintaining it professionally and properly while providing 72

what you are being paid for may be very difficult for some companies. According to numerous studies, the average company loses nearly 10% of their clients due to their poor contract management. Why is that? Well, managing contracts

CONTRACT MANAGEMENT FOR SECURITY PROVIDERS (and the corresponding projects) is an overlooked form of corporate leadership and a large part of a company’s operational function and market viability. Project and contract managers must be able to interact frequently with their agents in the field, subcontractors, vendors, stakeholders, family offices and, more often as not, the client himself/herself. ‘’The International Association for Contract & Commercial Management (IACCM) identifies 7 major areas of contract management weakness: • Disagreement regarding contract scope • Weaknesses in contract change management/retention • Performance failures due to over-commitment • Performance issues related to a disagreement/ misunderstanding over what was committed or requested • Inappropriate contract structures • Disputes over pricing • Issues with subcontractors’’ Now let’s discuss some of the most common causes that may cost a security provider one of their contracts: 73

CIRCUIT MAGAZINE ISSUE 63 1. You are charging significantly more than is proper (Faulty Pricing) At some point, we have to admit that quite a number of companies will overcharge a client merely because of who the client is and not particularly what their security needs or threat level may be. You cannot begin to expect one client/contract to change your own wealth status or single handedly build your company’s gross revenue and/ or profit. It is neither ethical nor professional for your corporation to make 2 to 3 times more profit than the agents working the detail on the ground. We all have our levels of operational expenses, but don’t pass that bill on to the client or your protective agents. Make a profit, but make one within logical expectations. 2. You are ‘’suffocating’’ your client Either: A) You have placed more agents than are needed (Again, this comes back around to profit: The more agents on the ground, the more you can charge), B) Your agents are not exercising proper situational awareness and how to be 74

flexible with protection levels versus the client’s perception of asphyxiation, or C) The company holding the contract has not done a proper Risk/Threat/ Vulnerability Assessment and/ or are not trained, experienced or knowledgeable enough to ascertain proper staffing and logistics. Some companies will ‘’overreact’’ on the threat level to make their services appear quite necessary to the client, while in reality, achieving the opposite result. 3. Not being able to provide services as promised A protective detail is comprised of many elements and sometimes you have to be able to provide additional services as you go. You must be the one who can foresee what is or will be needed and provide it before the client even asks for it. We have heard of many companies who fail to render even the basics of what they agreed to provide. We have seen details operating with less manpower than what was requested or changing the personnel so often because they fail to keep the professional agents or cannot staff it properly. Have

CONTRACT MANAGEMENT FOR SECURITY PROVIDERS

You must be the one who can foresee what is or will be needed and provide it before the client even asks for it.

in mind, clients need stability and familiarity and will become unsettled when they see or must become accustomed to new faces. 4. Failure to accommodate clients needs and solve operational issues (Lack of Customer Insight) We’ve all heard the phrase, “The client is always right”, correct? Well, from the moment you signed that contract, you alone are the one who must do whatever it takes to construct a smooth protective detail and provide peace of mind to the person who hired you. You alone are the one who must be stressed, work long hours and find a way to solve any issue with the security team or the client’s needs, not the client. It must appear as though all is under control and operational. 5. You are not providing services to a level or standard that is expected and required We can all agree that our prospective clients will want 3 things: A) To be protected, B) To have the best close protection agents, staff and logistics that 75

CIRCUIT MAGAZINE ISSUE 63 their finances can obtain (they fully believe they are paying for the best either way) and C) To have peace of mind. If your corporation is hiring unqualified, unprofessional or unethical agents, or utilizing contractors of the same substandard quality because you refuse to pay for the ‘’good ones’’, the client will soon start looking for another company. 6. Your Project or Contract Manager has no vested interest in the contract (Neglected Contracts) This occurs so many times when the person who is working for an ‘A’ list company, as a Project or Contract manager, simply doesn’t care to deal with the issues, stay intricately involved or maintain the contract for his company. Most fail to have good communication skills, which is one of the key elements when dealing with clients, vendors, staff, stakeholders or agents in the field. How you communicate during common, day to day interactions with people or personalities will be just as valuable, or more 76

in some cases, as to how you react during a crisis situation and the solutions you are expected to provide. Merely having a project or contract manager on your staff isn’t nearly enough. You must have an individual who can be extremely flexible, can develop a strategy out of thin air and be able to solve complex issues, without raising undue alarm, if they arise. While these are just a few of the common pitfalls that a contract manager may find themselves encumbered with, each client and contract are unique and every company needs their respective contract managers to be creative, innovative, and highly observational so as to catch any of these issues far before they become problematic and present solutions to overcome them. Our task is not just to sell the client on our services and then walk away, but we are expected to, and should without failure, continue to provide the highest level of service and commitment to our clients that they have come to expect. The sale is the easy

CONTRACT MANAGEMENT FOR SECURITY PROVIDERS

part…How we treat and care for the client and their contract once we sign on the dotted line will either build our reputation and lead to more

success or it will cause a loss of trust and failure that cannot be easily repaired or regained resulting in the loss of the contract.

Denida Zinxhiria Grow is the Founder and CEO of Athena Worldwide, Athena Academy and Nannyguards. She uses her personal experience as an Executive Protection Operative and Security Consultant to help others learn what it takes to master the ins and outs of the Security Industry and empower women in the security industry. Chris Growisan Executive Protection Specialist with 30 years of experience in a wide range of operational theaters. Through progressive exposure to national and international security, Chris has designed and executed successful risk and threat assessments and implemented security plans and strategies to mitigate risk and enhance security for multi-cultural clientele across many different industries. 77

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CREATING A SAFETY FIRST CULTURE By Tom Richmond

CREATING A SAFETY FIRST CULTURE IN THE CLOSE PROTECTION INDUSTRY

As providers of risk management to business executives, high profile people and private clients, those working in the close protection industry can often see their own health and safety as second to that of those they are employed to provide security and safety too. 79

CIRCUIT MAGAZINE ISSUE 63 However, under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, both employers and close protection operatives have a legal duty to manage health and safety for those that they employ, or for anyone that could come into contact with them whilst conducting the close protection role. Minimum legal requirements From an employer’s perspective, if you employ five or more people, as a minimum you must have a written health and safety policy and you should have general risk assessments for every different type of task that you are employed to conduct for your clients. The risk assessment must identify potential risk for not just your principal, but also for the close protection operatives that you employ or members of the public who may come into contact with your work. Importantly though, you should ensure that every close protection operative that works for you, whether they are full time with your company or self employed completing just a one day short task, has had sight of the risk assessment or 80

The risk assessment must identify potential risk for not just your principal, but also for the close protection operatives that you employ or members of the public who may come into contact with your work.

CREATING A SAFETY FIRST CULTURE

pertinent points from it relating to their role and as an employer you have written confirmation that the operative has read it, understood it, and you confirm with them whether they have identified any additional risk that is not recorded on the general risk assessment. Health and Safety competent person To manage health and safety for the close protection company,

the employee responsible for doing this must have the relevant qualifications and / or experience for them to competently assess and manage the potential risks. Plus, have the ability to competently consult with the close protection operatives on their role in managing and reducing risk whilst employed by the company. In the event of an incident, the company may have to prove the competency of their health and safety manager 81

CIRCUIT MAGAZINE ISSUE 63 as part of a subsequent investigation into an incident. This legal requirement can be sub-contracted out to a health and safety professional to do on behalf of the company, but overall responsibility for health and safety sits with the company owner and directors. Penalties and reputational damage The penalties of not managing health and safety correctly go much further than what might be the obvious criminal offences that may lead to fines and or imprisonment for company owners and directors. A health and safety legislation breach or incident that could have been avoided with better health and safety management could result in destroying a company’s reputation that may have taken years to develop and be key to the businesses ongoing success. The responsibilities of the close protection operator For the deployed close protection operator, there is a legal duty of care to ensure that you take care of your 82

own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by your work, which includes members of the public. Therefore, if you see unsafe behaviour or risks that have not been identified in the general risk assessment, you must raise these with your employer at the earliest opportunity. In addition, conducting unsafe behaviour like stopping traffic to allow your principal to enter a vehicle which causes a road traffic collision or being unnecessarily heavy handed with someone who comes too near to your principal which results in injury, can also lead to the operator being fined and / or imprisoned for a health and safety legislation breach. However, underpinning an employee’s responsibility should be a company that sets the conditions for the close protection operator to work in a safe environment and makes it very clear that proactively managing health and safety risk is an integral part of the close protection role where they expect the operator to form a key part of their health

CREATING A SAFETY FIRST CULTURE and safety risk management process. Creating a safety first culture Creating a safety first culture though is not just about completing the minimum legal requirements to avoid a potential legislative breach and subsequent penalties or reputational damage. A safety first culture is about creating a positive, transparent and inclusive environment where close protection operatives consistently understand the high level of importance that the company places on health and safety management. It is setting working conditions where operatives are empowered to take ownership of proactively identifying and mitigating all aspects of risk and not just the potential hostile risk to the principal. Where their feedback is

listened too and acted upon by their employer. With both the company and operative working collaboratively to put health and safety at the heart of everything they do and not just as an afterthought or box ticking exercise. A safety first culture reduces the potential risks of having a health and safety incident. It supports the company to retain good operatives as they feel confident that the company is working hard to ensure their safety. It therefore promotes a positive working environment for close protection operatives and this in turn encourages them to also ensure that they always work to the highest standards on behalf of the company. Importantly, a safety first culture can be a really positive differentiator and selling point for a company to support them to win new contracts,

Total Security and Safety Solutions supports security industry businesses to develop their safety first culture and works with them to build their business and profits whilst doing so with real focus on developing consistently safe working environments. For further details, please contact Managing Director Tom Richmond on support@totalsecurityandsafetysolutions.co.uk 83

CLOSING THE GAP By Michael Brown Jr., CAS

Closing the Gap Between Corporate & Celebrity Protection I landed back into Signature FBO in California, clearing customs after a busy couple of days.

While reflecting on the assignment just completed, I realize I had traveled to New York, Florida, Mexico, and back to California in just three days’ time. During the Protectees’ visits, we had a product showcase event, business meeting with a multi-national corporation, and a product

production visit at a facility in Mexico. Feeling exhausted, I still had to coordinate the pick-up and drop-off of the protectee from FBO to RON. Shortly after the mission was completed, I walked out of the private FBO and headed to my hotel for some much needed rest. Despite all of this, many would 85

CIRCUIT MAGAZINE ISSUE 63 still call me just a celebrity protection guy?! Many executive protection (EP) specialists from other niches of close-in protection look down on celebrity focused EP specialists because of the type of clientele they service and the stigma associated with celebrities. The celebrity’s lifestyle often involves long nights in night clubs, short notice travel, and lack of support staff making the EP specialist responsible for a multitude of things outside of their traditional job duties while also, filling in the gap for the lack of support staff. After 12 years of experience protecting high-profile globetrotting celebrities around the world, I have acted as a Personal Assistant, Travel Agent, Tour Manager, Jet Broker, and much more. Although, I would argue that, outside of my normal responsibilities and job title, learning these additional skillsets have made me invaluable asset to any security operation. Oftentimes, celebrity protection operations are solo details, due 86

Many executive protection (EP) specialists from other niches of close-in protection look down on celebrity focused EP specialists because of the type of clientele they service and the stigma associated with celebrities.

TACTICAL FIREARMS to tight budgets and additional cost, limiting the type of EP specialists who can perform the role. Generally, many specialists have unique skillsets and backgrounds that they bring to the business, such as knowledge of a foreign language, concierge, event planning, or others. The celebrity protection niche requires someone who is a jack of all trades.

However, the gap between celebrity and corporate protection is closing right before our eyes. Many global security programs are hiring specialists with high-end celebrity protection or tour security backgrounds more and more. Why? It’s simple. These specialists operate in dynamic environments making them experts in adaptability and planning. Most of the In comparison, corporate high-end celebrity protection protection allows for additional specialists have specific training resources like protective and real-world experience that intelligence, TCSM, protective many corporate focused EP advance teams, medical staff, specialist don’t have due to the and dedicated travel agents. robust nature of a corporate These resources make the job EP program. I have personally of an EP specialist in corporate made the transition myself a lot smoother, and make it from celebrity protection to harder for a corporate focused now working in a Fortune 10 EP specialist to transition into corporation global security celebrity protection. I have program. I was shocked to see personally hired corporate EP how many other specialists with focused specialists before for my background were in the celebrity protection assignments corporate global security world. and found them unable to keep up with the dynamic From my perspective, many pace of celebrity protection. corporations are starting to The celebrity EP specialist realize the need for someone nimbleness and flexibility allows who understands both the highfor them to easily transition profile and corporate protection into different niches within the worlds. Executives now more executive protection platforms. than ever are becoming more 87

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like high-profile celebrities due to social media platforms and general accessibility to them. The days of protecting a CEO that nobody would recognize in the streets are over. Having someone with an array of EP experiences is key to helping mitigate the new inherent risk of the high visibility of corporate executives. Overall, we need to respect all executive protection platforms,

and recognize that more platforms can transfer over to corporate EP programs then generally perceived. There is a high value that experienced, high-profile celebrity focused EP specialists, can bring to a corporate program. Offering different perspectives, this type of talent can more rapidly help transition a corporate program into a more multifaceted program that is more adaptable to the times we are in.

Michael Brown, CAS, is a certified anti-terrorism specialists and executive protection specialist primarily focused on global protection missions for multi-national corporations and individuals. Prior to entering the corporate space, Michael has spent extensive time operating in the Celebrity Protection segment of the marketplace. 88

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By RANE Worldview by Stratfor, Ryan Bohl

Al-Zawahiri's Legacy: How the U.S. Became al Qaeda's Top Enemy

After the announced killing of al Qaeda's emir Ayman al-Zawahiri, much ink has been spilled on the state of the group and its likely next leader.

While important questions, much less attention has been given to al-Zawahiri's key ideological contribution to al Qaeda's global brand and whether his vision for the group — and jihadist ideology more generally — will survive. Just as much as his deceased 90

predecessor Osama bin Laden, al-Zawahiri helped mold al Qaeda into the most notorious global terrorist group of the late 20th and early 21st centuries, largely because of his advocacy for taking the fight from the Islamic world directly to the streets of the West. But al-

AL-ZAWAHIRI'S LEGACY Zawahiri is widely considered to have faded from operational prominence long ago and al Qaeda itself had in recent years turned away from this strategy, seemingly both by choice and by way of Western counterterrorism pressure. With his death, therefore, has alZawahiri's vision died, too? From Surgeon to Mastermind Compared with bin Laden — who in the West came to symbolize not only al Qaeda as a group but the face of modern jihadism — al-Zawahiri is a far less known individual, even though his influence is arguably just as important. Born in 1951 into a well-educated, politicallyconnected, deeply conservative family in Cairo, al-Zawahiri turned to radical ideology at a young age. Influenced by the writings of the extremist thinkers of the time, in 1966, he organized a group of friends into an even more radical group that eventually became known as Egyptian Islamic Jihad (EIJ) — dedicated to overthrowing Egypt's secular government and imposing Islamic rule. While alZawahiri initially did not exert complete control over the group, he led a vital faction. And during

this time, he did not give up on his studies, earning a master's degree in surgery in 1978. Perhaps ironically, it was his medical career that first brought him to the battlefield. In 1980, he left Egypt for the first of many trips to Peshawar, Pakistan, to treat refugees and mujahideen fighters battling the Soviets across the border in Afghanistan. It was there that he first met bin Laden, though it would not be approximately two decades before the two formally crafted the al Qaeda we know today. In the interim, al-Zawahiri's revolutionary priorities continued to focus on Egypt — a fixation that would bring him both disappointment and eventually cement his legacy. Arrested in Egypt in 1981 in the crackdown that followed the murder of President Anwar Sadat, for which al-Zawahiri and the EIJ were implicated, his ideological furor hardened under repeated torture while imprisoned. Upon his release in 1984, he left Egypt, eventually settling in Peshawar where he again crossed paths with bin Laden, this time at the hospital 91

CIRCUIT MAGAZINE ISSUE 63 where al-Zawahiri worked. Their relationship grew as alZawahiri became bin Laden's personal physician, but alZawahiri remained focused on Egypt, which he continued to see as the key regional lynchpin. Upon gaining full control of EIJ in 1991 after an internal split, he oversaw a series of high-profile attacks against Egyptian targets that culminated with the killings of 62 people, mostly foreign tourists, at an archaeological site in Luxor in 1997. While questions remain over alZawahiri's precise involvement in the massacre, it outraged Egyptians, including those who had previously been sympathetic to the EIJ. The combination of a collapse in popular support and a ramped-up government crackdown forced al-Zawahiri out of the country and back to the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, where he once again linked up with bin Laden — this time for good. In 1998, al-Zawahiri's EIJ joined other terrorist groups, including bin Laden's al Qaeda, to form the World Islamic Front for Jihad Against Jews and Crusaders. Under the group's banner, alZawahiri and bin Laden co-signed 92

While accounts differ on alZawahiri's precise involvement in the operational planning of the 9/11 attacks, there is no doubt that he provided the ideological vision for them.

AL-ZAWAHIRI'S LEGACY a fatwa, or religious edict, urging Muslims across the globe to kill Americans and their allies, a message that provided an early indication of al-Zawahiri's most enduring legacy: focusing on the United States as the so-called ''far enemy.'' Driven by repeated failures to turn his native Egypt into a theocracy, al-Zawahiri had become convinced that the only way to spark change in the Islamic world was to go after what he believed to be the proverbial bottom layer of a house of cards, which, if removed, would send the rest falling. It was this belief and alZawahiri's personal influence that truly transformed bin Laden's calculus. Before fusing with the EIJ and others to form the World Islamic Front, bin Laden's original fatwa in 1996 had a narrower scope in calling for the removal of foreign troops from Muslim lands. While certainly provocative and violent, this goal was still inherently focused on the Islamic world and less ambitious than al-Zawahiri's more expansive focus on directly attacking the ''far enemy'' as the main priority. To be sure, bin Laden had already been

evaluating a similar strategy, but he was also receiving advice from other well-known jihadists who wanted to concentrate on ''near enemy'' countries, like Saudi Arabia and Egypt. AlZawahiri's embrace of the ''far enemy'' strategy, coupled with the trust he had gained from bin Laden, thus made him the key ideologue pushing bin Laden's violent vision decisively toward the West. Working with bin Laden, alZawahiri quickly made good on this lethal threat. He helped plan the U.S. embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998, the USS Cole bombing in 2000 and a score of other disrupted plots. In 2001, the EIJ formally merged with al Qaeda to create the group we know today. Later that year, the 9/11 attacks on the United States would achieve the tragic apex of the group's focus on the ''far enemy'' — taking the battlefield from attacks against U.S. targets elsewhere in the world directly to the homeland. While accounts differ on alZawahiri's precise involvement in the operational planning of the 9/11 attacks, there is no doubt that he provided the ideological vision for them. 93

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Underscoring his desire to further strike the United States, al-Zawahiri also directly plotted a series of additional attacks on U.S. soil and even oversaw a biological weapons development program — all of which failed to materialize amid the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan, which forced al-Zawahiri, bin Laden and other al Qaeda leaders out of the country and into hiding. 94

Between Rhetoric and Reality Despite the loss of its safe haven in Afghanistan, al Qaeda had built its proverbial brand on taking the jihadist fight directly to the United States and other Western countries. This meant it was incumbent on the group to make good on this threat, which in the years after 9/11, translated into successive attacks against Western targets in Muslim countries, often with

AL-ZAWAHIRI'S LEGACY the support of local groups aligned with al Qaeda. Stretching from Africa to Southeast Asia, al Qaeda oversaw a wave of destruction that left hundreds of people dead and many more wounded, not including the countless attacks in Iraq, which became the group's primary battlefield to target U.S. personnel and interests after the United States invaded the country in 2003.

as all of the other most audacious plots linked to the group — like the transatlantic plane bomb plots in 2006 and 2010 — were disrupted. This left al Qaeda's biggest successes in the West as instilling plenty of fear among numerous thwarted plots, but practically speaking it managed only a series of smaller and often less strategically impactful acts of violence carried out by single individuals or small cells.

But as appalling as this violence was (and as much as it kept al Qaeda in the headlines), the group carried out comparatively few successful attacks in the West itself. The 2004 Madrid and 2005 London bombings were of course horrifically tragic outliers, but local networks of al Qaeda supporters appear to have largely planned and conducted those attacks, even if the group's central leaders were happy to claim the credit. Notably, the United States also did not see additional mass attacks in the wake of 9/11. But it wasn't for a lack of trying on al Qaeda's part,

Thus, by the time of bin Laden's killing in 2011, the gap between al Qaeda's ambitions and its capabilities was already stark. Despite claiming to be the vanguard of attacking the ''far enemy'' in the West, a decade of relentless counterterrorism pressure had significantly curtailed al Qaeda's ability to do so. Instead, the group was left with a series of globallydispersed franchises with varying levels of success and connection to central leadership. This was what al-Zawahiri would inherit when he took over as emir upon bin Laden's death.

The second part of this series, will explore al-Zawahiri's 11-year tenure as al Qaeda's leader and whether his ideological vision will outlive him. You can read it online at: Stratfor Worldview 95

ASK THE NABA NETWORK

Police butt heads with an actual ATF Agent making an official visit, when a neighbor called with concerns he was impersonating an officer. When the officer approached with gun drawn, and told the man to get on the ground, the agent replied with “I’m a fucking Federal Agent.” A heated back and forth ensued with the agent ultimately ending up cuffed and detained in the back of a squad car. As many Protectors are also current or former Law Enforcement, we asked, who was in the wrong, and was the manner of detainment excessive? To view footage of the full incident, and add your opinion, visit the General Discussion Area of the NABA Protector App. Leon Adams: At the end of the day, the ATF agent understands the importance of compliance. His ego almost cost him his life. If an officer shows up at a call where there is a plain clothes “person” in suspicion of impersonating an officer, it’s because there was a call made. The officer didn’t show up arbitrarily. Why not just comply and allow the officer to sort out the nature of why he was called? Also, if he (the agent) was there on official business, why not display credentials? (Again, I suspect ego is the culprit here). Because there is some weird ass expectation of compliance by the agent, the minute there is non-compliance, there is now an escalation that could have been avoided. This is a training issue. Kevin Ghee: “I’m a fucking federal agent,” says to me that he's not going to comply. Being in Law Enforcement he should know that the uniform supersedes everything until proper identification is made. We are all familiar with the OODA Loop. When this “federal agent” doesn't comply my initial thought isn't oh yeah this is how all federal agents reply to officers. My first thought is if he's an actual agent then he understands why I'm here so why isn't he complying? Then to resist it escalates. The agent was wrong and I don't think this was excessive on the police's part. 96

Jim G: He approached with the knowledge that this was “possibly” a ATF agent ( dispatch) yet chose to “threaten a (to the officer) unknown male holding his arms out to his side, with one hand gripping a stack of papers, to let me see your hands, get down on the ground, blah, blah, blah. He never asked for ID, which having been advised by occupant of residence who informed dispatcher of same, who advised the officer enroute, would have been IMHO the procedural thing to do first. There is distance, the officer is standing alongside a vehicle for cover?, the “alleged ATF agent has his arms out and is ( IMHO) non-threatening.

Ray Ace: For these to be law enforcement officers doesn’t seem as if anyone is trained in de-escalation. In this, the federal officer was wrong from the start. His ego led and because of the energy levels he established the officer met him there. Now I may have not acquired a target, but considering the info given, any reasonable officer would not see anything wrong in doing so. The agent bought the ticket, the officer took him for the ride.

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Global Situation Report ANALYSIS

Each issue our global geopolitical partner, Stratfor, provides an indepth analysis of global incidents via in-house experts, cutting edge technology and through a comprehensive globally sourced network. Here is your summary from the last 30 days.

Global: OPEC+ Agrees to Accelerate Production Amid Sanctions on Russian Oil OPEC+ agreed to increase oil production by 648,000 barrels per day in July and August, an increase of 216,000 b/d each month beyond what OPEC+ had previously planned Why It Matters: While the OPEC+ agreement accelerates the bloc's already planned production increases, it may not lower oil prices to the White House's preferred level, nor will its subsequent increases replace Russian oil. This is because top line cuts may not materialize because most non-Persian Gulf oil producers in OPEC+ are already struggling to hit their quotas. South Korea, China: Beijing's Missile Defense Demands Strain Relationship With Seoul China announced that South Korea should abide by the unofficial statements of the previous president regarding missile defense and security, and Beijing also called for Seoul to restrict the use of existing Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system (THAAD) batteries 98

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Why It Matters: China will continue pressing the THAAD issue, but South Korea's Yoon administration is extremely unlikely to bend to the pressure. This means that relations between the two nations will sour further, elevating the risk of economic retaliation by Beijing. Kosovo, Serbia: Talk of Possible Serbian Attack Flares Tensions Ahead of Meeting Kosovo will push ahead with its promise to force Serbs living in northern Kosovo (who do not recognize Kosovo's sovereignty) to start using license plates issued by Kosovar authorities and have vowed to stand up against any Serbian retaliation. Why It Matters: Kurti's decision to openly mention a possible new conflict with Serbia is most likely intended to showcase strength. Violence is unlikely since both Serbia and Kosovo wish to become EU members and given the presence of NATO troops in north Kosovo. 99

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FEATURED ASSESSMENT North Korea North Korea declared victory over COVID-19 and blamed South Korea for infecting North Korea with the virus. Additionally, they threatened retaliation against South Korean leaders. Sierra Leone Six police officers were killed in anti-government protests related to the soaring cost of living in Sierra Leone's capital of Freetown, town of Kamakwie and city of Makeni on Aug. 10, and two civilian deaths have been reported so far. Cuba Firefighters extinguished a four-day fire at the Matanzas port that caused damage to roughly 40% of Cuba's main fuel storage capacity Japan The Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSD) announced it had conducted its first-ever maritime exercises with the Solomon Islands. The rising tensions in/around Taiwan are driving the Japanese government to increase its disaster readiness.

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Yemen's Path to a Frozen Conflict

Yemen's warring parties have agreed to another extension of a now four-month-old ceasefire — opening the door, ever so slightly, to the possibility of at least freezing the war-torn country's seven-year conflict.

The factors compelling the Yemeni government and Houthi rebels to continue prolonging their truce — namely, waning foreign support, fuel and food insecurity, and the lack of a clear way for either side to achieve their military objectives — are unlikely to change anytime soon. But even if this results in a sustained period of reduced fighting, real and lasting peace in Yemen — while not impossible — remains improbable. And that's because a frozen Yemeni war would likely resemble the unstable conflicts in Gaza and Syria, where periods of violence alternate with long swathes of relative calm. Why Yemen's War Is Slowing So long as the Houthis and the Yemeni government both claimed the right to govern the entire country, the war seemed destined to grind on. But that began to change earlier this year. On Aug. 2, they agreed to a third extension to the cease-fire, marking the longest pause

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in fighting Yemen has seen in the sevenyear conflict. So what changed? Neither the Houthis nor the Yemeni government have begun peace talks or abandoned their wartime goals. Rather, it appears the global shocks brought on by Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February convinced both sides that they needed to focus on keeping humanitarian lifelines open in Yemen, at least for the time being.

Lebanon Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, warned Israel that attacking Palestinian groups like Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) in Lebanon could lead to an escalation with Hezbollah.

Yemen would not be the first regional conflict to cool without seriously addressing the drivers of war. In Gaza, Israeli forces and Palestinian militants have an unsteady, adversarial relationship, and are certainly no closer to peace than the Houthis and the Yemeni government. But they have a similar dynamic.

Colombia The Gaitanista Self-Defense Forces of Colombia, aka the Gulf Clan, announced a unilateral cease-fire in a show of goodwill toward new Colombian President Gustavo Petro, likely leading to widescale peace negotiations.

If the current cease-fire becomes an excuse for powers like Saudi Arabia and the United States already trying to leave Yemen to disengage before a peace deal is struck, future battles could result in Houthi victories by leaving the Yemeni government with less support. Such victories might leave the rebel group in charge of not only strategic cities like Marib and Taiz, but perhaps even pushing further south towards Aden. That would weaken, perhaps fatally so, the fragile Yemeni government, and allow radical extremists the space to recruit and organize in the instability that would follow. If the Houthis appear to be gaining the upper hand on the battlefield, the powers that looked to extricate themselves from the war — namely, the Saudis and Americans — might be forced to retake the frontlines, leaving Yemen lodged in yet another cycle of violence with devastating humanitarian costs.

Senegal The Senegalese government signed a peace deal with the MFDC separatist rebel group. However, it is unlikely to tamp down on violence from other, more powerful factions along the SenegalGambia border. U.S. The White House approved a $3 billion sale of Patriot missiles to Saudi Arabia and a $2.2 billion sale of missiles for the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system to the United Arab Emirates.

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CIRCUIT MAGAZINE ISSUE 63 Mali, Russia: Moscow Considers Sending Fuel, Food Supplies Following Delivery of Fighter Jets Plans are being made for Russia to supply Mali with fuel, food and fertilizers. This comes after Russia delivered fighter jets to Mali. Why It Matters: The fighter jets and helicopters delivered by Russia will provide a much-needed boost to Mali's Air Force, which could help reduce the movement of jihadist groups in the country in the wake of the end of French air support. However, jihadist groups will likely continue to gain ground, albeit at a slightly slower pace. More broadly, the move demonstrates the junta's growing reliance on Moscow, slowly turning Bamako into a committed Russian ally. Ukraine, Russia: Explosions at Crimean Airfield Indicate Likely Ukrainian Attack A series of explosions occurred at Russia's Saki military airfield in the village of Novofedorivka on the southwestern coast of Crimea in an apparent attack by Ukrainian forces Why It Matters: The attack demonstrates Ukraine's ability to strike at greater distances than previously known, as the airfield is located beyond the range of standard ammunition for the U.S. High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and the United States has not acknowledged giving Ukraine long-range Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) rockets. It appears most likely that Ukraine modified its Neptune anti-ship missiles for ground attack and flew them over the Black Sea to avoid Russian anti-air defenses. Mexico: President Seeks to Militarize National Guard Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador announced that he intends to issue a reform proposal to place the National Guard, which is currently a civilian body, under the control of the defense secretary.

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GLOBAL SITUATION REPORT Why It Matters: In the unlikely event that the National Guard is placed under military control, the body would likely receive formal military training and equipment, as well as face special military trials instead of harsher civilian ones, potentially exacerbating clashes between civilians and the police force. Ukraine, Russia: Infrastructure at Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant Damaged Ukraine's ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said Russian attacks on the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant had hit the storage area for spent nuclear fuel and damaged three radiation-monitoring sensors around the site Why It Matters: Continued damage to the facility's infrastructure could result in a radiological incident. Both Russia and Ukraine have reasons to keep the power plant functioning and to avoid such a radiological leakage, which would take place in an area that Russia likely is seeking to annex. But attacks on the facility are likely to continue because Russian forces are using the facility as a shield behind which to garrison troops and conduct attacks on Ukraine. Afghanistan: Anti-U.S. Protests Occur in Multiple Provinces After alZawahiri Strike Hundreds of Afghans in at least seven provinces engaged in anti-U.S. demonstrations days after the United States conducted a targeted strike that killed al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in downtown Kabul. Reports indicate that the Taliban has organized at least some of these protests and compelled at least some people to take part. Why It Matters: The protests suggest some success in the Taliban's efforts to deflect domestic criticism of its apparent hosting of al-Zawahiri by claiming ignorance and sowing doubt about his presence while highlighting the United States' violation of Afghan sovereignty.

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CIRCUIT MAGAZINE ISSUE 63 By Orlando Wilson

Firearms for Close

Protection

Assault Rifles, Carbines & Sub-Machine Guns Do assault rifles, carbines and sub-machine guns have a place in the commercial close protection and armed security industry?

Well, that depends on the environment and the laws of the area that you’re operating in. Personally, I would say their application is very limited mainly due to the legal restrictions on ownership and use. Let’s start off with a basic definition of assault rifles, carbines, and submachine guns. For this article I will class an assault rifle as a military grade rifle with full-automatic fire capabilities. A carbine as a rifle with semi-automatic only fire capabilities. And a sub-machine gun as a compact firearm with an optional stock that is chambered in a pistol caliber. Since the use of commercial security guards in Iraq and Afghanistan started after the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the United 104

States there has been a lot of confusion between what providing close protection duties actually entails. The circumstances and situations in Iraq and Afghanistan were unique and not something we are likely to see again in the same scale for many reasons. Providing close protection services in general means blending in with your client and their environment and working within the laws of the area you are in. If you’re in an area where you can legally carry firearms then the chances are you will be allowed to carry pistols, shotguns and maybe pistol caliber carbines, not assault rifles chambered in 5.56mm or 7.62x39mm etc… If you’re trying to blend in with your environment, you’re not going to be able to do so if you’re

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In most places where firearms can be used and carried for selfdefense there is generally added requirements and restriction if you are providing armed security or close protection services. Usually this means the security companies and guards need to be licensed, the armed guards need to pass As I said, the situations in Iraq and a firearms qualification and then Afghanistan were unique and don’t only be permitted to carry specific types of firearms when on duty. reflect the general application of firearms in the security and close The general firearms that protection industry. One of the people are allowed to carry major concerns when carrying for self-defense in most places firearms or supplying armed guards is that you’re in compliance are pistols, and maybe security with the local laws, which can vary guards, including close protection greatly from country to country. In personnel, being allowed shotguns. the United States the laws can vary In general, the use of assault rifles is only permitted by police and greatly from State to State. carrying an assault rifle, carbine or a shotgun. And, if you’re serious about your personal security and protecting your clients then you should understand that it’s best that people never know that you’re armed unless you are forced to use defensive tactics.

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CIRCUIT MAGAZINE ISSUE 63 government agencies. But, in some locations there are specific waivers for rifles and carbines for security personnel. For example, in some States in the United States it’s OK to privately own and keep a semi-auto AK-47 in your home for self-defense. It’s your private firearm and your home is private property. But it would be prohibited for a licensed security guard to carry an AK-47 when on duty as the firearm is permitted for use under the security licensing laws. This is where you must always understand the laws that apply to you in the areas your working in. In the US fully-automatic firearms need to be registered with the ATF and are very expensive when compared to semi-auto firearms, and they would be very restricted for use in the private security industry. For example, in the US State of Florida, a licensed security guard or private investigator, with the armed security license, while working for a licensed agency, with special State approval (Waver) can only carry a carbine as a secondary weapon for the “Fulfillment of contractual obligations to guard United States, state or local government facilities where the government contract to guard critical infrastructure facilities specifically requires use of these weapons”. Rifles and carbines cannot be used for close 106

In some States in the United States it’s OK to privately own and keep a semi-auto AK-47 in your home for selfdefense.

TACTICAL FIREARMS protection duties. A 12-gauge pump-action shotgun can be used as a secondary weapon, where the shotgun remains in a vehicle for use only if needed for close protection bodyguard services and other specifically security duties. Remember the laws in the United States vary from State to State, what’s legal in Florida could be illegal in New York. The legality on specific firearms, ammunition and magazine capacities varies from State to State and Country to Country. Assault rifles are generally restricted for security personnel as the rounds they fire are overpowered for most security duties or self-defense. When providing armed security or close protection duties we can only use force defensively and generally in environments where there could be innocent bystanders. When working armed you must consider the safety of innocent bystanders if you need to use your firearm. I am sure many of you reading this are saying “it’s better to be judged by 12 than carried by 6”… Well, I can agree, but understand that if you kill or injure an innocent person you’re looking at being arrested, charged and give jail time in addition to civil lawsuits and hefty legal fees. The common rounds fired by what are classed as assault rifles (5.56mm & 7.62X39mm)

are high-velocity rounds for military applications. 5.56mm & 7.62X39mm caliber rounds can easily travel for over two kilometers and more if unobstructed. So, if a target is missed or the round passed through the target it can still be lethal for a considerable distance. In December 2021 in Los Angeles, California a 14-year-old girl was fatally shot by a Los Angeles police officer inside a North Hollywood clothing store two days before Christmas. The police officer was responding to a call of an armed man in the store. The police officer fired three rounds from an AR15 (5.56mm) carbine at a suspect who was holding a bicycle lock. One of the bullets penetrated a wall behind the suspect and struck the girl who died in her mother’s arms inside of the changing room where she was hiding. The suspect was also killed. Was an AR-15 chambered in 5.56mm a suitable weapon for that environment? Personally I would say not, but the AR-15 has become a favored carbine for US law enforcement. Calibers You always need to consider the capabilities of caliber of the firearms you are selecting to work with or are given to work with. Assault rifles, carbines and submachine guns come in a wide variety of calibers. For example, you can get AR-15 platform firearms in 5.56mm, 7.62x39 and 9mm etc. 107

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TACTICAL FIREARMS Again, in most locations there are restrictions on what calibers of firearms civilians can own and what types of ammunition can be used. A common example of this is the use of hollow point ammunition which even in the US is legal in some states and banned in others. There can be further restriction for those performing security duties as to the calibers and types of ammunition that’s permitted for legal use. If your caught working with or using prohibited weapons and ammunition it can lead to hefty fines and licenses being revoked, to start with.

of the rounds. According to the US Army Technical Manual, the 5.56mm cartridge has a 500-meter range for individual or point targets with a carbine. Whereas a 9mm carbine has about a 100 to 150-meter range for individual or point targets. Remember both of these rounds will travel and can be lethal for longer distances, on our combat pistol course we have students practicing shooting 9mm pistols out past 200 meters.

You can see from these statistics that the 5.56mm round is meant for what can be classed as longrange military, hunting and target shooting applications. As One incident I personally know with the standard AK-47 round, of that illustrates how using prohibited ammunition can get you 7.62×39, which has individual into trouble happened on an island target accurate out to about 200 to 300-meters depending on the type in the Caribbean. A guard was of platform, ammo, and the skills of involved in a justifiable shooting the shooter. and killed a criminal. During the autopsy the bullets that the guard fired were removed for the corpse Both of these rounds due to being high-velocity rounds will go further of the criminal and were found and penetrate a target far deeper to be hollow point bullets. On than say a 9mm or another pistol that island all ammunition had caliber round. 5.56mm has the to be imported and sold via the average velocity of about 950 meters police and there were never any per second (M/S), 7.62x39 the imports or sales of hollow point average velocity of about 720 M/S ammunition. The guard got and 9mm has the average velocity if away with the shooting but was about is 380 M/S. These are average charged with the possession of illegally imported ammunition etc. velocities, as they all depend on the firearm the rounds are fired from, the weights of the bullets and the An AR-15 platform firearm firing a 5.56mm round will have a lot more powder charge in the cartridge. accuracy at longer distances that So now with this very basic an AR-15 platform firearm firing information on ballistics consider a 9mm round due to the ballistics 109

CIRCUIT MAGAZINE ISSUE 63 what would be the best caliber of a carbine for close protection, security, or law enforcement duties? Do you need a round that will reach out to 300 meters? I would say not! Most defensive shootings and attacks take place at close range with attacks out past 50 meters being extremely rare. If we look back at the example of the 14-year-old girl that was shot in the Los Angeles clothing store, think again about the firearm the cop was armed with, an AR15 in 5.56mm caliber. Do you now think it was suitable for that environment? Personally, I would say if a carbine was needed at all, then one in a pistol caliber would be more suitable for that task and environment due to my concerns for the over penetration capabilities of 5.56mm round.

are many companies producing AR-15 platform guns within and outside the United States, some are very good, and some are not due to production quality. In general, a good quality AR-15 is a very nice light and easy to use carbine. Within the US these guns are very popular, affordable with an abundance of magazines, spare parts, and add-ons available. To me, as I said the AR-15 is a nice light carbine, so it amuses me when I come across those that add a ton of unnecessary sights, lasers, lights, range finders etc. to their carbines.

The AR-15 chambered in 5.56mm is very easy firearm to shoot and the recoil is minimal especially when compared with say a 12g pump action shotgun. The fact the AR15 is reliable, easy to use, easy to shoot and is very affordable has made it the carbine of choice for US law enforcement. Is the AR-15 an The Guns When most people think of assault ideal weapon for law enforcement? rifles and carbines they think of the I would say not, but it’s easy to use, cheap and available. M-4/AR-15/M-16 platforms or the AK-47 platform but there are many more makes and models available AR-15’s can accept a variety of magazines holding 3 rounds that in a very wide vary of calibers. In are usually used for hunting and up this article I will briefly talk about the AR-15 and AK platforms as they to 100 round drum magazines that can be used for target or tactical are the most common. applications. Magazines always need to be check for reliability as The AR-15 some of the fancier large capacity The AR-15 is the semi-automatic version of the military M-4 carbine. magazines are just gimmicks for The M-4 carbine is an updated and gun enthusiasts. You should also check legal capacity for magazines cut down version of the America Military M-16 rifle. These days there in your area as high-capacity 110

TACTICAL FIREARMS magazines are banned or restricted in some places.

The AR-15 is a nice light carbine, so it amuses me when I come across those that add a ton of unnecessary sights, lasers, lights, range finders etc. to their carbines.

Most law enforcement and armed security firearms qualifications for the AR-15 in 5.56mm are shot at distances of 25 to 50 meters, which is well short of the capabilities of the firearm. A 9mm carbine can shoot as equally as accurate at these distances. And also, up to 50 meters I would say would be the maximum range for most confrontations law enforcement and security personnel are most likely to encounter. So, why are law enforcement personnel and security guards not using pistol caliber carbines? Firstly, I would say it’s due to limited availability of reliable and affordable 9mm or pistol caliber carbines that are on the market. Yes, there are some very good pistol caliber carbines on the market but there are many more very affordable AR-15’s with plentiful magazines, spare parts, and accessories that are readily available. Secondly, the AR-15 is a well-known “Brand” of firearm. Yes, such things as brand comes into play in today’s firearms world where looking cool is a higher priority for many than a weapon systems required performance capabilities. Thirdly, the ego factor, “If the criminals have assault weapons, then we need them to”. Well, if you 111

CIRCUIT MAGAZINE ISSUE 63 look at how the Narcos are armed in Mexico... If law enforcement in the US wants to keep up then they should be carrying fragmentation grenades, RPG’s, belt fed machine guns and have .50 sniper rifles in the trunks of their cars for the occasions they need to shoot past 50 meters. In reality the emphasis should be on training and ensuring people are able to shoot accurately with the firearms they have. A quick 50-meter head-shot with a .22 long rifle round from say a scoped Ruger 10/22, will kill a terrorist armed whatever weapons they choose to carry. As for the argument that 5.56mm rounds are required as the criminals now have access to body-armor… Well, they also have access to plate carries and plates that will stop 5.56mm rounds… So, it’s best to practice shooting for head-shots if you’re that concerned about body-armor wearing terrorists and criminals. But also remember if your rounds are impacting on a person’s plate carrier the chances are they have passed through their arms first and disabled them. Learning to shoot multiple rounds rapidly and accurately with a pistol or a carbine is an essential and basic skill for defensive shooting. As the old saying goes “bad workmen always blame their tools”. From a psychological point of view, I am sure for many caring 112

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CIRCUIT MAGAZINE ISSUE 63 a carbine in 5.56mm gives them more confidence to deal with hostile situations. For me this is a false confidence, but it makes up for a lack of professional training I suppose in some people’s minds.

though AK’s have a reputation for working in all environments and conditions, like any other firearms they need to be cleaned at take care of.

As with all mechanical devices there are good AK’s and bad ones, some AK’s are reliable and accurate and some are not. Bad manufacturing can be a problem with all firearms. One issue in the United States can be guns that were put together from foreign “parts kits” on a US made receiver. These guns can have reliability issues due to parts not being properly fitted. I am always wary of guns that have been assembled from parts from different manufacturers or overly modified by their owner. And even

AK platform firearms are in service with police and military units globally and I expect they will be for a very long time to come. They have a very good “brand”, reputation and are cheaper to buy than AR-15/M-4 platform firearms.

The original caliber for the AK-47 is 7.62X39 mm, which is a larger The AK-47 round than 5.56mm. I am not What can be classed as the AK-47 going to argue ballistics here, I platform of firearms is as, if not more diverse, than the AR-15 family will just say both rounds are very effective for combat operations. of firearms. The basics of the AKA lot of the modern military 47 platform has stayed the same production AK’s are chambered over the years, but the firearms in 5.45mm which is a very potent come in a wide variety of sizes, calibers and are produced by many round and extends the individual target accuracy of the AK out to manufactures internationally. about 300 to 400-meters. The AK platform of firearms have One issue with a lot of the AK a reputation form robustness and platforms is they are not produced reliability. They can be viewed as with rails etc. for optics to be fitted, not being so refined as the ARand an extra bracket needs to be 15/M-16 family of firearms, but added. A lot of the newer guns are they are very effective and battle proven firearms. As with the AR-15 coming with rails for optics and they can also use magazines with a fore grips that are able to accept accessories. wide variety of capacities.

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From a legal perspective in most places AK’s and assault rifles in general are only available to serving law enforcement and military personnel. But where possession of assault rifles is allowed, usually in semi-automatic only, you still

TACTICAL FIREARMS need to ensure you know the laws 100%. In 2014 the five-man crew of the US salvage ship “Aqua Quest” spent 53 days in jail in Honduras because they entered the country with AK platform firearms. When they declared the weapons to customs officials they were arrested as possession of “soviet” caliber weapons which are banned in Honduras. If they had AR-15’s the chances are they would have been fine…

a conventional rifle that was also more accurate and easier to use than a pistol.

Being compact with a high rate of fire makes sub-machine guns ideal for close combat. Special Forces have always retained sub-machine guns in their armories, one of the most famed being the MP5 by Heckler & Koch. There are other manufactures of sub-machine guns, but they have had difficulty competing with the AR-15/AK-47 platforms. Guns such as the H&K Sub-Machine Guns Over the last 30 years sub-machine MP5 are also a lot more expensive than your average AR-15. The guns have fallen out of favor with cost of a firearm and availability most police and military forces of accessories is a major selection and have been replaced with assault style rifles. One of the initial consideration for the military, ideas behind assault rifles was that police and especially for private security companies. they would combine the qualities of the rifle and sub-machine gun; Most military and law enforcement a compact weapon chambered sub-machine guns are fully in a high-velocity caliber. For automatic and are very controllable warfare such high-velocity assault if the shooters are properly trained. weapons are ideal but for security If shooters are not properly trained, operations I would say submachine guns in pistol calibers are they can have issues controlling any firearm that is fully automatic better suited. due to the weapons recoil. The recoil of the firearms when it’s Sub-machine guns are general being fired on fully automatic will chambered in pistol calibers and cause the muzzle of the weapon are compact firearms that bridge the gap between pistols and rifles. to rise sharply and very quickly. If the weapon is not controlled They were initially designed for properly then the rounds its firing trench warfare during World War One where compact weapons with will go over and past the target due to the muzzle rise. There have a high rate of fire were required for clearing trenches and bunkers. been numerous fatal accidents in United States on gun ranges where They were also issues to support troops and to those that needed a shooters have lost control of fully automatic firearms. lighter and smaller weapon than 115

CIRCUIT MAGAZINE ISSUE 63 Semi-automatic sub-machine guns are easier to shoot than pistols for most people as that are heavier and absorb the recoil of the round more than a pistol can. They are longer so easier to grip and are fitted with a stock which is far better for controlling the weapon as it can be fired from the shoulder position. Close protection personnel should learn how to use folding stock firearms with the stock extended and closed. As I have said, most sub-machine guns are rated for individual target accuracy for ranges between 100 and 150 meters, depending on the gun, type ammunition and skills of the shooter. Pistol rounds are a lot lower velocity than assault rifle caliber rounds and don’t have the same penetration qualities. This especially applies if the rounds being fired are hollow points. Hollow point rounds expand on impact which causes more trauma to the target and reduces the penetration capabilities of the rounds. But still remember most 9mm rounds for example if fired into the air at a 45-degree angle will still travel for about 1.5 to 2 kilometers or more. In some schools of thought hollow point rounds are inhuman for causing excessive trauma to those they hit, and in other schools of thought they are safer as they will not over penetrate 116

Close protection personnel should learn how to use folding stock firearms with the stock extended and closed.

TACTICAL FIREARMS and go through a target and hit an innocent bystander. If hollow point rounds are to be carried in any pistols or sub-machine guns you should test fire several magazines of the ammunition to ensure there are no feeding or cycling problems with the firearm. Some guns due to being made for military applications with full metal jacket ammunition will have feed problems with hollow point rounds.

less than 16 in (41 cm) or overall length of less than 26 in (66 cm), or a handgun fitted with a buttstock and a barrel of less than 16 inches length. So, most semiautomatic sub-machine gun with shoulder stocks would be classed as SBR’s. And again remember, even in some States within the US the laws vary greatly, and hollow point ammunition or highcapacity magazines can be illegal to possess.

Being more compact than assault rifles and in low velocity calibers sub-machine guns should be the choice firearms for close protection, law enforcement and armed security duties. The US Federal Bureau of Investigation were apparently using MP5’s chambered in the very potent 10mm caliber, which is a very nice firearm for close quarters work. But it is also a very expensive firearm, and the ammunition is not cheap, if you can manage to find it available for sale.

Conclusion I hope this article has clarified a few points about the use of assault rifles etc. and their applications for the close protection and armed security duties. I think a lot of the confusion about the applications of firearms for security duties these days is due to the fact that many of those providing the tactical courses are shooting enthusiasts, with no experience of actually providing armed security themselves.

As with all firearms the legalities need to always be considered. In the United States for example under Federal law all fully automatic firearms have to be registered with the ATF. Also, all short-barreled rifles need to be registered with the ATF. Short-barreled rifle (SBR) is a legal designation in the United States, referring to a shoulderfired, rifled firearm, made from a rifle, with a barrel length of

Armed security is purely defensive and you and those employing you are responsible for your actions and every round you fire if you’re unfortunate enough to have to use force in a confrontation. If shots are fired, and even if no one is shot, the chances are you will be arrested, investigated and possibly charged with an offense. From a close protection perspective our role is not to engage in unnecessary shootouts 117

CIRCUIT MAGAZINE ISSUE 63 but to safely move our client out of any danger using force only if absolutely necessary. If firearms are needed to be carried, I would personally say a pistol caliber carbine or stocked semi-auto sub-machine gun zeroed out to 100 meters would be ideal for security duties. For close protection a concealed pistol should always be the primary firearm but for such duties as residential security a carbine would be handy and more accurate for most people if shooting at ranges of over 25 meters is required. Also, a pistol caliber carbine is easier to use than a shotgun and safer due to its accuracy. If someone does not understand how a shotgun shell’s pellets can spread at specific ranges, they can end up hitting innocent bystanders with stray pellets. There are numerous carbines available that take pistol magazines such as the Ruger Firearms PC Carbine. So, with such a carbine the guards pistol

magazines will also work in their carbine. Also, there a conversion platforms and attachable stocks for pistols that can enable the gun to be shoulder fired, which can be an ideal solution. But the problem with such conversions is that they could quickly turn a legal pistol into an illegal short barreled rifle. So, AGAIN, always check the laws! Some conversion platforms for pistols are coming with arm braces that can be shoulder fired, but again, check the laws to ensure they are legal to own and use in your location. And as always, those handing pistols and carbines for close protection and security duties need at a basic level to be properly trained to use their weapons safely, shoot accurately from 0 meters up to 100 meters, be able to shoot from different positions, understand how to effectively use cover from fire and to be able to tactically work with other team members. These are basic requirements if your serious about working armed in the close protection industry.

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THE ENDURING NEED FOR SITUATIONAL AWARENESS TRAINING By Ahmed Ateek

The Enduring Need for Situational Awareness Training What is Situational Awareness Training? It’s a set of skills and knowledge that allows individuals to be able to deal with the changing elements of a presently unknown environment or situation. Depending on the trainer and modules included, SAT may also be known as HEAT (Hostile Environment Awareness Training).

Who can benefit from SAT? The training is for those who need to know what to do and how to react when potentially critical situations go wrong: active shooter, knife stabbings, kidnapping, sexual harassment, and more. SAT teaches individuals to ask – and answer – fundamental questions: What should I do? 121

CIRCUIT MAGAZINE ISSUE 63 Where should I go? What could happen to me? What is the most effective way to manage a dangerous situation?

Until a few years ago, SAT was mainly relevant for NGOs - UN - TV crews but now it is also important for embassy staff, oil & gas companies, students who are studying abroad, business people, and tourists who like to travel solo to new places or where they may appear as high profile individuals. A high-profile individual is not only represented by what they wear or what car they drive, but potentially also by race / ethnicity, accent and even tone of voice. In 2022, I had the opportunity to engage young athletes from Germany who were traveling to different countries to represent their nation. SAT was necessary for them. I also engaged telecom engineers from Europe who were being sent as individuals to work at new stations in developing countries. SAT was necessary for them, too. Due to the impact of Covid-19, most HEAT and SAT courses are still being taught online and this comes with major limitations. While remote learning may be viewed as more convenient and oftentimes cheaper, in this case 122

While remote learning may be viewed as more convenient and oftentimes cheaper, in this case the risks far outweigh the benefits in my opinion.

THE ENDURING NEED FOR SITUATIONAL AWARENESS TRAINING

the risks far outweigh the benefits in my opinion. Real life simulations and practice are necessary to perfect our reactions in critical moments! What will you learn with SAT? SAT aims to teach everyone to be aware of their surroundings; methods and skills of survival; conflict avoidance – not only when visiting new places but also in the usual places of residence given the fluid nature of what we consider to be safe zones. For example, the current war between Russia and Ukraine has rendered the once safe Polish border as potentially unfamiliar and unsafe. Training is tailored mainly for individuals or teams who are being deployed to the Middle East. Training is offered in both

English and Arabic. Expect to learn the basics of a language for non-native speakers, a few words that can save your life and build trust with a potential foe in order to de-escalate situations and survive more critical ones. For example, in our courses aimed at those deploying to the Middle East we put emphasis on simple greetings such as “Al Salamu Alaykum” (peace to you) and phrases such as “Shukran” (thank you) can build bridges with potential enemies by showing goodwill and understanding. Dress and behavior are also important factors. For example, certain countries, regions and areas of the Middle East are more conservative than others. As a female member of a TV crew or NGO, wearing a headscarf “hejab” 123

CIRCUIT MAGAZINE ISSUE 63 may be a necessity, to show respect to the local people and avoid potential conflict.

Advance security planning: • Do you need security support? This is especially relevant for individuals or teams who may be unfamiliar with the destination, yet are required to move around in a confident and familiar manner e.g. TV crews.

Linked to dress code and appropriate behavior is cultural and religious awareness, and the dos and don’ts in various countries when it comes to acts and words that may be considered Contingency planning and offensive. This was covered in my evacuation: article “Communication and Body • What type of hotel should you Language for Executive Protection book – luxurious or standard? in the Middle East”, Issue 57. For This would depend on the example, certain hand gestures and previous risk assessment to pronunciation errors may cause the place you are visiting. offense, depending on the place. For example, the ratings of hotels in the Gulf (Dubai, You will also be taught about Doha, Muscat) wouldn’t make advance security planning, risk much of a difference from a assessment, contingency planning security perspective, however and evacuation. All stages focus on in countries like Yemen it could the importance of reflecting on the be a critical decision. Given particulars of your journey before Yemen is currently being ruled you travel. by 2 separate governments, with differing ethnicities in Risk assessment: power, one could easily be • How safe is that place or the city profiled as an enemy by either or the country in general? depending on the mission of the trip e.g. news channel, • Are you traveling solo for the NGO humanitarian aiders etc. first time? 2-star hotels (with tight security measures including covert • Do you know anyone at the protection to keep the team or destination who knows this the individual low profile during place better than you? their movement) may therefore be a better choice in such • What do you need to take with situations and not to attract you and what shouldn’t you take? attention to them. 124

THE ENDURING NEED FOR SITUATIONAL AWARENESS TRAINING • Where are the nearest vital state buildings? These would include airports, police stations, embassies, hospitals, army bases etc. and could be considered as safe houses in case of any conflict. Other topics that we advocate for in our training: • Basic self-defense built on the principles of Krav Maga, an Israeli fighting system that advocates for simple moves and techniques that do not necessarily require high levels of fitness or performance. Krav Maga also focuses on mindset: for example, instead of freezing in threatening situations, taking a few seconds to think about what the best course of action could be - fight (stay, engage, confront the situation head-on) or flight (remove yourself from the danger / threat). • Tactical survival which focuses on survival techniques in situations where you may not have access to your phone, car,

or the internet (lost in the desert scenario). You will also learn how to utilize basic tools for maximum benefit in different scenarios e.g. flashlight, tourniquet, tear gas wipes, water filtration system etc. • Manual search for eavesdropping and other surveillance devices in hotel rooms etc. This topic is especially relevant to journalists and TV crews who may be the target of spies (oftentimes covert intelligence operatives may well pose as journalists, hence the general suspicion surrounding this position). Multiple hotel rooms may be bugged by local government authorities, so requests to change rooms will not be helpful. To control this threat, you will be taught how to conduct manual search for illicit devices. You will also be made aware of Technical Surveillance Countermeasure (TSCM) providers in your area to sweep larger areas like rented villas on a regular basis.

Ahmed Ateek is a Security professional from Egypt living in Dubai, UAE for the past 13 years. Ahmed has worked as Security Escort and Deportee Security in Aviation Security as well as CPO for UK organizations operating in the Middle East. He is a USA-certified ASP Instructor, European-certified EP as well as TSCM Operative, and Founder of Zero Click Limited with HQ in Warsaw. Contact him: info@zclick.pl 125

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GSX 2022 12-14 Sept, 2022 Atlanta, GA

International Security Expo 27-28 Sept, 2022 London, UK

Cyber Security Summit 18 Nov 2022 New York, NY, USA

ISC East 15-17 Nov 2022 NYC, NY, USA

ASIS LATAM 23-25 OCT 2022 Cancun, Mexico

Exposec 13-15 JUNE 2023 Sau Paulo, Brazil

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Securex 2023 06-08 JUNE 2023 Johannesburg, South Africa

INDUSTRY EVENTS Counter Terror Expo 17-18 May 2023 London, UK

IFSEC International 16-18 May 2023 London, UK

DroneX Tradeshow & Conference 7-8 SEPT 2022 London, UK

ASIS Europe 21-23 MAR 2023 Rotterdam, NL

Info Sec Summit 2022 6-7 SEPT 2022 Hong Kong

IDEX UAE 20-24 FEB 2023 Abu Dhabi, UAE

Securexpo East Africa 7-9 MAR 2023 Nairobi, Kenya

Intelligence International 2022 23-26 October 2022 Melbourne, Australia

Do you have a security event that is not listed here that you would like our readers to know about? Contact us: info@circuit-magazine.com 127

CIRCUIT MAGAZINE ISSUE 63

Keeping Your Edge: A Day in the Life 07:00 am - The day starts off with a workout, consisting of strength training, functional fitness, and cardio. No gym? No prob, calisthenics and bodyweight workouts can do the trick.

Keeping Your Edge: Action vs. Reaction

By Elijah Shaw

08:30am - Time to fuel the machine. I'm vegan, so that means my breakfast are a little bit different than the norm. With that said, they almost always consist of a protein shake and some slow burning carbs, such as 128

oatmeal, to carry me until my next meal (because you never know when that might be.) 9:00am - With maintenance out of the way, the workday now officially begins. First order business is to touch

KEEPING YOUR EDGE base with the Private Aviation broker to double check arrival times and once again go over our protocols. (For example, I try and have the plane pushed a bit further from the FBO, with the shades down, and the stars facing away from building windows/customer parking.) 9:30am - Next up, reconfirming car arrivals with the travel department. When using a contract company for movements, I double check to

make sure that the drivers are vetted to our preconditions. This includes a review of driving history, and receiving a photo and contact number, of the actual driver doing the pick-up. Upon arrival, I then give the vehicle a once over and brief the driver on expectations and contingency planning. 11am - After picking up the Client, we head to the FBO for a Tarmac debus, followed by wheels up.

11:00am

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CIRCUIT MAGAZINE ISSUE 63 2:00pm - Wheels down. Tarmac arrival. Head direct to the hotel. 2:30pm - Greeted by the Advanced Agent at a side entrance, who hands off the hotel keys and information packet. I then follow him to the P’s room, with the client stationary until time to depart to venue. While in my room, I use the occasion to again eat, and review the Advance reports of the venue sent by the team onsite. These include text, diagrams, photos and videos. 3:30pm - After asking questions and offering input, I approve the plan and I wait for departure to the festival site. Coordinating festival arrivals is always a little tricky because of congestion on roads leading to the venues, last minute road closures, and local security checkpoints. 7:00pm - Once on site, we move the Protectee directly into the secure green room, 130

9:00pm

KEEPING YOUR EDGE

and go into lock down. At this point I’m given the latest updates, and then do an in-person walkthrough of the spaces that the Client is going to be in, with special consideration made to any areas of concern, and evacuation routes.

9:00pm - Showtime. For festival shows, our primary mission is to ensure that for the next 90 minutes, the space is ours. This means only vetted individuals in The Bubble (The space consisting of the Stage, the Press Pit and the entrances Back of House 131

CIRCUIT MAGAZINE ISSUE 63 leading up to the stage.) In short, if you're not working, you are not in our space, that makes it significantly easier to identify and respond to any potential threats in the area. Because the festival setting means large crowds, we also use our elevated vantage point to pay attention to the fans themselves, being on the lookout for any type of medical emergency that event security may have not yet keyed in on. If we do spot one, we radio to the local event supervisor, or emergency management services for them to handle, as our primary responsibility is the Protectee. However, that protection extends not only to the physical, but also the client's brand.

10:30pm - Show Ends. Hard Out. Meaning we leave right away. With festivals, particularly one in which your client is the headlining closing act, the longer you delay after show, the more likely you are to be stuck in heavy traffic. Additionally, everyone is now trying to gain access to the VIP’s greenroom area, seeking an audience. Keeping in mind that some clients like to stay and shower or just unwind, if you can leave, do leave. 11:00pm - Back at the FBO. Tarmac drop. Wheels up. Wheels down. Car Pickup. And the cycle starts all over again. Whew.

Elijah Shaw is the National Director of the North American Bodyguard Association and the CEO of ICON Global, and International Executive Protection Consulting Firm. Elijah, who has been featured in international publications such as Inc. Magazine, Entrepreneur, and Portfolio, runs the ICON Academy, an EP Training Program specializing in Celebrity & VIP Protection. He also currently sits on the Board of Directors of Executive Security International (ESI), the United States oldest Executive Protection Training School. His book, An Introduction to Executive Protection & Touring: A Guide to Mastering the Business of VIP Security, hit the Amazon best sellers list, and is available now worldwide. 132

Membership starting from £5

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Email: info@circuit-magazine.com United Kingdom 3D Security Ltd Taunton, Somerset, TA1 1TG Based in Taunton 3D Security provides security services for a wide range of clients. Whether you need a security guard in Somerset, event security in Leeds or Close Protection in London we will provide a solution for your needs. T: +44 (0)1823 253 001 W - www.3dsecurity.org E - enquiries@3dsecurity.org.uk A.B.I. Solutions A.B.I Solutions is a dynamic, forward thinking company, specialising in surveillance, security and investigations with local, national and internationalexperience. A.B.I provides a wide range of services to the corporate sector and individuals alike. W - www.abisolutions.co.uk Amanda Campbell A highly motivated and experienced female operative both CP and Surveillence training T – 07596542249 W - www.amandacampbell.org.uk E - ac@amandacampbell.org.uk Alex Morgan - Close Protection Officer I am a hardworking, enthusiastic and committed person. Adaptable and driven, I have great attention to detail and high standards. I am honest, reliable, friendly and work well as part of a team as well as on my own initiative. I am also a good listener who has the ability to communicate with people at all levels. I am comfortable, both taking and issuing direction. I am looking for the opportunity to apply and expand my skills. E: adsmorgan74@gmail.com T: 07775 636964 Ambassador Security Management ASM MK Lions Arena, Grafton Court, Snowden Drive, Winterhill, Milton Keynes, MK6 1AJ, GBR. After successfully gaining ACS (Door Supervision and Manned Guarding) along

with ISO 9000, we here at ASM have a dedicated management team with hundreds of years combined experience in the security industry. W: www.asmsecurity.co.uk E: scott@asmsecurity.com T: 08458335750 Amber Security and Protection United Kingdom At Amber Security and Protection Ltd we pride ourselves on providing a bespoke and tailored Close Protection, Residential Security, World Class Travel Security and Risk Management service to all our National and International clients. The Directors and Senior Operators are former military, law enforcement or special forces personnel who are fully operational SIA licensed close protection operatives who have over 40 years experience in both the military and civilian private security sectors. E: info@ambersecurityandprotection. com T: 07425868014 (07540392093) W: https://ambersecurityandprotection. com Ark Personal and Asset Protection Ark, 2b Crow Lane, Rochester, Kent, ME11RF, GBR A small, efficient, highly descrete company employing ex special forces and detectives for all civil and corporate covert needs. E: Office@arkprotect.com T: +0044 01634 845526 Argus Europe County Durham Argus Europe has been providing specialist training for high-net worth clients and their families for close to 20 years, worldwide. Argus Europe now offer accredited training for CPO’s, Surveillance Operators and Private detectives. Argus Europe is an operational company working globally with an extensive variety of contracts. W: www.arguseurope.co.uk T: +44 (0) 8456 123 843 Atlantian Business Solutions Group Rutland, LE15 6SD, GBR

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CIRCUIT MAGAZINE ISSUE 63 Atlantian Business Solutions has been designed to help both individuals and New Companies build for the future as well as support others with training needs. T: 07725970954 W: www.atlantianbsgroup.com E: info@atlantianbsgroup.com Briareus Security Our aim is to give a complete, discreet and professional service to all of our clients, be they large corporations, small businesses, local authorities or private individuals, all tailored to meet their individual needs. W: www.briareussecurity.com E: info@briareussecurity.com Mark Corder - Chief Executive of Carmdale Ltd Suite 3 219 Bow Road London E3 2SJ Mark is a former Senior Police Officer specialising in counterterrorism; firearms; public order; training and also physical, Critical National Infrastructure and nuclear security, having had responsibility for the security of the UK’s nuclear deterrent. A former Head of Operations, Operational Support and Training, Mark has been involved in a number large-scale incidents (including 7/7) and has also worked at the Office for Security and Counter Terrorism (OSCT) at the Home Office as part of a review into Critical National Infrastructure security. Mark has an MBA via the OU. E: mark.corder@carmdale.co.uk T: +44 (0)844 995 9900 W: www.carmdale.co.uk Alastair Christie Advice on site security, perimeter fencing, lighting, CCTV and manning requirements. Monitor and advise on guard force setting up site procedures and guard SOP’s. T : +44 (0)7736 328112 E : ally.c9496@yahoo.co.uk Callum Barrie Experienced Dog Handler since July 2020 and Security Industry experience of over 6 years. I have 2 working dogs, 1 Belgian Malinois (3 years) and 1 German Shepherd (1 year) available to work immediately. I have a current Close Protection Badge and Door Supervisor Badge. I am NASDU Level 2 Qualified. I have Public Liability Insurance and my own vehicle. Seeking employment immediately in Wales M: 07580405745 Control Risk Management Solutions - CRMS - Ireland Executive Close Protection Operations & Training (B Tec Level 3 Diploma Edexcel) Threat & Risk Assessments, Consultancy Services. W: www.crmsinternational.com E: martin@crmsinternational.com Cosain Consultancy Ltd Cosain has over 25 years of experience within the media safety and executive protection industry and has a network of trusted relationships with global media companies across the globe. Our

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IPSS Security Northfield, Aberdeen, AB16 7EX Security and protection services - UK and overseas. BBA Member. T: + 44 (0) 1224 69455 W: www.ippssecurity.co.uk

Gordon Russell Highly trained frontline Close Protection Operatives available for UK and International contracts. Our experienced CPO’s can offer bespoke packages to meet all clients needs, including a variety of language skills. All SIA licenced, BBA member E: Bodyguard-cpo@Email.cz T: +44 (0)7917 281 004 Gareth Evans - CPO, MSO Reliable dedicated hard-working security professional, with outstanding communication skills. Strategic approach to problem solving combined with exceptional interpersonal skills, quick to grasp new concepts and information. Highly motivated, results-driven and thrives under pressure. Strong leadership and management skills with proven experience committed to continuous personal and professional development. E : evansgareth1979@yahoo.co.uk T : +44 (0)7900058603 James Izett All close protection task undertaken, including training tasks. Medic (Registered with the HPCSA, Registered FAAW instructor and Assessor E : J.Izett@gmail.com T : +971 (0)505 574 350 Janice Gurney Proficient and diligent Security Professional gaining extensive knowledge and experience within the security sector. Proactive individual who has a logical, flexible and conscientious approach to all challenges undertaken, ability to work as a member of a team or as an individual willing to work anywhere. T : +44 (0)7885 793061 E : janice382006@gmail.com King Cobra Security Ltd King Cobra Security are a Milton Keynes based company, incorporating Certificated Enforcement Agents, Security and Surveillance officers carrying services for the Domestic & Corporate Sector. Being one of Milton Keynes leading and vibrant companies not scared by trying new technologies sets us out from the rest. We are capable of tasking agents throughout the UK & Internationally when required.

ISS Training Ltd Riverside Cottages, Nidd Walk, Pateley Bridge, Harrogate, HG3 5NA ISS Training Limited are providers of specialist covert surveillance training courses and publications to the security and investigative industries, enforcement agencies and specialist military units. Formed in 1990, we are the longest established surveillance training ompany in the United Kingdom. Our credibility and reputation is widespread and we offer nationally recognised qualifications. BBA Member. T: + 44 (0) 1423 712265 W: www.intelsecurity.co.uk Jason Morris Security Hertfordshire, UK Providing a wide range of Door supervision/security for V.I.P and prestige venues, Concerts, Functions, Corporate and Personal Security, Weddings, Private Parties, Gala Dinners, Business Awards & School Proms, Close Protection and Body Guarding Static Guarding and Stewards. T: 01462 478900 W: www.jasonmorrissecurity.co.uk E: agosselin@jasonmorrissecurity.co.uk John Featherstone Security professional with operational experience gained in a variety of theatres. Main specialities close protection and surveillance. T: 24hrs : +44 (0)7702 740722 E: john@johnfeatherstone.co.uk W: www.johnfeatherstone.co.uk K9 Support Services Ltd K9 Support Services UK Ltd is a supplier of specialist drugs and explosives dog/ handler detection service (which includes arms & ammunition) to individuals, businesses, and the public sector. T: 0845 643 6393 E: info@k9support.org.uk Logas International Tyne & Wear, SR1, GBR Front line SIA, International CPO. Private Investigation and Surveillance operator. E: wscarr@logasinternational.com

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CIRCUIT MAGAZINE ISSUE 63 Adam McErlane Close Protection & Client Management A qualified/licenced close protection operative and live events technician from the UK. • 12+ years of experience operating within the live events sector as on operational technician/engineer (Touring & In-House) • Extensive knowledge of the operational procedures, security protocols & logistical processes of large tours and venues. • Personal protection/client management experience (unlicensed) for a high net-worth individuals. Personal Qualities - • Determined, motivated & hard working. • Punctual and reliable. • Able to work independently & as part of a team • High ethical & moral standing. • Act quickly and decisively when required. • Working knowledge of defensive tactics in hostile situations. • Patient & Tolerant in stressful situations with others. • Rudimentary understanding of the Spanish languages. • Effective communicator with a diplomatic approach. • Very resourceful & able to find solutions to complex problems. • Possess good foresight & vigilance. • Years of experience working long & unsociable hours. • Physically fit & Healthy E: adammcerlane1989@outlook.com T: +44 7751953009 Michael Boreland Close Protection Officer Since leaving the British Army in 2006 I have been working in hostile environments for private security companies in various roles ranging from Training & Close protection. I have successfully managed a training wing in Afghanistan providing security operations training for local nationals & Expats conducting operations in the region I believe with my skills and experience of the employment I have done in the past I would be an asset to any organisation taking myself on as an employee. mike.boreland@gmail.com Marcin Gebler Close Protection Officer I have experience with work as an armed security officer, an armed security guard at army unit and army airport, an armed officer responsible for searching and identifying explosive devices, an armed CP in Poland. I have experience with work as a mobile patrol security officer and static security guard in UK. I have experience with work as a security officer at hotels, production sites, private households in UK. I am SIA CP and DS licensed. First Aid at Work Level 3 completed in 2020. Firearms Training Course Combat Pistol 1 for CPOs Shockfire in Poland 2020. E: p.i.gebler@gmail.com T: + 44 07799907528 MLK Security and Protection Services Swindon, UK Close Protection Officer and Door Supervisor E: mattleekane@hotmail.com T: 07917654978

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LJE Security Services North Yorkshire, HG1, GBR Close Protection, Residential Security, Asset Protection, VIP red carpet Security and Private Investigation. E: leanneedmondson@yahoo.co.uk Oliver Mike Close Protection Operative I came from Hungary and live in the Uk in London since 2014. I was a Police Officer for 23 years as a CounterTerrorism Specialist. Next to the police I became a Close Protection Operative and self-defense instructor (Krav Maga). I was a member of the International Krav Maga Federation (IKMF). During my service I have been protecting Hungarian Prime Ministers, Interior Ministers, Foreign Ministers, Ambassador of Israel and other politicians of other countries. E: info@formerpol.com T: +447413190349 W: www.formerpol.com One Events Grantham One Events offers you a stress free solution in the organisation, putting together and running of an event. Thisis accomplished by having a group of specialised companies from different industries working together for a more complete service for you. TEL: 0870 974 6779 W: www.oneevents.info Paul Lovatt – CPO After serving 15 year in the Army a move to the Security Industry was a natural step, during the last 10 years I have worked in almost every role in the industry from Door Supervisor and loss prevention to Operations Manager and Director. I have been responsible for the creation and implementation of highly successful crime reduction schemes across Yorkshire working closely with other agencies in the areas of responsibility. Currently I am responsible for the overall running of large events security teams from stewards to Close Protection Officers. Operational planning, contingency planning and flexibility are I feel among my key strengths. E : paul@deltasecurity-eventmanagement.co.uk T : +44 (0)7506726336 Paul Tyler – VIP Protection & Concierge Specialist in discreet personal protection & surveillance. A good current working knowledge of London & its challenges gained through ongoing high risk security operations. Experienced in dealing with high net worth clients with all matters security & concierge striving go the extra mile to exceed expectations through thorough planning & interaction with all involved parties. A strong communicator with a smart appearance who remains synonymous with the principals lifestyle, whilst discretely ensuring a safe environment is maintained at all times, physically capable of adopting a higher profile when required to do so. Demonstrates sound judgement and capability to operate with great levels of

CLASSIFIEDS autonomy. Exceptional interpersonal skills with the ability to understand, interact & connect with a diverse range of people. E : paul@apparitio.co.uk T : +44 (0)7552515604 W : www.apparitio.co.uk Peter Jenkins Peter Jenkins is the director of surveillance training company ISS Training Ltd. He has been managing his own commercial and corporate investigation business in Yorkshire for the past 25 years. Previous to this, Peter spent 12 years in the Royal Marines where he specialised in various roles which included reconnaissance, intelligence, counter terrorism and instructing. He continues to carry out surveillance work on a regular basis and regularly instructs on surveillance training courses internationally. E: info@intelsecurity.co.uk W: www.intelsecurity.co.uk Roystan Powell Security Consultant/Close Protection Operative I have been in the security industry for 20yrs, my first experience being in the HM Forces back in 2002, during my time in the industry I have gained vast experience, professionalism, integrity, values and work ethic. I have been involved in many details and conducted TL duties, risk assessments, risk management, management and consultancy. I hope my brief introduction is of interest. Kind regards Roy E: roystanlcp@gmail.com Plymouth Close Protection Highly versatile, physically fit and accomplished security professional with cumulative experience in the areas of security management, close protection, crisis management, risk assessment, emergency management, asset protection and security training. E : chris@plymouthcp.co.uk W : www.plymouthcp.co.uk T : +44 (0)1752 500807 PPSS Group Body armour and stab vests provide a functional solution to individuals who require extra protection in their chosen vocation. All PPSS (formerly ASEO) body armour and stab vests are certified by the UK’s Home Office (HOSDB) and offer unrivalled protection from blunt trauma caused by a punch, blow or kick. Based on our professional frontline experience and extensive research we can confirm that an impact based assault is a more likely event than an attack involving an edged weapon or firearm. T: +44 (0) 845 5193 953 F: +44 (0) 1765 603 512 E: info@ppss-group.com W: www.ppss-group.com Presence Security Presence Security (“ PS ”) is a bespoke security company providing protection for private individuals and VIPs, as well

as security services for businesses and organizations. T: 0800 002 9734 E: info@presencesecurity.co.uk Prestige Risks LTD 27 Old Gloucester Street, London, WC1N, 3AX, GBR. Close Protection Secure Chauffeurs Surveillance Residential Security Executive Protection Security Guards Asset T : +44 (0)207 5588182 E : info@prestigerisks.com W : www.prestigerisks.com Prometheus Medical Ltd Prometheus deliver unrivalled bespoke emergency medical support in the form of specialist equipment, training, strategic advice and deployed clinical care. T: (+44) 1568 613942 W: www.prometheusmedical.co.uk Prosec Consultancy Ltd 10 Oakfield business park Westbury, BA13 4WF. Prosec Consultancy Limited are dedicated in providing a professional service, which covers a whole range of security services throughout the security industry. T: 01373 228055 W: www.prosec-ltd.co E: info@prosec-ltd.com ProTouch Security ProTouch Security is one of the UK’s key providers of event safety, event security, crowd management, door supervisors, stewards, event management and health and safety. T: 01724 279 522 W: www.protouchsecurity.co.uk Python Security and Protection Ltd Providing Close Protection Officers and Door Supervisors for Events and Venue Security. E : mattleekane@hotmail.com Radoslav Savkov - CPO / Security Consultant Oxford - United Kingdom I would introduce myself as a high calibre Security professional with strong customer oriented skills and managerial experience in the Security Industry, interested in a challenging position, which would fully utilize competences gained and provides opportunities for professional and personal development. With 15 + years of international experience in the sector at all levels and a military background (National Service) as well as a practical Close Protection experience in an executive environment, corporate intelligence and investigations. As a Security professional, I never consider my training and development as a complete, therefore I always look to update further my skills and knowledge. In personal plan I am very loyal, discreet , independent and willing to

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CIRCUIT MAGAZINE ISSUE 63 embrace challenges. E: r.savkov@gmail.com T: +44 (0)7886591525

E: sw@shaunwest.co.uk T: +44 (0)7830 109 601 W: www.shaunwest.co.uk

RSM Security UK Ltd London, UK RSM Security UK Ltd offers the experience and expertise necessary to provide security personnel of the highest calibre when you need them. T: 07850091979 or 07792948523 W: www.rsmsecurity.co.uk E: info@rsmsecurity.co.uk RWSSI Rob W is a professional security consultant with world wide experience and capabilities in Security, Surveillance and Investigation; I can support you to overcome any problems and enable you to achieve your goals E: rob@rwssi.co.uk T: +44 (0)7818 220985

Steve Pittman - Security Manager of Operations I have been active in the security industry for over 25 years in various roles including close protection where I have been responsiblefor the the welfare of high net worth individuals in low and high risk situations . I have also a vast amount of experience in many other areas of there security industry including Door Supervision, Security Management, Event Security, and Residential Security. I have recently finished a diploma in Private Investigations and am a member of UKPIN. E: steve@covert protection.com T: 07818800778 W: Company Website: https://covertprotection.com

SDS Solutions SDS solutions provide our clients with protective solutions that are second to none, our consultants will discuss every aspect of the problems that you are facing that dictate the need for a protective solution, we promise our clients a tailor made service to meet individual requirements. Whether based in the UK or abroad our protective service T: 01453 887815 E: info@sds-solutions.org Stephen OCallaghan Founder & Managing Director Strategically oriented Close Protection Security Specialist with a proven track record for providing effective leadership and exceeding performance objectives. Has been responsible for implementation of security standards in hostile and non-hostile job roles, security awareness and education, coordination of sensitive investigations, analysis of emerging industry trends and threats and the evaluation of overall team effectiveness. Ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships within a team, whilst at all times keeping the main objective and security needs at the fore front. E: enquiries@protegimusprotection.com T: +44 7306395194 W: www.protegimusprotection.com Shadow Close Protection A leading company specializing in Executive Protection as a professional sector, with participation in high and low risk missions, providing global security solutions and consultancy to individuals, corporations and national agencies worldwide. W: www.shadowcp.gr E: info@shadowcp.gr T: + 30 6948539664 Shaun West United Kingdom SIA licensed, Highly Experienced Frontline CPO. Ronin SA trained. Providing security for both corporate and hostile environments.

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Mark Claydon-Smith – CP Team Leader and Medic I have spent 13 years in the Royal Navy Culminating in the rank of SNCO Petty Officer. In 2004 I started my security career and have worked in Hostile environments. I have held several positions including Operations Manager, Team Leader and Rig Site Manager. I have worked in Kurdistan, Afghanistan and Iraq as well as the UK and Europe. E : mark@claydon-smith.com T : +964 (0)7815 970433 Philip Shearman MSyl – CPO, Risk Manager A professionally Qualified Close Protection and Surveillance Operator and Team Leader with over twenty two years of experience gained in the Military Police, the last fifteen of which were spent with the Military Police Close Protection Unit, working in various hostile countries throughout the world. Since leaving the Army in Nov 06 I have worked in the Private Security sector. I have gained valuable experience in demanding and challenging operational environments, where I have proved to be a self motivated and resourceful individual, performing well under pressure, communicating effectively at all levels whilst exercising tact, diplomacy and integrity. E : benshearman10@hotmail.com T : +44 (0)7930 277586 Spotllght Protection Services Essex based business which provides a broad and growing range of security services to businesses and organisations large and small. T: 07870560208 E: info@spotlightprotectionservices.co.uk W: www.spotlightprotectionservices.co.uk Vas Sotiropoulos London, UK I am a security operator with over nineteen years of experience in close protection, counter-surveillance, diplomatic protection, door supervision, and CCTV monitoring in the United Kingdom and Greece. Second Lieutenant in the elite of the Hellenic Army, the Special Forces. Undertaken a number of close protection courses run by the Greek Ministry of Defence, the VIP Protection Unit

CLASSIFIEDS of the Hellenic Police, and the Surveillance Department of the US Embassy in Athens. Highly motivated and confident relocated to the UK for further career progression and to install my own footprint in the private security sector. Fully licensed Close Protection Officer by the British Security Industry Authority. E: info@spartanelitesecurity.co.uk T 02038882020 W: https://spartanelitesecurity.co.uk VIPA Tactical Training A specialist training academy dealing with four specific areas of combat: VIPA Civilian Self Protection Program, VIPA Close Protection Combat System, VIPA Police Defence Tactics and VIPA Military Close Quarter Combat. BBA Member. W: www.VIPAtacticaltraining.com Wagtail UK Wales, UK Wagtail UK are international specialists in detection dogs and dog handler training. Established in 2003, Wagtail UK provides detection dogs and related services for government agencies such as UK Border Force, HM Revenue & Customs, Police, Trading Standards and Armed Forces. Wagtail International School of Excellence in North Wales is a fully approved training centre endorsed by Highfield Awarding Body for Certification. T: +44(0)1745 561166 E: info@wagtailuk.com W: http://www.wagtailuk.com Westminster Security Ltd London, UK Westminster Security Ltd are an independent, industry leading private security company in London; providing security and investigation services throughout the UK, EU and worldwide for our clients. We specialise in close protection services; providing ex-military and police bodyguards to many national and international companies, heads of state, royalty, high-profile personalities, CEO's, private individuals and families. T: +44 (0)207 123 4544 E: Info@westminstersecurity.co.uk W: www.westminstersecurity.co.uk Yoji Security We established Yoji Security in response to our perception of declining professional standards across the security industry. We strive to provide first class customer service in everything we do, drawing on our extensive experience in the fields of special operations, intelligence, counter terrorism and close protection. T : +44 7903231076 E : enquries@yojisecurity.com Europe & Africa International Security Academy P.O.Box 5833, Herzeliya, 46000, ISRAEL. zOur graduates are more recognized, respected and sought after by Distinguish Protection service “consumers” and by

most of the “Providers” of Protection services worldwide. Organisers of the 2008 International Summit of Protection Officers. BBA Member. T: + 972 9 950 0969 W: www.SecurityAcademy.org.il Javier Galan Spain - Security specialist available for operations around the world. E: oejju@hotmail.com T: 34.637080771 Military Grade Encryption Phones PO Box 52310, Limassol, CYPRUS Built-in encryption software which converts your voice to encrypted data using a constantly changing mathematical formula. It uses a dual layered RSA/AES combination and a changing session key which modifies the encryption algorithm every second. € 1,398.00 + VAT. All prices include new Nokia N73 phone. BBA Member. T: + 357 7777 7276 W: www.protechcy.com/new Nemesis Protection Ruma, Serbia Nemesis Protection is a Risk Management Company specialized in providing viable, bespoke, optimal, feasible and cost-effective security and training solutions for corporations, government institutions, and private clients worldwide. Nemesis Protection offers a full spectrum of services including Risk Advisory, Close Protection, Asset Protection, Security Driving, Surveillance & Private Investigation, Information Security, Transport Security, Staffing, and Specialist Security Training. T: 00381644679650 E: contact@nemesisprotection.com W: www.nemesisprotection.com TPT Firearms Training Bratislava , Slovakia and Rome , Italy We know from our extensive experience within the industry that it can be daunting when initially carrying a firearm and being responsible for protecting a clients life, but learning the proper techniques and having the ability to understand the weapon will make the job a lot easier and more enjoyable. Hopefully you will never have to use the weapons you carry, but should this prove necessary you will be confident and knowledgeable enough to handle the situation professionally and effectively. T : +44 (0) 7734101910 E : info@tacticalprotectionteam.co.uk W : www.tacticalprotectionteam.co.uk Security Concierge Group SCG Special Projects Ltd, Avenida, Bartolome Vicente Ramon No 10, B16, Ibiza, 07800, ESP Security Concierge Group is a privately owned and fully independent provider of exceptional security services to an interesting and varied range of clients. T: 00 34 600 665 275 W: www.securityconciergegroup.com E: joe.buckle@securityconciergegroup.com

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CIRCUIT MAGAZINE ISSUE 63 Wille Heino, Security Specialist, Owner Finland Gambeson is a security training & Consulting Company specialized in countering modern day threats. - Security & safety planning for different events. - Security training: Active shooter/Terrorism awareness/Surveillance detection/Other. Security consulting. We are specialized in executive protection related services. Local knowledge, trained and licensed close protection offers, mission support, other. E: wille.heino@gambeson.fi W: www.gambeson.fi Zero Click Limited For Risk Solutions First European training company for situational awareness training in Arabic & English For media crew, embassy staff, Journalists, VIP, sports teams and more. T: +48 513 757 201 W: www.zclick.pl E: info@zclick.pl Zika Rakita Managing Director Ruma 22400, Serbia Accomplished, result-driven, and highly motivated Close Protection Operative, conducting protective operations internationally. A background encompassing planning, organizing, leading, and undertaking Close Protection operations in both corporate fields and hostile environments. Proven in achieving results and completing tasks on time, discreetly, and to the highest standards. A confident communicator with the ability to sensitively solve a range of clients’ and colleagues’ problems and inquiries. With the ability to use sound judgment and understanding the operational balance and needs. E: contact@nemesisprotection.com T: 00381644679650 Americas Bodyguard Careers Bodyguard Careers is an informational site with the purpose of providing bodyguards with all the information and tools necessary to succeed in the Close Protection Industry Info@BodyguardCareers.com www.BodyguardCareers.com Canadian Use of Force Systems 7975 Yonge St. # 7124, Innisfil, ON, L9S 1L0, CANADA A professional Use of Force and Defensive. Tactics organization teaching a full range of controlled response options for Self-Protection and Use of Force considerations in public and professional environments. BBA Associate Member. T: + 1 705 456 4333 W: www.canadianuseofforce.com Contact Front Photography Contact Front Photography is the world’s 1st photography

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studio dedicated to the Close Protection Professional. Stop putting generic or pirated photos on your website; instead commission custom shots to best represent you or your agency. T: +1 (612) 369-6134 E: Info@ContractFrontPhotography.com W: www.ContactFrontPhotography.com Decisiones Estratégicas Buenos Aires – Argentina Executive protection specialists we have experienced in all Latin America, for multinationals companies, also providing support in project throughout Latin America to consulting first the US. and UK. We have a team of specialists and psychologists in assistance and crisis negotiation. T: +54(911) 6415 1941 E: jbenitez@d–estrategicas.com W: www.d–estrategicas.com Detective Lacerda P.O.BOX 25996, São Paulo, 05513-970, BRAZIL Providing the full range of security and investigation services throughout Latin America. BBA Member. T: + 55 (11) 3452 4388 W: www.detectivelacerda.cjb.net Giovanni Rossi South Africa Doctorates in Criminology, Vessel Security Officer, ASP Instructor, ISSPC Member, BBA Member, IAPPA Member, American Bodyguard and Protection Instructors Association Lifetime Member E: rossi1@mweb.co.za T: +2783 415 9205 Fernando Mata Mexico I started in the Protection of Officials as an infantryman in the Presidential Guards Corps, in the Mexican Army. Later, as a civilian, I certified in executive protection and took a diplomaed in personal protection. I have also taken intelligence, terrorism and counterterrorism courses and some refresher courses. I am currently participating in an Academy project for the professional training of Protection agents with international standards. E: matamfer@hotmail.com T: + 55 2126 6994 W: www.afeeg.mx USA Global Bear Protection PO Box 11488, Jackson, Wyoming, 83002, USA Provision of British and US Ex Special forces security/medical specialists. T: 307 413 3619 W: www.globalbearprotection.com E: bear@globalbearprotection.com

CLASSIFIEDS Icon Services Corporation 1043 Grand Ave. #312, St. Paul, MN 55105, USA A full service security and investigative agency specializing in providing high-level security and bodyguards to international celebrities, public figures and corporations. Licensed, bonded and insured, our diverse roster of clients reads as a virtual who’s who in the corporate, motion picture, fashion and recording industry. Icon has been the hand picked choice to provide Executive Protection to everyone from Superintendents to Supermodels. BBA Member. T: + 1 651 695 8778 W: www.Industry-Icon.com Imperial Protective Service, LLC 15849 N. 71st Street, Suite 100, Scottsdale , Arizona, 85254, USA Imperial Protective Service’ (IPS) is a security consulting and services firm founded in 1978. IPS provides both national and international corporate, executive and celebrity protective services. BBA Member. T: + 1 480 281 1588 W: www.executiveprotect.com Panther Protection Services 3695F Cascade Road, Suite 2207, Atlanta, GA 30331 Panther Protection Services is a full service protection agency offering such services as threat assessment, executive protection, self-defense training, firearms instruction, and high risk tactical protection. Our executive protection specialists have over 75 years of experience. Panther can handle your protection needs whether around the corner or around the world. Member: BBA and NABA T: (404) 349-9117 W: www.pantherprotectionservices.com Rouven Rohler - Security Consultant / HSE liaison - Romania I am a very fit and mentally robust Security Specialist with quality experience gained in the security (Military, Maritime and Commercial Operational Security (Oil& Gas). I have improved the effectiveness of protection teams and significantly enhanced clients’ awareness. My career commenced in the Australian Army, which included hostile environment deployments to Iraq and the Solomon Islands and I have since been operating on various contracts throughout Afghanistan and Iraq. E: rouven@y7mail.com T: +40 (0)746 642 739 SILVER STAR PROTECTION Executive protection, site and event security with global experience. Serving southern Minnesota with integrity and professionalism. Former USSS, ICON Alumni. available for domestic and international travel. Robert E. Jones Manager/CEO W: www.silver-star-protection.com E: rejones@silver-star-protection.com TSICS (T6) Miami, Florida, USA TSICS (T6) provides the following services in Central America: Executive Protection, Individual Bodyguard, Close Protection Training, Corporate Invest.

W: www.security-professionals.org/members/saldrix E: tsics.t6@gmail.com T: +502 6645 6822 Tony Scotti’s Vehicle Dynamics Institute 1162 St. Georges Ave, Suite 277 , Avenel, NJ 07001, USA The first name in advanced driver training, offering our highly acclaimed Protective/Evasive Driving Programs. Designed specifically for today’s executive chauffeurs, executive protection professionals and others who are responsible for providing safe and secure transportation services. BBA Member. T: + 1 732 738 5221 W: www.vehicledynamics.net Vindex Personal Protection & Investigation Inc. 497 Hooksett Rd #365 Manchester NH 03104 603.289.3161 / Full service Private Investigations & Executive Protection. 10 years combined Law Enforcement, Private security, close protection work, & security contracting. NY Mayors, U.S. President’s, NFL owners, and VIP’s are some of the protection work I’ve gained experience with. ICON alumni, NABA member. T: + 1 732 738 5221 E: vindexinc@aol.com W: www.vindexinc.com New Zealand Security Investigations & Risk Solutions LTD We are dedicated to providing professional and effective security solutions for your personal or business security requirements. S.I.R.S is one of the only security companies in New Zealand with ISO 9001 and ISO 18788 Running the most advanced security management system Track-Force to help S.I.R.S security operations with real-time reporting and lone worker technology. With a combination of Military and Security industry experienced staff. We offer high-quality security services and industry recognised training programs with international qualifications in Close Protection, Bodyguards, Maritime Security, Hostile Environment, Firearms Training, Door Supervision, Private Investigations, Surveillance, CCTV Operations, Event Security, Mobile Patrols and Static Guards. S.I.R.S has the expertise and flexibility to meet a wide variety of client needs. E: lee@sirs.org.nz T: 02040787549 W: www.sirs.org.nz Asia - Middle East - UAE Krav Maga Middle East DMCC First established training company for the military self-defense and fighting system developed by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Israeli security forces in UAE since 2018. T: +971 50 343 1832 W: www.kravmagamiddleast.com E: info@kravmagamiddleast.com

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Life can be testing, no matter what you fight. - Keep Fighting.

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ISSUE 63

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Michael Brown Jr. Orlando Wilson Ryan Bohl Tom Richmond Ken Perry Ahmed Ateek Dale L. June Denida Grow Chris Grow Krisztian Zerkowitz Mark “Six” James Greg Threatt James Bore Thomas Pecora Elijah Shaw

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