The Protective Intelligence Advantage: Mitigating the Rising Threat to Prominent People

The world reacted in horror to the graphic security camera footage of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson being gunned down on a Manhattan sidewalk as he was on his way to attend a scheduled investor conference. Contrary to many reports, his murder was not the first attack against a CEO on American soil, and it won’t be the last. Since this murder has already spawned copycat attacks, The Protective Intelligence Advantage: Mitigating the Rising Threat to Prominent People is especially needed at this moment in time. In it, the authors outline various case examples of other executives, VIPs, and high-profile figures who were victims of such attacks. The goal is to learn key elements from them, then outline exactly how individuals and security teams can utilize protective intelligence tools —and their own behaviors, mindfulness, and awareness to protect themselves and their families from threats and imminent harm. This book will detail the essential security and awareness tools that any executive can learn: what the authors dub protective intelligence-led security, a model they designed. Since 1998, the authors have trained billionaires and Fortune 100 protection teams on the concept. After a lifetime of investigating attacks on high-profile persons, heads of state, and celebrities—and training others to prevent them—the authors will be the first to examine the murder of Brian Thompson in detail, and use the lessons learned from that attack (and others) to illustrate how protective intelligence can be used to identify threats and prevent attacks.

Table of Contents:
Introduction 1. Denial in New York 2. Revenge Served Cold in DC 3. A Rapid Attack Cycle in Bel Air 4. Making a Deal with Kramer Kidnappers 5. An Inside Job in California 6. Missing the Signs of Danger in Colorado 7. A Game Changing Attack in Germany 8. The Butler Did It 9. Mindset 10. Understanding Predators 11. Looking for and Avoiding Trouble 12. A Man’s Home is His Castle 13. Don’t Dox Yourself 14. Travel Safety 15. Trends Shaping the Future of Protection and Protective Intelligence 16. The Gold Standard of Personal and Family Protection

About the Author :
Fred Burton is one of the world’s foremost experts on protective intelligence, global security, and terrorism. He is a former State Department counterterrorism deputy chief and DSS special agent, who investigated the kidnapping of the hostages held captive by Hezbollah and many other acts of terror. He is the author of Ghost: Confessions of a Counterterrorism Agent and Chasing Shadows: A Special Agent’s Lifelong Hunt to Bring a Cold War Assassin to Justice, and coauthor with Samuel M. Katz of the New York Times bestseller Under Fire: The Untold Story of the Attack in Benghazi. Scott Stewart is the Vice President of Protective Intelligence at TorchStone Global. He is a veteran protective intelligence practitioner with four decades of analytical, investigative, and security experience in the government, corporate, and NGO sectors. Prior to joining TorchStone, Scott led Stratfor’s global analysis of terrorism and security topics from 2004 to 2020. He also served as the protective intelligence coordinator at Dell and spent ten years as a special agent with the U.S. State Department where he conducted hundreds of terrorism, criminal, and protective intelligence investigations.

Review :
“After nearly 40 years of both government and private sector security, I witnessed almost daily how intelligence was critical in protecting people and places! Scott Stewart and Fred Burton, using their many years of collective experience, through their excellent book, have shown how to gather, analyze and apply intelligence to create high quality security profiles!” - Chuck Vance, former Special Agent US Secret Service, Founder of Vance International “Fred Burton and Scott Stewart leverage their extensive expertise and collective experience to create a valuable resource for professionals and readers who may be new to protective intelligence. They explore various examples where assailants with different motivations and utilizing diverse attack methods harm their victims. In each case, Burton and Stewart highlight important lessons we can learn. Whether protection has been your business for more than 40 years, as it has for me, or you are looking to enhance the safety of your home and family, this book will be an engaging and informative read.” - Ken Senser, Chief Strategy Officer and Partner, Corporate Security Advisors “Today's security environment is certainly dictating the need for better protection for our executives and businesses. The authors set a high standard while working in Diplomatic Security which is translated most effectively into the needs we have today. Executives are recognizing that there is a great need for better awareness and countermeasures. Fred and Scott are masters in the field and offer appropriate recommendations to improve situational awareness and requirements to ensure safety and Security. It's my pleasure to recommend this work highly.” - Greg Bujac, Former VP of Corporate Security at Philip Morris and Former Director of the Diplomatic Security Service "Students, observers and practitioners of protective services would be well-served to understand this case study and the associated lessons learned. The authors are among the pioneers of the art and science of protective intelligence, and their substantial experience in both public and private settings readily informs their analysis of this landmark case and the targeting phenomenon." - Jim Hutton, former Chief Security Officer at Fortune 30 corporations