The past 24 hours have seen three major security events spanning the U.S., Europe, and the Middle East. Each underscores the risks to travelers, business continuity, and infrastructure. While the frequency and intensity of these threats appear to be growing each year, there are concrete steps corporate security teams can take to mitigate risks for everyone from the CEO and Board of Directors to traveling employees and office personnel. These can include executive protection, secure transportation, residential security teams, emergency response capabilities, and security assessments.
In the U.S., the Secret Service engaged an armed individual just outside the White House after he opened fire near 15th Street and Independence Avenue, close to the Washington Monument. One juvenile bystander was injured in the incident. The identity and motive of the suspect remain unknown; however, he could have been inspired by previous threats against the administration. The shooting comes just over a week after Cole Allen charged a security perimeter at the White House Correspondents' Dinner armed with multiple firearms and knives. He was tackled by law enforcement before making it into the ballroom. He was charged with attempting to assassinate President Trump, the latest in a string of assassination attempts against the president.
In Europe, a vehicle ramming attack left two people dead and many others seriously injured after a 33-year-old German man ran into a pedestrian zone in Leipzig, Germany. Europe, and Germany in particular, have a long history dealing with vehicle ramming attacks, often tied to terrorism. While this latest incident has not been linked directly to terrorist inspiration (officials cite mental health issues for the suspect, who surrendered without resistance), it underscores the ongoing risks to pedestrians.
The ramming in Germany comes less than a week after a Somali-born British national stabbed two Jewish individuals in north London's Golders Green area. The attack caused the UK to raise the terror threat level to Severe, and led to calls for a new police division dedicated to countering antisemitic attacks.
In the Persian Gulf, Iran made good on its promise to fight back against the U.S. blockade of the Strait of Hormuz by launching multiple missiles and drones against the United Arab Emirates and vessels in the Strait. While most were intercepted, at least one drone struck the Fujairah Oil Industry Zone, sparking a large fire. A South Korean vessel off the coast of Dubai was also struck as Iran attempted to re-assert control over the Strait amid U.S. efforts to escort ships out of the area.
Mitigation Recommendations
- Work with trusted security partners who can respond in minutes and hours, not days or weeks, during a crisis.
- Develop a comprehensive executive protection (EP) or residential security team (RST) program, and conduct a gap analysis if one is already in place.
- Plan ahead for travel by utilizing secure transportation regardless of the location—threats are no longer restricted to austere environments; they can happen anywhere.
- Implement threat monitoring for key executives or principals to proactively identify and mitigate risks.
- Leverage dedicated analysts who can focus exclusively on your family office, C-Suite, CEO, and employee base.
STANDING BY TO Support
Global Guardian is closely monitoring the global situation and can support clients who need assistance with the following:
- Evacuation planning and execution
- Executive protection
- Secure transportation
- Emergency response
- Intelligence reports
- Risk assessments
Click below to contact Global Guardian's 24/7 Operations Center or call us directly at +1 (703) 566-9463.
