CROATIA'S INTERIOR MINISTER CITES GLOBAL GUARDIAN'S 2027 GLOBAL RISK MAP

Croatia’s Minister of the Interior, Davor Božinović, recorded a video this week in front of Global Guardian’s 2027 Global Risk Map, using Croatia’s low-risk rating to credit the police, firefighters, civil protection, and emergency services who work to keep it there. His message was that a low rating reflects daily effort and is never a reason to relax.

Our intelligence analysts rate every country each year on crime, conflict, health, natural disasters, transportation and infrastructure, political stability, civil unrest, and terrorism, so that travelers, security leaders and governments can see where risk is rising and where it is easing.

The same logic applies to organizations: a strong risk rating reflects ongoing work, not a reason to stop planning for what comes next.

THE DEEPFAKE DETECTION DILEMMA

Global Guardian Executive Vice President Seth Krummrich was featured in Security Management, recounting how the firm had to verify whether a viral video of a Mexican airport on fire was real before deciding whether to evacuate clients.

“We called our team on the ground and asked, ‘Is this real?’”

Seth explained that in February 2026, as cartel violence erupted following the killing of Jalisco New Generation Cartel leader Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes, social media video appeared to show Puerto Vallarta International Airport on fire. Global Guardian’s local contact went outside, looked at the airport, and confirmed it was not actually burning. “Then we had to turn around and tell our clients, ‘What you’re seeing online is nonsense,’” Seth said. “That’s the world we live in now.”

WHERE SHOULD YOU TRAVEL IN 2027? SEE THE SAFEST DESTINATIONS

Global Guardian CEO Dale Buckner was featured in USA Today, breaking down the 2027 Global Risk Map and what it reveals about navigating an increasingly fragmented risk landscape in the year ahead.

“Almost half of the countries in the world now have multiple risk levels across the board.”

Dale pointed to Mexico as a clear example of how the map’s ratings break down within a single country, noting that the risk rating along the border and in cartel-active western regions can be far higher than the rating for Mexico City or Guadalajara, where conditions sit closer to medium or low risk. The map also tracks notable shifts year over year, with Jamaica, South Korea, and Hungary all seeing risk decrease, while Cuba and Ecuador saw risk increase.

GLOBAL SECURITY RISKS 2027: WHICH COUNTRIES TO VISIT AND WHICH TO AVOID

Global Guardian’s 2027 Global Risk Map examines where risk is rising and easing around the world heading into next year. TravelPulse recently spoke with CEO Dale Buckner to break down the findings.

When it comes to the countries the map flags as highest risk, Dale’s advice is direct: “Don’t go to these areas where there’s a hot war. Go somewhere else and keep that location on your bucket list for another year.”

Dale walked through specific shifts in the map, including increased risk in Cuba amid worsening blackouts and fuel shortages, and across several Middle East countries following the 2026 Iran War. He also pointed to decreased risk in Jamaica, South Korea, and Hungary, driven by improved crime control, political stabilization, and leadership changes, respectively.

GLOBAL THREATS FROM MEXICAN CARTEL AND WHERE NOT TO TRAVEL

Global Guardian Senior Intelligence Analyst Tomás Michael Carvallo joined Border Report Live to break down the 2027 Global Risk Map and the security conditions shaping travel and business risk across Mexico.

“Mexico is a patchwork of security conditions.”

Carvallo explained that the Risk Map reflects how risk can shift dramatically within a single country, with one region relatively safe while another nearby carries conditions comparable to a war zone. He pointed to Sinaloa as an extreme risk due to an ongoing cartel turf war, and to Michoacán and Guerrero, where cartels are increasingly using explosives and drone-dropped IEDs.

Explore the 2027 Global Risk Map.

Click below to watch the interview, which runs from approximately minute 9:30 to minute 24:00.

Global Guardian Executive Vice President Seth Krummrich joined NewsNation to discuss the attempted cockpit takeover on a flight that UAE investigators have called a terror-related attack, and what new details about the copilot reveal about gaps in airline vetting.

"It's terrifying, and it highlights a gap that exists between the airlines when they're vetting and validating who's flying these planes."

Krummrich noted that the copilot had reportedly been barred from flying in Oman over extremism concerns, yet was later hired by another airline, underscoring the need for better cross-communication between carriers. He also cautioned that if investigators find a link to Iran rather than a lone actor inspired by a group like al-Qaeda, the fallout could trigger an Israeli response and risk another escalation cycle.

DATA CENTERS ARE BECOMING CRITICAL US INFRASTRUCTURE. A FORMER SPECIAL FORCES OFFICER SAYS THEY'RE TARGETS, TOO

Global Guardian Executive Vice President Seth Krummrich was featured on Military.com, discussing why data centers are becoming critical U.S. infrastructure and why that makes them targets for both physical strikes and cyberattacks.

"Data centers are going to be just as important as the power grid." Krummrich noted that securing them is only half the equation. "The other piece is, how fast after an attack can you get everything back online?"

Krummrich, a former Army Special Forces officer, pointed to Iran's strikes on Amazon data centers in Bahrain and the UAE during the Iran War as evidence of the threat, noting that Bahrain remains offline and significant data was lost, affecting corporate clients worldwide. He also cautioned that securing a data center means looking well beyond the server warehouse itself, to the substations and miles of fiber optic cable that support it.

SAUDI-HOUTHI CONFLICT POISED TO ESCALATE

Global Guardian CEO Dale Buckner was featured in Semafor, discussing the escalating conflict between Saudi Arabia and the Iran-backed Houthis following Houthi strikes on Riyadh and its airport in September 2026.

"Now, the Houthis have truly been activated."

Buckner pointed to the Houthis' growing control of the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb Strait, along with intensifying strikes on Saudi infrastructure, as signs of likely escalation ahead. He also cautioned that a renewed Saudi military campaign would face real limits, noting the Houthis are a difficult force to destroy through conventional air and sea power alone given their light footprint and mountain hideouts.

A TALE OF TWO BUILDINGS: HOW QUAKE RESCUE EFFORTS DIFFERED IN COLOMBIA AND VENEZUELA

Global Guardian Senior Intelligence Analyst Tomás Michael Carvallo was featured in Reuters coverage comparing earthquake rescue efforts in Colombia and Venezuela, describing the operational gap our team encountered on the ground in each country.

"A lot of the immediate search and rescue efforts fell to civilians who were really not equipped to move concrete and collapsed buildings."

Carvallo, whose team helped relocate or support oil, gas, and financial sector clients in both countries following the quakes, told Reuters that heavy machinery was unavailable when staff arrived in Venezuela, forcing civilians into rescue roles they weren't equipped for. The article contrasts that experience with a faster, more coordinated official response in Colombia following the August 2026 earthquake in Cali.

Global Guardian Executive Vice President Seth Krummrich joined NewsNation to discuss how far the U.S. and Iran remain from a resolution, and the specific indicators shaping the standoff over the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandeb.

"Never underestimate Iran. No one's done more with less than the Iranians."

Krummrich pointed to oil prices as a real-time barometer, noting that Brent crude falling below $80 while the Strait remains disrupted would signal Iran's strategy is failing, while a rise above $95 would strengthen its position. He also flagged Bab al-Mandeb as the bigger long-term risk, citing a drop from three to one large crude carriers transiting the route daily and the dramatic cost of rerouting around the Cape of Good Hope instead.