In Turkey, Greece and Russia, political enemies are assassinated.  In Brazil and Africa, businessmen are kidnapped for ransom.  Planning an integrated security plan to protect an individual is equivalent to the art of designing a tailor-made suit to that person who needs protection, and the country-specific risks where he or she works.  An interview with Efi Durvrovni, VIP protection expert, and former instructor for the Israel Security Agency.

The secret to strategically planning VIP protection is not just in understanding the dangers that the individual faces, and in mastering tactics and protective measures. Rather, it is found in the art of adapting the estimated budget to the case-specific needs.  “Anyone involved in VIP security knows the different strategies needed for security on foot, by car, and even on a yacht.  The design of an efficient protection plan depends, in great part, on the given budget”, states Efi Duvrovni, a Israel Security Agency graduate.

Isn’t the budget the basic issue in all types of VIP protection?

Generally speaking, yes.  The variable is the combination of methods used, adapted to the given budget, and the experience regarding the country-specific threats that VIPs face.  In the world of VIP protection, there is very little room to reinvent; existing methods are well-known and clearly implemented.  The main effort that must be made is to define and establish the type of security and protection needed, in accordance with gathered intelligence and the given budget.

How does this manifest in reality?

In Sao Paolo, for example, there are at least 100 yearly attacks on wealthy businessmen, who are mainly abducted for ransom.  When planning the type of security needed to protect a VIP in such an area, the first step is to study facts and data available from past abductions: how many people were involved in the kidnapping, what type of firearms or weapons  were used, what was the modus operandi; if there are areas with higher abduction rates, for example road tunnels, what types of cars were used, which types of weapons were most useful in the attack, what type of defense was needed in each situation….

And how does all this vary according to the given budget?

The security plan is nearly limitless, both in personnel as well as equipment used to carry it out, but in the majority of cases, the budget is limited.  There should be equilibrium between the human factor, the means and the equipment.  When, because of budgetary reasons, the number of personnel is smaller than it should be, the then we should see an increase in efficient, technical means: armored cars, effective weaponry, sophisticated cameras, etc.  For example, a staff deficiency could be balanced by the use of different weapons and cartridges, such as short-barrel, wide-range guns.

Is the emphasis on equipment and weapons?

The technical means are important, but the main intention is to have gathered enough intelligence for preparedness in the face of an attack.  In the case of abduction attempts, the bodyguard is the main target, and his neutralization in order to reach the protected person.  In the case of political assassination attempts, attackers will attempt to come as close as possible to the figure, and to attack him or her physically.  As such, the security plan should match the specific risks.

How long does it take to derive a security plan to protect a VIP?

In general, first we gather intelligence regarding the nature of past incidents directed at VIPs and businessmen in the specific country as far back as five years.  In parallel, we study the individual’s personality traits, his business, routines, residential neighborhood, work neighborhood, and office.   All this data makes up the security-plan concept for the specific individual, which is always based on multiple security rings so that, should the external line of defense fail, there are fortified internal rings to compensate for the break.

Are VIP protection plans based on a longstanding methodology, or is there room for innovation within the field?

There are some things that have been incorporated into the field in the last several years, such as, for example, better armored cars, or special blankets to cover the VIP from potential snipers when he exits the car, a quick-assembly anti-ballistic partition that separates the individual from the potential aggressor.

How aware are VIPs themselves of the need for a protection plan?

In the public sector, and in some private businesses, the protection of high-profile figures is part of the annual budget.  In the case of a large multinational organisation, the company assumes that aggression or harm towards a high-ranking employee is an act of aggression towards the company itself, whose consequences could be fatal for the company.

In the civilian market, the design and implementation of a VIP protection plan entails a significant economic expenditure, and only those with the monetary means can allow themselves the privilege.  In the majority of cases however, this type of individual decides to go ahead with a plan only after he, his family, or one of his coworkers, has been the victim of an incident.

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