December 10, 2025
Inside the Surge of Targeted Attacks: What It Means for Executive Protection
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In this episode
Host Fred Burton reunites with longtime colleague Scott Stewart, Vice President of Protective Intelligence at Torchstone Global, to unpack the evolving landscape of executive protection. Drawing on recent high-profile attacks and their own book, The Protective Intelligence Advantage, they explore how threat actors operate, what today’s organizations often overlook, and why simple, time-tested security fundamentals still matter in a technology-driven world. Scott highlights the critical gaps in understanding pre-operational surveillance, digital exhaust, and target selection. Together, they unravel the growing need for protective intelligence programs that blend human expertise with modern tools.
Learn more in Ontic Resources.
What you’ll learn
01
Why recent attacks signal a shift in executive protection and the rising importance of protective intelligence
02
How pre-operational surveillance, behavioral cues, and digital exhaust reveal attackers’ methods
03
Why simple, foundational security practices remain essential even as new technologies transform the field
More about our guest
Scott Stewart is a seasoned protective intelligence expert with more than 40 years of analytical, investigative, and security experience. A former special agent with the U.S. State Department, he led major terrorism investigations—including the 1993 World Trade Center bombing—and supported diplomatic security efforts around the world. From 2004 to 2020, he directed Stratfor’s global terrorism and security analysis, later serving in senior protective intelligence roles at Dell and as a consultant for the Texas Department of Public Safety. Recognized as a “protective intelligence pioneer” by Ontic, Scott is widely featured in major media and is the co-author of The Protective Intelligence Advantage.
