Physical Threats Are Rising: Key Compliance, Legal Issues for GCs
This article was originally featured on Bloomberg Law. It is co-authored by Fred Burton, Executive Director of the Ontic Center for Protective Intelligence, and Scott Shepherd, Chief Legal Counsel. General counsel and chief legal officers are multidimensional leaders who touch every part of an organization, guardians guiding legal and regulatory matters for the business, navigating…
Read MoreGetting Proactive with Protective Intelligence
This article was originally featured on ASIS International. The deadly riots at the U.S. Capitol on 6 January 2021 reinforced the concept that chief security officers’ modern day physical security programs must prioritize protective intelligence to proactively identify, assess, and mitigate harmful threats. As the FBI and law enforcement officials comb through hundreds of thousands…
Read MoreAsk Me Anything with Fred Burton & General James “Spider” Marks
In this Ask Me Anything on-demand webinar, watch as long-time security professionals answer your questions and share:
Read MoreThe Case Files: Robert Gregory Bowers
In this blog series, we explore historical events to teach us what pre-incident indicators were present to reduce the chance of bad things happening in the future. History tells us that there is no detail too small, as even the slightest move off-center can set off an unfortunate domino effect. In this Case File, we…
Read MoreInside the Mind of a Protective Intelligence Thought Leader
This podcast was originally featured on The Great Conversation. Listen in as Ron Worman, Founder and Managing Director of The Sage Group, gets inside the mind of Ontic’s Fred Burton, a former police officer, special agent and New York Times best-selling author who has the history and credentials to provide thought leadership around protective intelligence;…
Read MoreWhen Hiring Drivers, Proper Vetting Is Vital For Safety And Compliance
This article was originally featured on securityinformed.com. Many employers faced a need to ramp up hiring of drivers to meet a higher demand for product deliveries and transportation logistics during the COVID-19 pandemic. To meet the demand for drivers, employers had to make quick hiring decisions while also ensuring products were still being delivered in…
Read MoreThe 2021 State of Protective Intelligence Report
Download the report for insights on:
Read MoreChallenges Facing Security Industry and Historical Inflection Points
This article is based off of my 2020 OSAC Annual Briefing presentation “Historical Inflection Points for the Security Industry” Looking back, history has not been kind to the safety and security industry. As a former agent hired after the devastating embassy bombings in Beirut and Kuwait in ‘84 and ‘85, tragedy has forced lots of changes, mostly…
Read MoreGuest Post: Protective Intelligence within Executive Protection
As threats in the world become more resourceful, diverse, and determined along their pathways to violence or to inflict harm, executive protection (EP) practitioners must increasingly shoulder a heavier burden. It is no longer acceptable for protection managers and their consumers (protectees – those being protected) to rely on the reactionary expertise and capabilities of the…
Read MoreA Call for Change in Physical Security
Fred Burton’s article was originally featured in Dark Reading. We’re at an inflection point. The threats we face are dynamic, emerging, and global. Are you ready? Despite dedicating the majority of my life to protective intelligence in the private and public sectors, I still find it hard to believe when I see companies that have…
Read MoreWhat is “Protective Intelligence?”
To the security intelligence analyst plugging away in a 24-hour operations center, protective intelligence is one thing. To the security consultant with an MA or MS in psychology, protective intelligence means something else.And to the United States Department of Justice or the U.S. Secret Service, it takes on another meaning. While the term protective intelligence…
Read MoreAn Effective Protective Intelligence Investigation: Unraveling the Michigan Plot
Protection personnel rarely see a roadmap into a plot to kidnap or kill. The aspirational plot to kidnap the governors of Michigan and Virginia shed light on pre-operational activities that are instructive for protection personnel. While many plots are disrupted by law enforcement authorities, protection professionals must use the lessons learned in these cases to…
Read MoreThe Case Files: Gabrielle Dee Giffords, Former U.S. Representative
In this blog series, we explore historical events to teach us what pre-incident indicators were present to decrease the chance of bad things from happening in the future. History tells us that there is no detail too small, as even the slightest move off-center can set off an unfortunate domino effect. Within this Case File,…
Read MoreWrong Place Wrong Time: Protective Intelligence While Working Overseas
Understanding global protective intelligence risks is essential to understanding your overall global threat assessment. Knowing who may be “dragging” a threat to your meeting is critical. Nation-State intelligence services exist to steal secrets — even yours. It’s no secret that the world is a dangerous place. Organizations with international operations and executives traveling abroad face…
Read MoreImplications of Domestic Violence for Corporate Security in the COVID-19 Era
Domestic violence is becoming a growing concern for corporations as more and more employees work remotely. According to several research studies (including In Homeland Security, 2020), domestic violence is thought to have increased by 20% during the COVID-19 pandemic. This statistic not only impacts family relationships but extends to social networks and economic success within…
Read MoreThe Evolutionary Arc of Technology in Protection
In this 20-minute video, Fred shares:
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