Executive protection is a form of personal security service that can be either overt, covert, or a combination of the two depending on the circumstances and objective.

The mission of an executive protection agent or team is to deter and mitigate any threats towards a client and/or their family.

Executive protection is a proactive security solution with the objective of preventing harm or loss to the client by threats in the physical environment. EP agents take extra steps to ensure a client is safe through a diverse set of additional disciplines incorporated into their duties. Not only are they providing protection services, but they also conduct all the advance work, surveillance / counter surveillance, coordination of logistics, and driver duties if needed.

Many people use the terms “executive protection” and “bodyguard” interchangeably; however, there are vast differences between the two types of security services.  An executive protection agent can at times fill the role of a bodyguard – but not vice-versa.

Bodyguards have the singular function of acting as a physical agent and barrier between the client and a physical threat. The service is limited to just the physical guarding of a person’s body. All that is required to be a bodyguard is to possess a state-granted license to provide armed or unarmed security services within a specific state or jurisdiction. The licensing process to become a bodyguard requires very little training or experience.

On the other hand, executive protection is a far more advanced and complex type of security service.  Like bodyguards, executive protection agents also provide clients physical protection from any threat that presents itself; however, that’s where the similarities end.  An EP agent or team additionally takes on numerous other duties to provide a much larger buffer or offset between a threat and the client by applying advanced skills such as surveillance and counter surveillance to the security mission.  The EP agent or team focuses much more of their efforts on making strategic and tactical actions behind the scenes to ensure that any real threats avoid actively pursuing the client. So, if an EP agent is doing his or her job well, the client will often feel that a threat doesn’t even really exist.

Because of the numerous complex skill sets required to be an effective executive protection agent, high-quality agents typically possess extensive prior military (typically from elite units) and/or law enforcement training in addition to real-world experience in combating physical threats and various types of adversaries in high-threat environments.

Executive protection teams can be comprised of a single agent, multiple agents, or a multiple team detail.

Solutions can take the form of close protection, loose-follow overwatch, or a combination of both and can be altered to fit the needs of the client at their discretion.

At Hyperion, both male and female agents are seasoned executive protection agents capable of serving in a solo capacity as well as part of a small executive protection team. They are multi-disciplined within every role that would also be seen in a larger, higher profile, executive protection detail.

Depending on the nature of the threat, while also considering the client’s particular needs and lifestyle, Hyperion security advisors may employ its executive protection agents in any one, or a combination of, the following capacities:

• Loose Follow Overwatch – This is one of the most preferred executive protection solutions for the client who who values discretion and wishes to be protected, but doesn’t want to be smothered by a close protection agent.  An individual agent or team operates in a capacity close enough to respond to or deter a threat, yet is in a position far enough away to not be noticed by the client.  This is achieved through covert protection methods, protective surveillance, and counter surveillance.  It allows the client to conduct business-as-usual while also providing a high level of protection.

• Close Protection – Close protection services are ideal for the client that is being targeted by a physical threat or is facing the threat of harassment, embarrassment, extortion, etc., and wishes to have 24/7 protection.  Agents provide close protection for the client during day-to-day travel, at home, work, and/or while on vacation.  The individual agent or team will wear many hats from driver, protector, logistician, advisor, etc., in order to achieve and maintain security throughout the day, 365 days per year.

• Corporate Security – Oftentimes corporations have mandates from their board of directors that require protection of the CEO or other corporate executives for their personal protection in order to safeguard shareholder interests.  We work closely with corporations to develop and implement protective security solutions focusing on the protection of their executives and board members.  Hyperion provides security advisors and agents to support nationwide and global security solutions.

• Risk Threat and Vulnerability Assessments (RTVA) – Planning any security mission begins with intelligence gathering and threat evaluation.  The RTVA is the foundation for all security operations and focuses on identifying threats, creating and mitigating countermeasures related to those threats, and devising actionable recommendations to the client in a clear and concise format.

• Security Drivers – Clients are most vulnerable to active threats during any movement from one location to another.  Executive protection drivers are skilled agents who possess training in vehicle dynamics and protective driving and also have intimate familiarity with various ingress and egress routes within a specific geography. Regardless of location throughout the globe, Hyperion can support clients with armed and/or unarmed American or Local National security drivers as well as hard and/or soft-skinned vehicles for both low and high profile movements.  When needed, Hyperion also has the ability to source and select skilled security drivers and agents that can support any foreign language requirement in the world.

Executive protection isn’t for everyone. For one, it is a very expensive service. And two, not every situation requires an executive protection agent.

If you need help determining your needs, request an assessment on your situation from one of Hyperion’s experienced security advisors.

Request an assessment

The number of executive protection (EP) agents a client needs to accomplish the desired security solution varies, depending upon the number of individuals that require protection, number of sites to secure (if applicable), nature of the threat itself, and so on.

If an individual client is seeking 24-hour personal protection coverage, the client actually requires hiring a minimum of two (2) agents, as this allows for an agent to rotate coverage every twelve hours with the other agent for a full 24-hour coverage period.

Depending on the complexity of the situation, oftentimes a detail may additionally require vehicles, advance teams, surveillance and counter surveillance teams, and security drivers. All of these separately moving pieces report directly to the detail leader also known as the Agent-in-Charge, or AIC. Every team on this detail works in close support of each other to provide protection and seamless coverage for the client.

That said, single-agent details are also common for clients who seek partial-day security coverage on a daily basis.  In the instance of a single agent detail, this individual is conducting all of the above duties simultaneously to keep the client safe, but only for the contracted portion of the day.

The “daily rate” is common parlance in the private security sector, especially when hiring highly-skilled security operators, such as an executive protection agent. The daily rate is the cost to mobilize a single agent for a maximum of twelve (12) hours on any given duty day.

The reason why the security sector charges a daily rate per agent hired is because there is an extraordinary amount of activity involved in mobilizing a single agent for any security mission that the client does not see. Those activities include, but are not limited to sourcing and selecting the appropriate agent for the mission, intelligence and logistical preparations and execution, and mission planning and execution.  That means, whether a client requests coverage for only an hour or twelve hours during a single duty day, the cost to hire and mobilize that agent is the full daily rate.

It is also important to understand that the daily rate is all-inclusive (labor & expenses plus intel).  This includes the cost of the executive protection agent, their individual expenses (i.e. airfare, lodging, rental vehicles, etc.), and the cost of the operational and intelligence team supporting the operation.