First of a two-part series.
When it comes to security in general, there are fundamental principles that apply across domains, environments, and disciplines. In the general sense, good security — sufficient protection from immediate harm and adequate mitigation of long-term risks — depends on common aspects of strategy, mindset, operations, and training, wherever you may work.
There are stark differences, of course, in the nature of threats and the focus of protectors across elite protection and cybersecurity disciplines. Armed assassins targeting the president during a public speech pose a different type of threat than malicious code delivered across the Internet by a compromised website. Hardening a forward operating base in hostile territory against rocket propelled grenades is a different type of work than hardening the operating system of a critical server.
Nonetheless, four common principles of planning and preparation exist across elite protection and cybersecurity disciplines that deserve consideration by anyone who takes security seriously.
Principle 1: Know What You're ProtectingAt the outset, understanding mission and scope is essential. Protectors must have absolute clarity on who and what they are expected to protect. They need to understand what the ultimate desired outcomes are and what they are willing to sacrifice if forced to make trade-offs. Military planners, for example, conduct extensive "mission analysis" to ensure clarity on objectives, responsibilities, and authorities so that everyone is in sync before the operation begins. For cybersecurity professionals, this translates to understanding scope and prioritizing security controls accordingly.
Law enforcement professionals in executive protection are trained to do something no other law enforcement professionals will do: leave a fellow officer behind. During the critical seconds of a ..
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