By Cecilio Andrade

Not knowing who is one protecting ends up being the “Achilles Tendon” of all professional and effective protection. The worst of this is that the problem is the most common of the “problems” in the so-called Executive Protection.

The ignorance of the problems generated by this lack of personal data is of paramount importance in order to be able to face the potential risks of the VIP.

It is necessary to have exact knowledge of the personal characteristics of the protected: his/her way of being, character, personality, vices, habits, health, customs, etc., in order to be able to anticipate their reactions and anticipate them.

Equally important is that there is as much communication as possible between the protected person and his or her protective team, so that mutual knowledge of the activities of each of the parties in relation to the other may occur.

The five basic problems that we should avoid in all Executive Protection services are:

• Total or partial ignorance of the activities of the protected.

• Deficiency or inadequacy or means.

• Providing protection without investigating the life of the protected under the excuse of an alleged, and misunderstood, “right to privacy.”

• Interfering in the professional and personal tasks of the protected.

• Allow the use of protection services in tasks other than those that concern them.

Failure to recognize the importance of an effective and correct direct communication with the protected can imply the neutralization of the whole protective operation, since it will be the multiplier of all the potential risks, and/or contrasted, with which we must face in our work as protection officers.