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While we are suddenly living in complex times, one thing is certain: COVID-19, also known as coronavirus, brings economic uncertainty. Layoffs are rampant, police and fire resources are stretched thinly and people are at home. That means high-net-worth individuals may need to assess how to protect home and family during the coronavirus.

EVALUATING YOUR SECURITY

High-net-worth individuals, their families, and personal staff must respond to this world shift in order to protect the security of themselves, their children and their businesses. Evaluation of security involves three parts:

This checklist will help you evaluate the security situation for your family or your employer’s family:

DO YOU NEED A PRIVATE SECURITY TEAM?

• Has your company laid off any of its employees? Is your company at risk for announcing layoffs?
• Are you on the board of directors for any companies? Have any of these companies announced layoffs?
• Before the coronavirus pandemic, did you speak on your company’s behalf at national conferences or large company meetings?
• Have you or your company been in the news in the last year?
• This year, has your company received media coverage for a big uptick in business or windfall?
• Are you the spokesperson for any organizations? Do you have a high profile for the causes you support? Even causes that may not appear divisive have someone who despises the organization.
• Do you receive any requests for financial assistance from people who aren’t in your immediate family via mail or e-mail? Often high-net-worth individuals receive mail from people looking for financial help. However, during these times, you should view these requests with more seriousness.

If you answered YES to any of these questions, you may want to consider hiring a bodyguard, or a personal security team.

REDUCING RISK WHILE YOU CONDUCT BUSINESS AT HOME

Now that you have brought your business to your home or vacation home, security threats follow. As you adapt your work habits for this new coronavirus reality, answer these questions to keep yourself and your family safe.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Do your children post on their Instagram or Tik-Tok with scenes of private jets, luxury cars, vacation homes or any symbols people would deem as “for the wealthy”? These posts can enrage a newly laid-off worker or potential criminal. They also provide clues to your location.

LOCATION GIVEAWAYS

Examine your Zoom call background. COVID-19 has driven media interviews and meetings to homes. In this way, you may be unknowingly broadcasting to the world your valuables and layouts of personal spaces.

Check for any identifying location markers in your video conferencing shot like an ocean scene, cityscape, or identifying backyard markers (a statue or guest house, for example).

Ensure that your video background is generic with no identifying     characteristics. Don’t show valuable paintings, family portraits, or rare artifacts. It is best to have a solid curtain, either covering a window or hanging on a wall, to make a location unidentifiable.

Make sure that media outlets aren’t using your city identifier. Even if you are giving a print interview, ask that your location remain private. https://gsiprotection.com/execs-home-safety/

YOUR HOME’S SECURITY

You and your personal staff should double-check that your home and/or vacation home follow these security guidelines. They are based on the concept of multiple rings of protection.

First ring: Barrier

Sure, a criminal may be able to penetrate a gate or fence even if cameras are on the property, but a barrier can at least slow down an intruder.

Second ring: Landscaping

Landscaping may look innocent and beautiful, but it has a purpose. Create a second layer of defense. Plants such as bramble and bougainvillea can be used effectively to not only add beauty to a yard but also double as a layer of security. Bougainvillea can look like a plant added to a property for aesthetic reasons, but its thorny matrix of vines is deceivingly dangerous.

Third ring: Locks, Alarms, Cameras and Security Doors

Locks may seem obvious, but much consideration should go into them. They should be re-evaluated and potentially upgraded during the pandemic.  Electronic locks with remote systems add invaluable protection to a house.

Alarms should be re-assessed for effectiveness.

Doors should be impenetrable. CCTV should always be strategically placed and tested frequently to make sure the system is operating correctly. An exit strategy, which does not include the main door, should also be in place.

Remember, technical measures at a home should mirror those that you had in a corporate office. If your corporate campus required armed security, you may want to consider it for your home as well.

Solutions

The world is vulnerable thanks to a global pandemic but that doesn’t mean you need to be as well. Don’t be a victim of these desperate times. Take 10 minutes to find out how we provide executive security and peace of mind over yourself, your family and your assets.

Contact us at https://gsiprotection.com/contact/.