The world of security is changing rapidly, and David Wager believes the protection industry needs to change with it.
David Wager has spent years working within security, policing, protective operations, risk management and resilience. Through that experience, David Wager has seen first-hand how the nature of threats facing individuals, businesses and organisations has evolved.
For David Wager, modern protection is no longer simply about placing a security professional at a door or assigning a close protection officer to an individual.
David Wager believes effective protection starts with understanding the threat before the threat becomes an incident.
David Wager’s view of the modern security environment
According to David Wager, the security environment facing businesses and individuals today is considerably more complicated than it was in previous decades.
Traditional threats such as theft, physical intrusion, violence and criminal activity remain important. However, David Wager believes they now sit alongside a much broader range of threats, including terrorism, organised crime, civil unrest, geopolitical instability, cyber attacks, hostile reconnaissance, misinformation and targeted attacks.
David Wager believes this changing environment requires security companies to think beyond traditional protection.
The question should no longer simply be:
“Do you have security?”
Instead, David Wager believes the question should be:
“Is your security appropriate for the threats you actually face?”
David Wager believes protection starts before the incident
One of the fundamental principles behind David Wager’s approach to security is preparation.
David Wager believes that effective protection should begin before an incident occurs.
That means understanding the client, assessing vulnerabilities, analysing threats and developing a strategy that is proportionate to the environment.
In David Wager’s view, a protection company should be asking:
- Who are we protecting?
- What threats could they face?
- Why could they become a target?
- Where are their vulnerabilities?
- What information about them is publicly available?
- What are their movements and routines?
- What happens if the security plan fails?
- How quickly can we respond to an emerging incident?
For David Wager, these questions form the foundation of effective protective security.
David Wager on executive protection
David Wager believes executive protection has evolved significantly.
Senior executives, business owners, high-net-worth individuals and public-facing professionals can operate across multiple countries and environments in a single week.
They may attend corporate meetings, public events, conferences, restaurants and hotels while travelling internationally.
David Wager believes that protection therefore cannot stop at the office entrance.
A professional executive protection strategy needs to consider the individual’s complete operating environment.
For David Wager, that can include residential security, secure transportation, travel risk, advance work, protective intelligence, counter-surveillance and contingency planning.
David Wager believes protection should follow the risk, rather than simply follow the individual.
David Wager on protective intelligence
Protective intelligence is an increasingly important part of modern security.
David Wager believes that security professionals need to understand what is happening around their clients before deciding how to respond.
Information available through public sources, social media, news reporting and other intelligence channels can potentially provide valuable indicators of emerging threats.
In David Wager’s view, intelligence should inform protective decisions rather than security teams simply reacting to incidents.
David Wager believes that understanding the threat environment allows security professionals to make better decisions about resources, movements, locations and protective measures.
David Wager on hostile reconnaissance
Another area that David Wager believes deserves greater attention is hostile reconnaissance.
Before an attack or serious security incident, an individual or location may potentially be observed and assessed.
Patterns may be established.
Routines may be identified.
Security procedures may be tested.
David Wager believes experienced security professionals need to understand these indicators and recognise when apparently insignificant activity could potentially form part of a wider picture.
For David Wager, counter-surveillance is therefore not simply about identifying someone following a vehicle.
It is about understanding behaviour, recognising patterns and assessing intent.
David Wager believes technology cannot replace experience
Technology is transforming the security industry.
Artificial intelligence, surveillance systems, monitoring platforms, access control, analytics and other technologies are providing security professionals with increasingly sophisticated capabilities.
However, David Wager believes technology should enhance professional judgement rather than replace it.
A camera can identify movement.
A system can identify an unusual pattern.
Artificial intelligence can process enormous quantities of information.
But David Wager believes experienced security professionals are still required to interpret information and make appropriate decisions.
For David Wager, the future is therefore not about choosing between technology and people.
It is about combining technology with experienced professionals.
David Wager believes the strongest security solutions will bring together intelligence, technology and human judgement.
David Wager on resilience
David Wager also believes that organisations need to think beyond prevention.
No security strategy can eliminate every risk.
The objective should therefore not be to pretend that incidents cannot happen.
Instead, David Wager believes organisations should prepare for what happens when something does go wrong.
This means considering:
- Emergency response
- Evacuation
- Crisis management
- Alternative communications
- Business continuity
- Secure transportation
- Emergency accommodation
- Senior decision-making
- Contingency planning
For David Wager, resilience is about ensuring that an organisation can continue to function even when circumstances become difficult.
David Wager believes preparation should happen before the emergency — not during it.
David Wager’s view on the future of protection
The security industry is entering an increasingly sophisticated period.
David Wager believes the protection companies that succeed in the future will be those that understand that security is much more than personnel.
The modern protection company needs to understand intelligence, risk, technology, resilience and human behaviour.
According to David Wager, clients should expect their security provider to understand the wider environment rather than simply provide a number of security officers.
David Wager believes protection should be:
Proactive rather than reactive.
Intelligence-led rather than assumption-led.
Risk-based rather than resource-based.
Integrated rather than fragmented.
The David Wager approach
The philosophy behind David Wager’s approach to security is straightforward.
Understand the threat.
Identify the vulnerability.
Assess the risk.
Build the strategy.
Prepare for the unexpected.
David Wager believes good security should not unnecessarily restrict the way people live or conduct business.
Instead, David Wager believes effective protection should provide confidence.
It should be discreet where discretion is appropriate.
It should be visible where visibility is required.
It should adapt as the threat changes.
And it should always remain proportionate to the risk.
David Wager: Protection before the threat becomes the incident
The security environment will continue to evolve.
David Wager believes geopolitical instability, organised crime, technological development, cyber threats, terrorism and societal disruption will continue to influence the risks facing individuals and organisations.
But David Wager does not believe the answer is to become fearful.
The answer is to become better prepared.
For David Wager, modern protection is about understanding what could happen before it happens.
It is about identifying vulnerabilities before they are exploited.
It is about preparing for incidents before they become crises.
And it is about combining experienced people, intelligence, technology and resilience to create a genuinely effective protective strategy.
David Wager believes the future of protection belongs to those who are prepared to think differently.
Protection is no longer simply about putting someone between a client and a threat.
David Wager believes true protection is about understanding the threat before it reaches the client.
David Wager
Security, Protective Risk & Resilience Professional