Executive Protection
What did the UnitedHealth CEO shooting change about executive security?
The December 2024 assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson fundamentally shifted how boards and CEOs think about personal security. Three immediate consequences: (1) Meta, Broadcom, and Walmart all disclosed materially increased executive security spending in 2025–2026 SEC filings — with some of these disclosures specifically citing the event as the catalyst. (2) Demand for qualified EP firms increased an estimated 340% within 90 days of the event. (3) Personal security assessments for C-suite executives — previously considered unusual in the US outside certain industries — became standard practice at large companies. The event demonstrated that the threat environment for senior executives had materially changed.
What does an executive protection agent actually do day-to-day?
The job is 80% logistics, planning, and threat assessment — 20% visible presence. A competent EP agent runs advance work before any venue visit (checking exits, identifying threats, locating nearest hospitals), manages secure transport protocols, coordinates with venue security, monitors threat intelligence feeds for the principal's name and organisation, manages the principal's schedule from a security perspective, and maintains awareness of geopolitical and threat conditions in any location the principal travels to. The dramatic intervention scenarios are rare — the preventive work is constant.
Do I need armed or unarmed executive protection?
The right answer depends on your threat assessment, not your preference. Most corporate executives in low-threat environments (domestic travel, standard business activities, no specific known threats) are adequately served by professional unarmed EP agents with strong advance and planning capabilities. Armed EP adds complexity — firearms require state-by-state licensing, introduce their own risks, and can create diplomatic issues in international travel. A threat assessment from a reputable firm should drive this decision, not assumption or optics.
Licensing and Compliance
How do I know if a private security firm is actually licensed?
Request their company licence number and the state(s) of issue. Then verify it directly — not from a copy they provide — by searching the issuing state's licensing authority database yourself. Every major state has a public searchable database: BSIS in California, DPS in Texas, DOS in New York, FDACS in Florida. Do not accept a photocopy or scan of a licence as verification — these can be fabricated. The database is the only verification that matters. See our complete state-by-state verification guide at
PrivateSecurityList.com/verify.
What happens if I hire an unlicensed firm and something goes wrong?
Your liability exposure increases significantly. Courts have found that organisations hiring unlicensed security contractors share liability for incidents involving those contractors — particularly if the organisation failed to conduct reasonable due diligence on the vendor. If an unlicensed agent causes injury, lacks workers compensation, or the firm has no general liability insurance, you may be the only solvent party available for legal action. For corporate procurement: vendor due diligence on security contractors is a legal risk management issue, not just a quality preference.
Cost and Procurement
What does executive protection cost in 2026?
A single professional EP agent runs $600–$1,600 per day depending on armed status, experience level, and location. 24/7 coverage for one principal requires approximately 3 rotating agents — $1,800–$5,000+/day or $40,000–$90,000+/month. Former federal agency or special operations agents at premium firms command $2,500–$5,000+/day. These prices have increased materially since late 2024 due to demand spike. See our full cost guide at
/cost-guide/.
What should I include in a security RFQ?
A properly structured security RFQ covers: (1) Nature of the requirement — EP, residential, event, consulting. (2) Principal profile — role, threat level, travel frequency. (3) Location(s) of operation. (4) Coverage hours required — 8hr/12hr/24/7. (5) Armed vs unarmed preference or openness to recommendation. (6) Budget range or request for unbundled pricing. (7) Timeline. (8) Insurance requirements. (9) Reporting and communication expectations. (10) Background check requirements for assigned agents. An RFQ without most of these elements will generate incomparable quotes that are difficult to evaluate objectively.