Executive protection: what companies need in 2026

The killing of UnitedHealthcare chief executive Brian Thompson in New York in December 2024 changed how boards view executive risk. Many companies commissioned outside security reviews afterward. Among S&P 500 companies, the share disclosing personal security benefits for the chief executive rose from 35% to 54%, and about 47% now cover at least one other named executive, compared with under 20% two years earlier.

Pressure is building from several directions. In a 2025 global survey, 42% of security chiefs reported a significant rise in violent statements aimed at executives, and 97% of institutional investors said physical protection for executives was important.

Coverage is spreading faster than structure. In a 2026 survey of 258 organizations, 65% had no formal security program for the chief executive and only 9% had comprehensive coverage. Most, 73%, relied on informal judgment to decide on protection, while only 10% used a structured assessment. In 58% of cases the board had no formal oversight role.

Family coverage is rare, at 11% of organizations, even though family members and homes are often the easiest way to reach an executive. Digital protection is the most common measure, at 70%, which reflects how much executive risk now starts online.

A sound program starts with a threat and vulnerability assessment for each covered person, refreshed when their profile changes. From there it typically adds residential security reviews, secure travel planning, event security, vetted drivers, and close protection officers for higher risk periods or locations.

Digital measures sit alongside the physical ones: removing home addresses and family details from data broker sites, monitoring for threats and doxxing, and securing personal devices and accounts. Protective intelligence ties these together by spotting concerning behavior early, and a crisis plan covers what happens if something goes wrong.

Travel is where corporate and geopolitical risk meet. Conflict in the Gulf, kidnap risk in parts of Nigeria and Mexico, and fast moving unrest elsewhere mean the risk at a destination can change within days of a trip being booked. Executives are also visible targets for protest and activism when their company is linked to a war, a sanctions dispute or a controversial project.

Programs should tie trip approval to current country risk, brief executives on local conditions and set clear rules on when close protection, secure transport or a trip cancellation is required. Weekly country scores and daily briefings help security teams see changes before an executive lands.

Public companies in the US report security costs for named executives as perquisites under Item 402 of Regulation S K, and the SEC has signaled it is reconsidering how security is treated. Proxy disclosures increasingly describe digital protection and data removal as well as physical security.

Boards should treat executive protection as a risk decision with an owner, a budget process and regular reporting, not an ad hoc perk. That means a written policy, a documented assessment for each covered person and an annual review.