in view of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian ThompsonFollowing the murder that occurred Wednesday morning in New York City, some companies are taking extra precautionary measures to protect their executives, with corporate security companies reporting increased interest in their services.
The shooting death of Thompson, who had no security detail with him when he was attacked outside a Manhattan hotel, is shining a light on the business of protecting prominent corporate executives, whose security costs can reach millions of dollars a year.
According to security experts, it is common for top executives in public companies to be under round-the-clock security. He says the need for security has only increased with social media fostering everyday people's dissatisfaction with a particular person, product or service. This is especially true in an industry like health care insurance, when many Americans say they are dissatisfied with the services they receive.
In fact, in the wake of Thompson's murder, many people on social media expressed bitterness To the practices of some health insurers.
“We have reached a point where health care is so inaccessible and out of reach that people's frustration is justified,” Dr. Celine Gounder, a CBS News medical contributor and editor at large for public health at KFF Health News, told CBS. ” Mornings of the public expressing their disappointment.
Certainly, some of the largest American companies, particularly those in the technology sector, were spending heavily on the personal and residential security of their top executives before Thompson's murder. Meta, whose businesses include Facebook and Instagram, reported spending more than $24 million on personal security for top executives last year, data collected by research firm Equilar shows.
While Thompson had an internal security detail during the trip to New York City, he did not have it at the time of the shooting, According To CNN, which cited a source familiar with UnitedHealthcare's security.
In the wake of the attack, corporate security experts said companies should take time to evaluate their corporate security protocols and, if necessary, strengthen protective measures to protect against various threats.
Paul Sarnez, a safety and security consultant and former president of the International Association for Healthcare Security and Safety (IAHSS), said, “My phone is constantly ringing with calls, especially from health care leaders who are reevaluating their security ”
He said the fatal incident would likely prompt more officials to demand stronger security. He said, “This incident will definitely change the minds of executives who may have been reluctant to introduce security protocols. I think they will be more receptive to executive security.”
too much information
In the wake of Thompson's death, some companies are taking steps to limit publicly available information about their executives. For example, a page on UnitedHealthcare's website about the company's leadership – where bios of Thompson and other executives were listed – no longer existsAnd instead it redirects to the company's home page.
Minnesota-based nonprofit health care firm Medica, as well as other insurers, have taken similar actions, their websites show.
Medica told associated Press It is temporarily closing six of its offices on Friday due to security concerns, as well as removing executives' bios from its website.
“While we have not received any specific threats related to our campuses, out of an abundance of caution our office buildings will be temporarily closed,” the company said in a statement.
Experts say such steps are wise.
Sarnez said, “I think we share a lot in common. I don't need to know where you live and that you're married and have three wonderful kids.” “We don't need to advertise in front of the public where the president and CEO are sitting.”
While executives in all industries must evaluate their security postures, healthcare industry professionals have faced greater threats in recent years as a result of the divisions that have arisen around security protocols, including mask mandates, during the COVID-19 pandemic , Sarnez said.
“There are challenges in every industry because there is always someone who is upset with a service or a product or a philosophy. But Covid changed everything. We have never seen the level of threats during Covid towards healthcare workers and leaders. See, because of some of the reasons, he said, “the mistrust and misinformation that was there in the community.”
“All kinds of things can go wrong.”
Brittany Blair of security industry veteran K2 Integrity said online threat monitoring is as important as physical security.
More companies are becoming more active in tracking cyber threats, including monitoring the web and the dark web.
“I think people want to take a more proactive approach to making sure they're not in a situation where they're not alert or prepared for that bad thing to happen,” he told CBS MoneyWatch. “You can't predict crime, and you can't prevent it, but you should do as much as you can to make sure you can get ahead of any potential threats that come your way.”
Contributed to this report.