As we say goodbye to another year, here is a look back at the Accomplishments – new content and features – by the International Security Driver Association for our members.

For those responsible for their principals’ safe and secure transportation, 2022 will create unprecedented challenges brought on by the computer chip shortage, the increased use of connected vehicles, and the changing landscape of the automotive industry and the EP/Secure Transportation profession.

I get the impression that many of those working in the profession or trying to work in the profession do not understand the concept of a Professional Certification. Many practitioners want a standard, but they want the standard to meet the curriculum of the training program that they attended – that is not how it works.

There has been a great deal of talk on social media about how the industry is growing at an exponential rate. We agree, but we ask the question, in what sector of the profession is it growing, and what sector is increasing their spending on Executive Protection?

One of the significant changes coming to the Secure Transportation profession is Electric Vehicles (EVs) – it is not if – it is when you will be driving EVs as your primary vehicle.

The newly enacted Build Back Better Bill incorporates several provisions for standardizing vehicle safety features. Some of the Bill may affect the Security Drivers and Secure Transportation. The following are some quick hits, and an in-depth paper will be available once we go through the information available.

The Human Driving Task is defined as a person who drives a particular vehicle and who, in a vehicle equipped with an automated driving system, exchanges the dynamic driving task with such a system as necessary during vehicle operation.

Over the years, we have taken the Motor Trend Car of the Year award with a grain of salt – but this year is different….

The reason we spend a lot of time talking about these subjects can be found in a comment made by a Bridgestone engineer – “Tire pressure affects every aspect of the tire, including the load-carrying capacity, tread contact patch shape—where the tire touches the road—and size and handling characteristics.” 

Telematics devices collect and measure data related to driving habits and behaviors. By monitoring drivers’ behavior, the insurers can track data and tailor insurance rates to their driving habits.

The crash test data from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) have shown that small increases in speed can have huge effects on crash outcomes as shown in their new tests conducted by the AAA Foundation for traffic safety. They found that slightly higher speeds were enough to increase the driver’s risk of severe injury or death.

Whenever we write or talk about armored vehicles, we always mention the Mercedes-Benz Guard Car. We fail to note that there are other Original Equipment…

This is the first in a series of articles that will cover Best Practices for Protective Driver Training. First and foremost, driving training is a science.

wo topics of discussion that can dominate social media are certification and the state of training in the executive protection and secure transportation industry. In reality, certification and training are inseparable. There is a need for standardization in the Executive Protection profession.

A recent PR Release from a company marketing a comprehensive study of the Luxury Armored Vehicle Market states it will grow “at a good pace” in the years 2021 to 2026. That pace, depending on which report you go by, could be anywhere between 2% and 6%.

With pandemic restrictions easing, business and consumer travel is back to pre-pandemic levels. One problem, there are rental car shortages. 

Over the past year, ISDA Members published four books that have significantly impacted the Executive Protection and Secure Transportation Profession. It is indicative of the quality of the ISDA Membership.

According to a report from Upstream Security, there were at least 150 automotive cybersecurity incidents in 2019, a 94 percent year-over-year increase since 2016. This trend is unlikely to reverse any time soon with more communication methods built into new vehicles, including massive over-the-air update technologies.

Your vehicle has a precious metal container infused with a precious metal that is selling for about $28,000 per ounce right now; that’s 15-times the price of gold. The metal is Rhodium, and the container is your Catalytic converter.

Connected Vehicles are when they share data between servers, apps, and the vehicles’ various components to enable telematics services, smart mobility services, and more.

Known by its full name as the Mercedes-Benz S680 Guard 4Matic. It is available with a long wheelbase. The sedan has been engineered to receive VPAM VR10 certification. VR10 is the highest certification ballistic standard available to civilians. VPAM means a complete vehicle was tested and certified. Basically, It’s the highest level with regard to ballistic protection for a civilian vehicle.

Many of the newer Executive Vehicles, including SUVs, come with Low Profile tires. There are advantages and disadvantages to low-profile tires.

n interesting and informative article from the February issue of Motor Trend Magazine. The article covers the process used by armored car manufacturers to produce an armored vehicle.

A couple of weeks Tom Cruise’s BMW X7 was stolen by a cyber hack. The thieves allegedly used a scanner to clone the car’s keyless ignition fob.

Preliminary results of the 2021 Executive Vehicle & Secure Transportation Survey. The final report will offer suggestions and educational material.

We know that drinking and driving and texting and driving are dangerous and are hazardous to your health and the health of those who share the road with you.

But we need to add another scenario to the distracted while driving series, driving while marketing.

The number one cause of workplace fatalities is car accidents. The statistics that point to the need for a driver trained to avoid problems are overwhelming.

The fact is that the time an executive spends in their vehicle is the highest risk period of their day.

Data says 65% of attacks occur while in or near a vehicle. How much of your time do you spend on training that mitigates the massive risk of vehicle attacks?

For close to 50 years, we have preached the need for surveillance detection, situation awareness, and armored vehicles. We are still talking about incidents resulting from a lack of surveillance detection, situational awareness, and armored vehicles.

Those who are conducting driver training in this extreme heat be cautious of over-tightening the wheels lug nuts. The combination of heavy loads on the front tires, over-tightened wheel lugs, and extreme heat can be problematic.

Carlos Marighella and the need for Surveillance Detection are inseparable; his impact on the executive protection and secure transportation profession is immeasurable.

2021 Executive Vehicle and Secure Transportation Survey. The Survey questions cover all aspects of secure transportation. The goal of the survey is to examine trends and collect data that develop a broader perspective of the secure transportation profession.

The paper outlines these significant developments and others in the security industry and to foster further discussion, analysis, and solutions.

Having been at this for nearly five decades, it has become apparent that most people shy away from using science and the laws of physics as an educational and training tool because of the math it requires.

Our YouTube channel features videos and playlists that consist of over 100 Videos, all related to Security Driving, Secure Transportation, and Executive Protection.

Christophe is one of our newer members. He is the founder and president of My Company Service. Since 2007, he has been CEO of MCS, a company with two divisions; MCS specializing secure transportation and the MCS Training Center.

Ever noticed while driving you can sometimes tell what the other cars around you are going to do? It’s a crazy thought, but vehicles are nothing more than tools under the control of, you guessed it, humans. Because of that fact, we have the ability to create a Baseline of Behavior for each and every driver we may come into proximity with.

We invite you to subscribe to the International Security Driver Association YouTube channel.

Along with posting our own content, we post videos that would be of interest to Executive Protection secure transportation practitioners.

From time to time, with the assistance of the Membership, ISDA conducts industry surveys. Our goal is to collect metrics that are of use to the Executive Protection and Secure Transportation profession. Data that can assist practitioners with the decision making process. Some of the surveys are for ISDA members only, but others we released to the community.

ISDA has created the COVID-19 Secure Transportation and EP Information center. In the Center, readers will find articles – data, and metrics that can assist practitioners working in the Secure Transportation and Executive Protection profession. Our goal is to help the community navigate its way through the problems created by the pandemic.

The December issue of the Executive Protection and Secure Transportation Magazine has seven articles covering all aspects of the Secure Transportation, Executive Protection profession, and the Business of Executive Protection.

Mr. Panagopoulos was a very brilliant businessman, a very good employer, and an old school gentleman I would say. As he used to say to me ‘’George, I have never hurt anyone in my life, why would someone want to hurt me?’’

We’ve had an influx of new members over the last few months; our new members represent all sectors of the profession and spread across the globe.

But there is one new member that I would like to bring to your attention; his name is George Sardelis.

There are no metrics that cover Sharing Knowledge, the amount of information and knowledge shared by ISDA members is by any metric impressive.

The Executive Protection/Security Driving Training Market – How much money do practitioners spend on training with the GI Bill?

These are two research papers put together to build a knowledge base on the topic of ambush assaults against law enforcement.

In light of the present conditions in this country, both for Law Enforcement Community and those who supply Secure Transportation, these studies would be a good read. Although meant for Law Enforcement, there are sections in both reports that would apply to those who supply Secure Transportation.

ISDA receives volumes of information through news and research. The EPST news shares some of the data we receive with the community. This post covers tires – cleanliness of executive vehicles and articles and the latest EPST podcast episodes.

In case you missed it, ISDA has re-launched its much-acclaimed podcast – Executive Protection and Secure Transportation News. Every week we share secure transportation and executive protection knowledge, headlines, trends, educational content, and announcements from the International Security Driver Association and SecurityDriver.Com A new episode is published every Tuesday at 12 PM. You can find it in your favorite podcast app.

At one time, when bad things happened, it was all up to the driver to control the vehicle. The person holding on to the steering wheel made all the decisions. The driver was the algorithm that determined the outcome of the event.

Now computers control executive vehicles, and in an emergency scenario, accident, or vehicle violence, the executive vehicles rely on the computer algorithm to control the vehicle.

All vehicles have inherent characteristics that, if not understood and monitored, can decrease a vehicle’s performance and create a dangerous scenario for the principal. There are numbers that represent these vehicle characteristics; most can be found in the owner’s manual.

Does the number of training schools that advertise using the term “certification” lead to unrealistic expectations or assumptions on behalf of the attendee that might lead them into thinking guaranteed placement or success?

All security drivers need a firm foundation in defensive driving and vehicle dynamics. After all, if you can’t drive, you can’t escape a potentially dangerous situation.

Being a professional security driver means having the ability to drive out of a situation and having the knowledge to use the vehicle to its fullest potential, whatever the weather or vehicle type.

Many security drivers will use a different type of vehicle from on task to another, requiring them to understand the many intricacies and types.

As someone who has worked in the Executive Protection (EP) industry for more than 40 years, and have operated a licensed EP/Security/PI agency providing Executive Protection and Protection Driving for 30 years, I felt compelled to talk about this topic to clarify some of the issues regarding independent contractors (IC) and employee (1099 vs W2) status as it pertains to our industry.

Joe Autera, CEO of Vehicle Dynamics Institute, discusses making the business case in calculating the return on investment (ROI) for a security driver.

The September 2020 issue of the International Security Driver Association’s Executive Protection and Secure Transportation Magazine.

From Moro in the late ’70s, to Herrhausen in the ’80s, and Reso in the ’90s, and more recently Omar García Harfuch in 2020, there has been a common denominator. In each of these attacks, surveillance detection has played a significant role in the scenario’s outcome.

I have found that my sense of curiosity has not been affected by my advanced years; I still enjoy reading and analyzing the information presented…

A collection of articles related to Executive Protection and Secure Transportation and the ISDA membership.

Used correctly, marketing through social networks is word-of-mouth marketing on steroids. Think of it as customer cultivation. Through social media, you are listening to customers’ needs and making sure you create viable solutions.

Many times, when we examine a vehicle ambush, the discussions will always ask the question “What If.” What if the driver moved the steering wheel a half a second sooner – applied the brakes a second earlier – made a decision quicker – had the ability to use more of the vehicle capability.

Knowledge is Power – Sharing Knowledge is Powerful. The average ISDA member has 15 years of experience; many have been working in the profession for…

Although there are no metrics that cover “Sharing Knowledge,” in 2019, the amount of information and knowledge shared by the ISDA membership is unsurpassed in the profession.

Since the Omar García Harfuch Ambush, we (ISDA) have received questions concerning the use of armored vehicles in protective services.

These are the result of the survey that ISDA conducted a few months back.  Keep in mind that the survey was conducted during the height…

During my 45 years and for the past 18 years, Joe Autera, and I have conducted forensic analysis on countless vehicle attacks. As we have in…

There are conflicting reports about how the attack unfolded – these are some videos and articles supplied by ISDA Members – Mark Caldwell and Gerardo…

How VDI is planning to deliver the training that is critical to their mission in a way that meets their needs and expectations while mitigating and managing the overarching risks to students as well as those they protect.

The main concern in Latin American ground transportation industry is the cargo theft from trucks, it has a relevant impact in the economies of the region because more than 80% of the goods reach companies and individuals through a huge motor fleet, from pickups to +18 wheels tractor trailers.

I have been fortunate to have experienced working with vehicle motorcades on hundreds of occasions all over the world in my 40 years of working in the executive protection industry, and I thought I would share some best practices and things I have learned along the way.

“Well, that is going to leave a mark.” The first time I heard that statement, I was watching a NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto…

I think, for the most part, those working overseas would say I have had it easy, and they would be right. Most of what I…

In June of 2010, Rodolfo Torre Cantu, a physician, and politician running for governor of the Mexican State of Tamaulipas, was assassinated while driving in a non-armored two-vehicle scenario.

Three Seconds to Safety is a booklet that covers carjacking. Like the author, Tony Scotti, the booklet is old, it was written in the late…

The goal of Secure Transportation is to supply safe and secure transportation for your principal or client. With COVID-19 upon us, the safe portion of…

Sharing knowledge is the ISDA culture, and its members define ISDA’s culture. This post is a collection of Member’ LinkedIn Articles. Approximately 100 articles are…

56% Of Those Who Supply Secure Transportation Use Rental Vehicles – the title of this article comes from data collected from the 2019 ISDA Executive…

We strongly suggest that anyone who attends a Security Driving training program is measured in accordance with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 135. This is the standard that is used to measure vehicle braking performance. As a security driver, you must be able to perform at a much higher level than “minimum” (it is what you get paid to do).

When moving through any scenario the driver is managing time and distance. In an emergency, survival comes down to how much time and distance do you have to avoid the problem.

Over the last few years there have been a few training providers and security driver instructors that use the standard and methodology I created, and by association attach me to their training or instructor credentials. Some have used the phrase “Scotti-Certified Instructor.” With some, that may be correct, but the question is “When did I teach them?” So let me set the record straight.

I have received PM’s, emails, and phone calls concerning training providers using the phrase “The Science of Driving, and OUR 80% standard for measuring driving skill, so I thought a history lesson was in order.

An article published in Law Enforcement Today Magazine created a great deal of concern, not only by those that offer training in Virginia but by…

To get a better understanding of the Dangers of Distracted Driving, we can use a phrase associated with security and security driving – “The Kill Zone.” Although the term Kill Zone is used by the security community, it can also describe any scenario that creates an emergency for the driver and passengers. Not looking where you are going for 2 to 3 seconds falls into that category.

In July of last year, I achieved the status of an octogenarian. I have been working in the profession for close to 45 years. During…

Although this more than 40-year loyalty to our brand and methodology may seem unusual to some, it is actually a common occurrence at the old Scotti School and now VDI.

An interesting metric from the ISDA Executive Vehicle & Secure Transportation Survey – Seventy percent of survey participants drive in winter conditions—this aligns with the…

There are a substantial number of EP practitioners working in California and the Gig Economy. A California bill (AB5) set to become law is directed…

In the Corporate and HNW community, Kidnap and Ransom (K&R) Insurance is a catalyst for the use of Secure Transportation and Executive Protection. Understanding it,…

Some of the ISDA members from the UK and some of the social media community criticize the Security Industry Authority (SIA). We have seen posts from the UK CP practitioners criticizing the SIA, and we (ISDA) don’t know why.

Though our students are typically experienced professionals – when last surveyed they had, on average, just shy of 15 years of Security Driving/Executive Protection experience – we often get “the question.”

Which Car is the Safest?

The Executive Vehicle & Secure Transportation Survey is conducted biennially since 2013.

Over the last six years, the surveys have covered various aspects of secure transportation. The goal of the survey has been to examine trends and collect data to develop a broader perspective on the secure transportation profession.

Social Media, in general, is a source for entertainment, not a source of knowledge, but there are websites that we provide educational content at no charge.

It seems that every news agency and certainly every auto-enthusiast magazine and blog are discussing autonomous vehicles and the technology that goes into making vehicles self-driving. What isn’t really discussed or understood is that there are different levels of self-driving.

Results from the 2018 Security-Related Conference Survey

We hope you had a great week! Here’s what been going within the membership. If you have anything you’d like to share let us know…

Kill Zones are a time distance relationship, tenths of a second count.

To ensure the safety and security of the principal, security drivers and secure transportation providers should understand that all vehicles have inherent characteristics that decrease the performance of the vehicle, and create a dangerous scenario for the principal. One of those characteristics is the vehicle’s static stability factor (SSF).

One of the most asked questions in Social Media and from the ISDA Network is – “What training program should I attend?” When selecting a…

When a vehicle is approaching its limit of adhesion, a driver has two conflicting signals. The first signal is the steering wheel getting light, which means that it requires less effort to increase steering input (turn the steering wheel). The reason for this is that the adhesion the tire makes with the road is getting increasingly smaller – quickly.

The second signal is the vehicle load the driver feels at the back of the seat (their butt), which at the limit of adhesion is high.

The Survey The ISDA Executive Vehicle and Secure Transportation Surveys have indicated that, from year to year, the use of armored vehicles in the private…

The 2017 Executive Vehicle and Secure Transportation Survey and Report will be available by the end of this week to ISDA Members and survey participants…

Since the mid-sixties, Carlos Marighella’s book “The Mini-Manual of The Urban Guerrilla” has been a must-read for terrorist groups throughout the world. The manual is the platform for Al Qaeda’s and Bin Laden’s training manuals.