Close Protection Services
Close protection is personal security built around one person, not a building. Anubis Group provides SIA-licensed close protection officers, known as CPOs, to business leaders, high net worth individuals, public figures and their families across the UK.
Every deployment starts the same way: a confidential conversation about what’s worrying you, followed by a proper risk assessment. From there we build a protection plan that fits your life rather than disrupting it. This page explains what close protection actually involves, who tends to need it, how we build a team around a specific risk, and what happens when you get in touch.
What close protection actually involves
Close protection isn’t a single job. It’s a sequence of planning, presence and response, most of which the person being protected never sees.
The risk assessment
Before any operative is deployed, we carry out a confidential risk and lifestyle assessment. This includes detailed risk assessments of your routine, your travel patterns, who has access to your schedule, and whether there are security threats or other potential threats linked to media attention, a public role, a named individual, a credible message, or a pattern of contact that’s escalating; it also considers potential risks so deployment is informed by how close protection operatives are trained in threat detection and response. The level of protection we recommend follows directly from this assessment, not from a fixed package. Close Protection Officers are trained in threat detection and emergency response, so the assessment is matched to the right response capability.
Advance work and route planning
For any planned movement, whether that’s a school run, a shareholder meeting or an overseas trip, our operatives handle executive protection planning for the route and, where appropriate, visit the venue in advance. This includes identifying entry and exit points, fallback routes if something changes at short notice, contingency planning if travel conditions or venue access change, and rendezvous points for a driver or second officer, with security chauffeurs used on some higher-risk movements for secure travel arrangements.
Protection on the day
On the day, a CPO’s job is to provide close protection security with a low-profile, protective presence that does not make your day about security. That means managing arrivals and departures, providing physical protection, watching crowds and access points, and monitoring the environment so they can step in early if something looks wrong, rather than reacting after the fact. Most of the work is prevention through planning, not intervention. Where a visible presence is not the best fit, protective surveillance may be used to keep a discreet watch on the surrounding environment.
Who close protection is for
Business leaders and executives
Contentious deals, hostile takeovers, and high-profile boardroom disputes can all generate personal risk that has nothing to do with the size of the business. We work with executives and corporate executives who need discreet, professional cover during a specific period of exposure, not permanent, visible security. That can include VIP security when high-profile individuals face elevated risks such as abduction or robbery during a sensitive period.
High net worth individuals and families
Ongoing protection for individuals and families, including high net worth families and family offices, often covers school runs, family travel and residential security, and is one of the most common reasons clients come to us. Children’s routines and behaviour call for a personal approach and tailored solutions, especially where child protection against kidnapping is a concern. Protection here is built to be as unobtrusive as possible, so daily life continues normally. For high-value homes, CCTV and alarms alone are often insufficient, particularly in London where organised criminal gangs operate, and residential security teams may also include roving patrols and access control as part of wider home protection. Successful entrepreneurs’ children can face kidnapping risk, and this kind of work requires specialised security experience.
Public figures and people managing sudden attention
Media attention following a public incident, a court case, or a change in public profile can create risk very quickly. We can scale a protection response up at short notice when a situation changes.
Anyone facing a specific, credible threat
Stalking, harassment, armed robberies, or another direct threat doesn’t require a public profile to justify professional protection. If you’re in this position, the first step is always a confidential conversation focused on understanding security measures proportionate to the threat, not a sales pitch.
How we build your protection team
- A single operative for lower-profile, discreet cover, often for a specific event or short trip.
- A two-person team for higher-risk engagements, giving one officer focused entirely on the surrounding environment.
- Close protection teams, with a team leader, a trained security driver trained in anti-kidnap and anti-hijack techniques, and, where needed, support for residential security and transport protection, for ongoing, round-the-clock protection.
- Female protection officers, where the client or the specific situation calls for it.
Team size and structure are set by the risk assessment, not sold as a fixed tier. We prioritise highly trained, experienced professionals matched to the assignment. A short-notice single evening of cover and a long-term residential detail are both genuinely different jobs, and we staff them differently.
The standards behind our operatives
Close protection is one of the most tightly regulated parts of UK private security, and the Security Industry Authority regulates close protection operations in the UK. Every CPO working for Anubis Group is among our certified security professionals and is certified by the Security Industry Authority while holding the required close protection licence, which requires completing a Level 3 Close Protection qualification, a current first aid certificate, and passing identity, right-to-work, criminal record and service record checks. We look for operatives with extensive experience, including backgrounds in military, police and other law enforcement personnel roles, on top of the minimum licensing standard.
Anubis Group holds SIA Approved Contractor Scheme (ACS) status, NSI Silver certification, and ISO 9001 accreditation. Every close protection deployment is planned through the same 24-hour control room that runs security for airports, festivals and stadiums, and our SIA-licensed staff can also provide on-site leadership and crowd management where protection overlaps with event environments, which you can read more about on our Why Anubis page.
Protection is unarmed within the UK, in line with the law. For international travel, we work with vetted partner firms to arrange compliant, appropriately risk-assessed protection for the country in question.
Close protection compared with other security services
Within the wider security industry, close protection is often confused with general guarding, but the two solve different problems.
| Service | What it protects | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Close protection | A specific person, wherever they go | Executives, families, public figures, credible threats |
| Manned guarding and static security | A building or site | Offices, retail premises, construction sites |
| Event security | A venue and its attendees during an event | Corporate functions, festivals, public events |
Close protection is frequently combined with our event security team for high-profile functions, where event work follows Martyn’s Law guidelines for protective security, and with manned guarding and static security for residential estates that need both a permanent presence and personal protection for the people who live there as part of wider private security services.
What happens when you contact us
- Confidential enquiry. You tell us what’s happening and what’s worrying you, in confidence.
- Risk and lifestyle assessment. We build a clear picture of the threat, your routine, and where the exposure actually sits.
- Operative matching. We select close protection officers CPOs or personal protection officers suited to your specific environment, whether that’s a corporate setting, a family home, or international travel.
- Service design. We agree the structure and level of cover, whether you refer to it as bodyguard services, a single operative, a two-person team, or a full residential detail.
- Deployment and ongoing review. Protection begins, and we debrief and adjust as your situation changes, with the plan reviewed as potential risks change.
International and overseas protection
Risk doesn’t stop at the border, and neither does our planning. For clients travelling for business or leisure, we assess the specific country, the political and criminal risk profile, and any legal restrictions on private security before a trip. In the UK, our operatives work unarmed by law. Recent technological change and political developments can alter travel risk profiles quickly, contributing to increasing demand for overseas and mobile protection. Overseas, where private armed protection is legal and the risk profile justifies it, we work with vetted, compliant partner firms rather than attempting to operate outside a jurisdiction’s own rules.
Where required, secure transport can also be arranged across London and the UK as part of onward or connected journeys.
Typical overseas engagements include multi-city business trips with tight schedules and public exposure, moving high-value goods internationally, and travel to higher-risk countries where local knowledge matters as much as the protection team itself. This can also include asset protection for high-value goods in transit, with planning focused on identifying potential risks during movement. Advance work, including liaison with local partners and venue reconnaissance, is arranged before you travel, not improvised on arrival. Where needed, security chauffeurs can support the journey and are trained in evasive driving techniques. Armoured and executive vehicles may also be available, with 24-hour chauffeur support where required.
Frequently asked questions
Are close protection operatives armed in the UK?
No. Privately employed CPOs in civilian roles in the UK do not carry firearms. Anubis Group operatives work unarmed within the UK, in line with the law. For overseas assignments in countries where private armed protection is legal, we arrange compliant support through vetted local partners where the risk profile justifies it.
How visible will protection be?
That’s your decision. Options range from a highly discreet operative who blends in as an assistant or colleague, through to a clearly identifiable presence where visibility itself is a deterrent. Most clients prefer the former for day-to-day life, especially when operatives provide discreet cover for high profile clients who want privacy as well as safety.
Can my close protection officer also drive me?
Some operatives, including security chauffeurs or personal bodyguards, are dual-trained for protective travel support. For higher-risk situations we generally recommend a dedicated CPO and a separate security driver, so each role gets full attention.
How long can I hire a close protection officer for?
From a single event or a short trip through to long-term, full-time protection. Contract length and complexity affect team size and cost, and this is all agreed during the initial consultation, with a first class service tailored to the assignment.
Will close protection eliminate my risk completely?
No security measure reduces risk to zero, and we won’t tell you otherwise. Professional close protection significantly lowers both the likelihood and the impact of an incident through tailored security measures, planning, awareness and early intervention, not promise absolute safety. Where confidentiality requirements are especially sensitive, a non disclosure agreement can also be put in place.
Arrange a confidential consultation
Every engagement begins in confidence. Get in touch and one of our security consultants will talk through your situation and recommend the right level of support, whether you’re looking for a bodyguard company or broader cover. You can also request a confidential risk assessment directly.
Call 0800 121 6576, email sales@anubis-security.com, or get in touch through our contact page to discuss how Anubis Group can provide security for UK-based personal, residential and travel requirements.