new York
CNN
—

Companies are scrambling to protect their senior executives as police warn of an increased near-term threat to business leaders. Committees are reevaluating security budgets. And CEOs are being asked to erase their digital footprints.

The stunning assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson last week in midtown Manhattan has rattled senior levels across the country and forced executives to ask themselves uncomfortable questions about their own preparedness for a threat landscape that appears far more serious than many have faced recognized in a week.

Top security firms have their phones ringing to ensure the safety of captains of industry.

“Corporate America is nervous. People are on high alert,” Keith Wojcieszek, global intelligence chief at Kroll, said in a telephone interview with CNN.

“Companies want to improve their security posture. “Health care is the goal now, but who’s next?” Wojcieszek said.

New York police said in an intelligence report obtained by CNN on Tuesday that they believe Thompson’s killing was a “symbolic killing” and could inspire others to take violent action against business leaders.

Corporate reach has “increased significantly” since the brazen shooting of Thompson, said Wojcieszek, a former senior U.S. intelligence official.

Security firm Global Guardian received 70 inquiries from affected companies within the first 36 hours of the shooting — a huge increase, according to Seth Krummrich, a retired U.S. Army colonel who is now the company’s vice president.

“It’s a big wake-up call. “The mood has changed dramatically in a very short period of time,” said Krummrich, whose company protects corporate executives, their families and homes from threats.

Even some smaller company executives are now considering personal security details, said Eduardo Jany, senior vice president of global safety and security at News Corp., in a telephone interview Tuesday.

“There is a lot of tension in the air at the moment. Even some night flight companies will start investing in safety,” said Jany, who also works as a consultant for other large companies.

A senior executive at a major bank told CNN that the assassination of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO highlighted the risk facing senior executives in Corporate America.

“The big realization is that if you want to kill someone, you can kill them. It’s really scary but true,” said the executive, who wished to remain anonymous. “It seems crazy that we’re just figuring this out.”

The threats could come from anywhere and anyone.

Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old charged with Thompson’s murder, attended a prestigious private high school and received an Ivy League education.

“He’s not Ted Kaczynski living in a cabin somewhere. “He’s a guy who had a similar upbringing as a lot of corporate managers,” Krummrich said, referring to the infamous Unabomber. “This is a new paradigm.”

Krummrich said he has advised executives to delete as many of their digital footprints as possible, including floor plans of their homes and information about where their children go to school.

“Many companies will now increase their security staff in offices and homes, implement enhanced mail screening and focus on public events attended by executives,” said Fred Burton, executive director of protective intelligence at Ontic.

“This is a turning point,” said Burton, a former U.S. intelligence official who later worked at the Diplomatic Security Service, the State Department’s security agency.

Security experts told CNN there is grave concern that this fatal shooting may not be an isolated incident, especially given the positive reaction the killing has received from some on social media.

“The likelihood of copycat events increases dramatically. Think about school shootings before and after Columbine,” Krummrich said. “I am very concerned about what priority this is going forward. That’s what keeps me up at night.”

Jany, News Corp.’s security officer, said he was concerned about how much attention Mangione was receiving after his arrest Monday.

“There are reports that girls are flattering this guy. This level of popularity carries the risk of triggering imitators. And let’s face it: some business leaders are vulnerable,” Jany said.

According to the NYPD intelligence report, Thompson’s fatal shooting appeared to have been sparked by anger against the health insurance industry and “corporate greed” as a whole.

“This rhetoric may indicate an increased threat to leaders in the near future, as the shooting itself has the potential to incite violence from a variety of extremists and grievance-driven malicious actors,” the NYPD report said.

Bill George, former CEO of medical device maker Medtronic, said he was alarmed by the public reaction to the UnitedHealthcare CEO’s shooting.

“We live in a society in which we have unleashed violent forces. Companies will take this extremely seriously,” said George, an executive fellow at Harvard Business School.

Experts say the UnitedHealthcare killing made clear that the security blanket that protects many top CEOs should be extended to their deputies.

Thompson led UnitedHealthcare, the health insurance division of UnitedHealth Group, the parent company and insurance giant. Thompson was little known to the public despite leading a unit that generated nearly $300 billion in revenue last year alone.

Many other companies in finance, media, technology and elsewhere have departmental CEOs who are critical to business operations but do not receive the security protection that the top CEO receives.

“You have to have security for all of your senior executives — and even your board members,” George said.

That’s easier said than done. Some senior managers may not want to deal with the hassle and attention that additional security might entail.

“CEOs don’t want to live in a world where they go to their son’s baseball game and security guards have to be there,” George said.

Additionally, extending the security blanket is extremely costly.

Security firms often offer extensive protection measures to ensure the safety of executives, including physical security guards, online threat monitoring and analysis, cybersecurity defenses, home security, and protection for spouses and other family members.

The unnamed bank executive told CNN that his company has a war room that investigates online threats – some of them death threats naming executives and family members.

However, some companies may not have the resources to increase security to meet the evolving threat.

“Security is a sunk cost. This doesn’t make companies money, so it’s an easy place to find budget savings,” said Krummrich, executive director of the Global Guardian. “You can take the risk and hope nothing happens. But if you do, you have a much bigger problem for the brand emotionally, financially and visually than if you invest in security upfront.”