Philip Grindell, was a Scotland Yard Detective for London’s Metropolitan Police when Jo Cox, a British politician and Member of Parliament, was murdered. He set up the Metropolitan Police team to mitigate such risks, introducing best practices from across the world. In 2019, he retired from the Police and set up Defuse to protect family/executive offices, high-profile individuals and well-known brands from targeted and fixated physical, reputational & financial harm on social media and the dark web.
Now, working alongside a team of experts, he brings the same level of intelligence and counsel to high-profile individuals, organizations and their teams who are dealing with or want to prevent abuse, threats, or a high-risk situation. Defuse is based in London and serves clients internationally, from the Middle East to the U.S. We interviewed him to get the state-of-the-moment take on what you need to know when you fall into that group.
What sparks public figures to reach out to you?
Receiving abuse, a death threat or feeling like their safety might be in jeopardy. But most genuine threats are not direct. Often, they are subtle.
We understand how to identify serious threats from false ones. There are many social media users who are fixated on celebrities, politicians and a range of other high-profile types. When you are the subject of such focus, you understandably become increasingly anxious, fearful and confused about these interactions. It is hard to to identify who the communicators are, whether they pose a threat and how to manage the communications.
This uncertainty compounds the fear, frustration and the lack of control our clients’ experience.
How do you evaluate the level of risk of such threats?
In general, those who threaten often do not actually pose a threat. There has been significant research into this, initiated by Defuse’s special advisor, Dr Robert Fein. Dr Fein was tasked by the US Secret Service to review all attacks and attempted attacks on prominent public officials in the United States since 1949.
It is important to understand the signs of cyberstalking as it can escalate into a particularly dangerous behavior. This is especially true with ‘celebrities’ with whom stalkers may start as fans and then turn dangerous when the stalker’s expectations are not met.
An indication of this may be a sudden change in their behavior, making a physical approach or starting to communicate via different channels, such as moving from social media to phone calls, or emails or multiple methods.
How does Defuse combat online abuse?
The very first task of a security specialist when tackling online abuse is to analyze whether the individual receiving online abuse is in any physical danger. Most online abusive posts are not going to lead to a physical attack, but remain deeply hurtful, at times frightening and often corrosive.
Many who are repeatedly targeting high profile people can have associated mental health challenges. Each case requires a particular response bespoke to its circumstances. To ensure that the response is the correct one, a more forensic approach is required. One size does not fit all! By psychoanalyzing the communications it’s possible to identify specific personality issues, which can then direct the response.
If you are considering an intervention, it is vital that this is supported by analysis and if appropriate some form of surveillance be that online or physical. It is crucial that any sudden change of behavior is quickly identified, and the appropriate security measures considered.
In your media interviews, you’ve said women are the most common targets of online harassment.
Yes. In a Daily Mail interview, I was quoted as saying: ‘Anyone in the public eye can become a target for online abuse but women are attacked in a very personal way.” I believe misogyny should be made a hate crime.
In a recent blog post, you also warned about an increase in threats to C-Suite-level executives and CEOs.
Due to the daily reports of COVID-related job loss and loss of bonuses, Defuse predicts an escalation of personal threats to CEOs and C-Suite executives.
Most targeted campaigns are by fixated persons, such as those suffering from deteriorating mental health or activists, and they usually start from a grievance such as being dismissed from their job. A grievance can quickly escalate along what we call a ‘pathway to violence’. The targets of this hostility are escalating risks to CEOs, other members of the C-Suite HR executives and their families. While the most visible reports concern social media abuse, less well publicized are personal threats communicated via emails, forums and letters.
Personal reputation attacks are also likely. The ‘cancel culture’ is destroying reputations, careers and organizations almost overnight. Those targeted may suffer fear, anxiety and diminishing performance. Organizations should recognize and support those targeted and have confidential solutions readily available to deploy.
There are a number of ‘red flags’ that will be apparent but are often ignored often because they can be counterintuitive. The key is to differentiate those who make threats from those who pose them.
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Philip Grindell is one of the UK’s most trusted advisors when it comes to fixated persons and national security issues. He was called in to serve in Parliament while serving as a Scotland Yard Detective for Metropolitan Police investigations, a role he held for almost 30 years, including time spent seconded to British Intelligence on Counter-Terrorist investigations.
He was also employed as a Counter-Terrorism Security Coordinator to ensure that high profile events, including Royal and Government events, were safe from terrorist attacks with detailed contingency plans. His background also includes threat intelligence, risk management, protective security, and expertise in analyzing and predicting the behavior of stalkers.
This article is part of our continuing series of interviews with experts whose work relates to online reputation management.