The Defuse Podcast: Beyond Security - The Science of Feeling Safer
Philip Grindell MSc CSyP
đ The Defuse Podcast: Personal Threat Management for High-Risk Lives
How do you keep high-profile people safe in a world of escalating threats, online hostility, and real-world harm?
Hosted by Philip Grindell, former Scotland Yard detective and author of Personal Threat Management: The Practitionerâs Guide to Keeping Clients Safer, The Defuse Podcast goes behind the scenes of elite protective strategies used to safeguard prominent individuals, executives, and private clients.
Each episode features candid, expert-led conversations on topics including:
- Stalking, fixated threats, and insider risk
- Protective intelligence and behavioural profiling
- Workplace violence and reputational harm
- Digital vulnerability, doxxing, and OSINT
- Crisis leadership and executive resilience
Whether you're a security professional, family office advisor, C-suite leader, or someone responsible for protecting others, this podcast will give you real-world insight into what works â and what doesn't â when lives and reputations are on the line.Subscribe now and learn how to manage threats before they become crises.
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Top 10 The Defuse Podcast: Beyond Security - The Science of Feeling Safer Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best The Defuse Podcast: Beyond Security - The Science of Feeling Safer episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to The Defuse Podcast: Beyond Security - The Science of Feeling Safer for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite The Defuse Podcast: Beyond Security - The Science of Feeling Safer episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
The Online Bodyguard Podcast â Situational Awareness with Former SAS soldier Mick Hawkes
The Defuse Podcast: Beyond Security - The Science of Feeling Safer
03/16/23 ⢠48 min
The Online Bodyguard Podcast â Situational Awareness with Former SAS soldier Mick Hawkes.
Situation awareness is the skill of being aware of what is going on around you, the art of predicting an emerging issue. Far too often people wait until a threatening situation has emerged before taking action. By then it is often too late. Rather than confronting a violent situation Mick discusses the benefits of being aware and avoiding violent incidents. Whether you are a young person just starting out in your career or further education or an executive deployed to a high risk environment, the skills that Mick discusses may save your life.
Michael Hawkes served for 24 years in the British military which included 14 years with 22 SAS (B Sqn Mountain Troop). During his time working with the SAS, he spent 6 years in covert operations with a two year posting working with British Intelligence Services (MI5) as a military Advisor
Mick has more than 22 years corporate security experience managing high risk security and safety operations within the Middle East, Africa and Central Asia on behalf of major western companies, the last 15 of them within the gas & oil industry both onshore and offshore. In August 2022 he joined SR8 Offshore as a Security Consultant and Tier 1 Trainer specializing in Security & Situational Awareness and Rape Prevention, Active Shooter, and all aspects of Security Crisis Management.
Mick works with his daughter, Keely and together they teach everyone from high level executives to children as young as 8/9 on keeping safe from what they term "Stranger Danger. They specialise in Security & Situational Awareness whether an experienced global executive or a young person just setting out on their chosen careers, ensuring they are well aware of the pit falls that they are likely to encounter on the streets.
Family Office Risk Management with Edward V Marshall
The Defuse Podcast: Beyond Security - The Science of Feeling Safer
07/09/24 ⢠54 min
The Defuse Podcast â Family Office Risk Management with Edward V Marshall
From December 2023 to January 2024, Dentons, led by Edward Marshall, surveyed over 200 family office respondents from 33 countries worldwide, comparing the findings to the earlier research published in 2020. This survey went further than before by examining various types of family offices based on region, net worth, organisation, and maturity.
Participants included family members, C-suite executives, investment professionals, and other family office staff, providing a comprehensive overview of how family offices manage risk in their operations and investments.
This podcast discussed the findings of that survey with Edward. We delve deeper into the reasons behind the findings, how the identified gaps and vulnerabilities can be mitigated, and the challenges that Family Offices experience when seeking security providers.
Download the Dentons report here:
https://www.dentons.com/en/services-and-solutions/the-evolving-risk-landscape-for-family-offices-a-dentons-survey-report
Edwardâs Bio:
Edward V. Marshall is the Global Head of the Dentons Family Office and High Net
Worth (DFO) sector. Edward is a family office insider and a renowned family office
researcher, advisor, and author. He is regarded as a thought leader in the family office space, distinguished by his service to complex families worldwide. He is also a risk and threat management specialist, working with families to reduce their cyber, physical, financial, operational, and reputational risk profiles.
DFO is a global cross-practice group that services the firmâs clients, who are family
businesses, investors, family offices, or high-net-worth individuals. The team works closely with families considering a family office, families with an existing family office, and advisors to families. The group curates a program of insights, advice, and connections to advise the firmâs clients and relationships across the globe.
Before joining Dentons, Edward held leading family office roles at Credit Suisse, Citibank, and Boston Private (now Silicon Valley Bank). He joined Credit Suisse from Booz Allen Hamilton, where he was an engagement manager in their Organization and Strategy practice.
Edward is a core member and senior advisor to the UHNW Institute. This think tank
organisation supports family offices and UHNW individuals by promoting best practices, professional development, and positive change in the family office and family wealth field. Edward is a board member at the Defense Intelligence Memorial Foundation (DIMF), a non-profit focused on providing full scholarships to the families of Defense Intelligence officers killed in the line of duty. He is also an advisory board member for Americas Warrior Partnership (AWP), a non-profit based in Detroit that focuses on reducing veteran suicide.
Before AWP, Edward was a board member and treasurer at Nonprofit Enterprise at Work (NEW), a capacity-building non-profit in Detroit focused on improving the impact and performance of fellow nonprofit organisations.
Edward earned his MBA from New York Universityâs Leonard N. Stern School of Business and a BS in human biology from Michigan State University. He is also a guest lecturer on family office and wealth management at New York Universityâs Stern School of Busines
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OSINT Part 1 - The Digital Lens Into Personal Security with Jon Blake
The Defuse Podcast: Beyond Security - The Science of Feeling Safer
04/28/25 ⢠37 min
OSINT Part 1 - The Digital Lens Into Personal Security with Jon Blake
In the first part of this podcast, Philip Grindell interviews Jon Blake, a former Metropolitan Police Detective who has become an expert in Open Source Intelligence (OSINT).
They discuss:
- Jon's background as a career detective who moved into cyber investigations, worked in covert operations, and eventually became a national internet investigation coordinator before entering the private sector in 2015.
What OSINT is: Open-source intelligence refers to gathering publicly available information and processing it for reliability and assessment. Jon notes that in policing, they've moved away from the term "OSINT" to "triple I" (internet investigation and intelligence).
The difference between the surface web (indexed by search engines), the deep web (content not indexed by search engines, such as commercial databases), and the dark web (accessible only through specific tools like Tor).
The distinction between open source (publicly available information) and closed source (information from private systems).
The importance of treating digital evidence properly, including creating audit trails, capturing evidence methodically, and preserving digital material to maintain its integrity.
How investigators must approach OSINT with the mindset that any information gathered could potentially become evidence, so proper documentation and verification are essential.
The experts emphasise that OSINT is a powerful investigation tool but should be part of a comprehensive approach rather than relied upon exclusively.
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High Risk Workplace Behaviours with Dr. Marc McElhaney
The Defuse Podcast: Beyond Security - The Science of Feeling Safer
11/12/24 ⢠55 min
With the rise in disruptive and problematic workplace issues, this month we talk with Dr. Marc McElhaney, CEO of Critical Response Associates based out of Atlanta, Georgia.
In this podcast Marc shares decades of experience of investigating and defusing problems within corporations.
He discusses how the term âworkplace violenceâ is unhelpful, how identifying behaviours of concern early and dealing with them help stop make the workplace a safer place and protects companies from incidence of violence, lawsuits, reputational harm, and a decline in performance.
Marc shares his expertise, published in two books, about the emotional, situational and behavioural triggers that we should all be aware of. The two categories of people, the troubled and the troubling and how to reduce risk and eliminate disgruntled employees causing problems.
Bio.
Dr. Marc McElhaney is CEO of Critical Response Associates (CRA) , a national team of experienced psychologists and behavioural specialists who specialize in identifying and resolving high-risk threats and violence in the workplace.
He is a licensed consulting psychologist and registered mediator known for his work in the areas of threat assessment, critical incident management and conflict resolution.
Since 1977, he has consulted with corporations, government agencies and large organizations on the assessment, management, and resolution of high-risk incidents. He has also helped develop workplace violence policies and crisis response programs.
He is the author of âAggression in the Workplace: Preventing and Managing Highâ Risk Behaviourâ 2004 as well as
CRAâs core training program, âPreventing Workplace Violence,â one of the most detailed and effective educational guides on the topic.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcmcelhaney/
Critical Response Associates https://craorg.com/
Marcâs books
The Risks Within: Preventing and Managing Workplace Violence
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Risks-Within-Preventing-Managing-Workplace/dp/B0B92KGRN1
Aggression in the Workplace: Preventing and Managing High-Risk Behavior
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Aggression-Workplace-Preventing-Managing-High-Risk/dp/1418461954
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Countering Extremism with Guy Mathias - Part 2
The Defuse Podcast: Beyond Security - The Science of Feeling Safer
04/14/25 ⢠51 min
"Countering Extremism with Guy Mathias" â The Defuse Podcast
This two-part podcast features an in-depth conversation between Philip Grindell and Guy Mathias, a renowned security expert with extensive experience countering extremism, particularly in the pharmaceutical and research sectors.
Episode Summary
In this fascinating discussion, Guy Mathias shares insights from his distinguished career addressing extremist threats, particularly from animal rights groups in the UK during the 1980s through the 2000s. The conversation explores the evolution of extremist tactics, sophisticated intelligence gathering methods, and how organizations can prepare for and counter modern extremist threats.
Guy discusses how extremist groups evolved from direct action like arson attacks to more sophisticated operations involving infiltration, data mining, and targeted pressure campaigns. He emphasizes the importance of preparedness, risk assessment, and understanding both direct threats and supply chain vulnerabilities.
Key Topics Discussed:
- Guy's background and entry into security without traditional military/police experience
- The evolution of animal rights extremism in the UK, particularly the SHAC (Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty) campaign
- Sophisticated tactics used by extremist groups including:
- Direct action (arson, liberation of animals)
- Infiltration and insider threats
- Intelligence gathering and targeting
- Supply chain disruption
- How extremist tactics have transferred to other causes and evolved with technology
- The importance of preparedness and risk assessment
- Challenges of screening and vetting employees
- Protecting organizational leadership
- Current and future extremism trends
Notable Quotes:
"The tactics were a local level. They were at a national level. They became an international level tactic." - Guy Mathias
"I would certainly argue that there is a requirement for those of us working in the sector be that security risk or resilience, to be prepared. What does preparedness look like?" - Guy Mathias
Practical Advice for Organizations:
- Develop and maintain a dynamic risk register that is regularly reviewed
- Understand your organization's supply chain vulnerabilities
- Implement thorough pre-employment screening
- Consider ongoing screening for high-risk positions
- Educate leadership about potential threats
- Conduct vulnerability assessments for executives
- Prepare resilience plans for disruptions
The podcast provides valuable historical context and practical security insights for organizations facing potential extremist threats in today's complex environment.
Guy Mathias - https://www.linkedin.com/in/guy-mathias-19555673/
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How can Family Businesses Stay Safe in the Digital Age?
The Defuse Podcast: Beyond Security - The Science of Feeling Safer
04/09/21 ⢠24 min
On this episode of the Family Business Voice, Philip Grindell, CEO of Defuse Global, and Ramia talk about how family businesses can stay safe in the digital age.
Philip Grindellâs background as a Scotland Yard Detective with time spent seconded to British Intelligence gives him an in-depth view on just what can happen in unsafe situations. And now, heâs applying those insights to the world of private security, helping family business members, politicians and other high-profile clients stay safe both online and in-person.
- Safety starts with people. Regardless of the type of threat a family business has to deal with, that threat originates from a person on the other end, and a person in the business must let that threat in â knowingly or unknowingly. As such, businesses should vet their employees thoroughly and check in with them regularly to make sure they are doing everything they can to keep the organisation safe. Check more than just a possible recruitâs experience or skills; check their associations and their potential to heighten risk.
- Businesses should consider implementing safety governance. Even a few simple regulations can go a long way. Some examples of good safety governance are: changing passwords regularly and not using third-party hardware with unknown providence (thumb-drives from tradeshows, for instance).
- Start the conversation around safety before circumstance necessitates it. Only by encouraging a culture that recognises threats, whether physical, reputational or psychological, as real and serious can family businesses mitigate those threats when they arise.
https://www.tharawat-magazine.com/podcast/family-business-safety/
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Trauma & Crisis Liaison with Miles Manning
The Defuse Podcast: Beyond Security - The Science of Feeling Safer
04/12/22 ⢠59 min
In an increasingly global market in which employees travel the world and holidaymakers explore ever increasing boundaries accidents and tragedies happen, whether by acts of terrorism, crime, negligence, or accidents.
When those tragedies occur, the reputations of the organisations involved can be instantly and permanently damaged, with litigation and blame following close behind.
This podcast discusses the impact of a traumatic event, the issues involved, and the expertise required to defuse the emotional, reputational and financial costs.
Miles Manning worked closely with The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). In 2011 Miles became one of a small number of Family Liaison Coordinators on the Counter Terrorism Command. Dealing with atrocities in Algeria and Kenya, Miles pushed for more FLO involvement on scene and in 2015 following the attack in Sousse, Tunisia, Miles led a team of FLO's deployed in country within hours of the first reports. Working with multiple agencies, local government and crisis response companies, his team assisted several families with identification and repatriation of loved ones. Miles also led the team that deployed to Brussels and Marseille, again as part of The FCO Rapid Deployment Team.
Miles is a director of FLS Global, who in the event of a death or serious injury abroad, support organisations to ensure harm is minimised and trauma is managed. https://www.fls-global.co.uk/
Miles is the Family Liaison advisor to The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Deaths Abroad, as well as providing practical support and his extensive experience to advise corporate clients, dealing with families who are affected by the death or serious injury of a loved one abroad.
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Reputation management with the late great Richard Levick
The Defuse Podcast: Beyond Security - The Science of Feeling Safer
02/08/22 ⢠45 min
Richard Levick Esq was known as the âfather of modern reputation management,â.
He was Chairman & CEO of LEVICK, a crisis communications and public affairs firm, representing countries and companies in the highest-stakes global matters â the Venezuelan crisis, Qatar, the Chinese trade war, the Gulf oil spill; Guantanamo Bay, the Catholic Church and many others.
He and his firm have represented over 300 of the worldâs largest law firms, hundreds of companies and over 30 countries, providing heads of state with communications, access and insight into Washington.
Mr. Levick has been honoured multiple times on the prestigious âThe 100 Most Influential People in the Boardroomâ list. He has been named to several professional Halls of Fame for lifetime achievement.
He is the co-author of four books, including two on litigation communications, hosts daily podcasts for various publications and is a regular commentator on television and in print.
Under Richard Levickâs leadership, LEVICK has grown to one of the worldâs leading firms in crisis, litigation, and public affairs, representing companies and countries in the highest-profile matters.
This podcast is a masterclass in crisis communications. It discusses the following:
- What constitutes a crisis
- Crisis communication in the internet age
- How crisis communications strategy has evolved
- Cancel Culture and how to recover from it
- The challenges of global clients
- The problem with âWokenessâ
Richard died on April 11 2023, at a hospice centre in Bethesda, Md. He was 65.
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Protective Intelligence and Security with Fred Burton
The Defuse Podcast: Beyond Security - The Science of Feeling Safer
12/12/22 ⢠52 min
In this podcast we discuss how to keep high profile, corporate and UHNW individuals safe in the 21st century using protective intelligence, countersurveillance and protective security. We discuss everything from safe rooms, to deep fakes, state sponsored and corporate espionage and the threat to commercial IP.
Fred Burton is a former police officer, special agent and New York Times best-selling author. Fred Burton is a pioneer and one of the original members of the State Department's Protective Intelligence Division.
He's served on the front lines of high-profile investigations like the hunt for and arrest of Ramzi Yousef, the mastermind behind the first World Trade Center bombing; the 1988 plane crash of PAK-1 that killed U.S. Ambassador Arnold Raphel and Pakistani President Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq; and the search for Americans kidnapped by Hezbollah in Beirut, Lebanon.
His best-selling books include his personal memoir GHOST: Confessions of a Counterterrorism Agent, Chasing Shadows: A Special Agent's Lifelong Hunt to Bring a Cold War Assassin to Justice, Under Fire: The Untold Story of the Attack in Benghazi and his fourth book, Beirut Rules: The Murder of a CIA Station Chief and Hezbollahâs War Against America.
Burton also consults with Fortune 500 companies on security developments and how to keep their personnel and business safe as the Executive Director of the Ontic Center for Protective Intelligence.
Fred Burton was selected by Security Magazine as one of the Most Influential People in Security in 2021.
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OSINT Part 2 - The Digital Lens Into Personal Security with Jon BlakeUntitled Episode
The Defuse Podcast: Beyond Security - The Science of Feeling Safer
05/13/25 ⢠39 min
OSINT Part 2 - The Digital Lens Into Personal Security with Jon Blake
In the second part, Philip and Jon delve deeper into technical aspects of OSINT and digital security:
- VPNs (Virtual Private Networks): They discuss how VPNs create secure, encrypted connections through virtual "tunnels" and their benefits for security, particularly when using public Wi-Fi. They also address limitations, including potential impacts on speed and some websites detecting and blocking VPN access.
- The security risks of public Wi-Fi networks, with Jon recommending always using a VPN when connecting to hotel, airport, or other public networks.
- Using OSINT for due diligence, including understanding a person's "digital footprint" (information they know about and control) versus their "digital shadow" (information they may not be aware of, like data breaches).
- Techniques for conducting effective searches, including using Google Advanced Search rather than basic searches, and applying filters strategically.
- The challenges of images online, including metadata that can reveal sensitive information like location data, and the use of reverse image search technology.
- The emerging role of AI and automation in OSINT investigations, with Jon
cautioning that while AI tools can be helpful, they need human verification and should be used carefully.
- Deep fakes and their security implications, particularly for high-profile individuals and organizations, with Jon emphasizing the need for verification processes and code words as potential safeguards.
The podcast concludes with Jon highlighting his company's training programs and customizable "cyber investigator pathway" courses available through Cyber Ops Global.
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FAQ
How many episodes does The Defuse Podcast: Beyond Security - The Science of Feeling Safer have?
The Defuse Podcast: Beyond Security - The Science of Feeling Safer currently has 43 episodes available.
What topics does The Defuse Podcast: Beyond Security - The Science of Feeling Safer cover?
The podcast is about Crisis, Society & Culture, Psychology, Podcasts, Self-Improvement, Education, Cyber Security and Privacy.
What is the most popular episode on The Defuse Podcast: Beyond Security - The Science of Feeling Safer?
The episode title 'Protective Intelligence with Dr Russell Palarea' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on The Defuse Podcast: Beyond Security - The Science of Feeling Safer?
The average episode length on The Defuse Podcast: Beyond Security - The Science of Feeling Safer is 53 minutes.
How often are episodes of The Defuse Podcast: Beyond Security - The Science of Feeling Safer released?
Episodes of The Defuse Podcast: Beyond Security - The Science of Feeling Safer are typically released every 29 days, 9 hours.
When was the first episode of The Defuse Podcast: Beyond Security - The Science of Feeling Safer?
The first episode of The Defuse Podcast: Beyond Security - The Science of Feeling Safer was released on Apr 9, 2021.
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