Just how will Slur.io affect the C.P. Industry?

[Greymen]

Information Security will once again be compromised when the slur.io website springs into life in a few months time. The site openly promises to become a marketplace for the buying and selling of information and as such, serious and obvious consequences exist for Governments, Companies and individuals. A kind of eBay meets WikiLeaks if you like.

TOR software provides anonymity for buyers and sellers. It was originally developed by the US Navy and conceals a user’s identity and location by directing Internet traffic through a worldwide volunteer network of well over five thousand relays. Add to that payment in bitcoin, a cryptocurrency with an ever growing following and anonymity is further enhanced. Taking the site down may prove a problem.

According to the site in question, a beta version will go live in April but as with any emerging threat, control measures will surely follow. I appreciate at this point we are largely second guessing but could Slur.io’s activities impact on the close protection industry?

As you know, some principals and their aids can at times be a little ‘guarded’ when it comes to parting with certain information needed for accurate threat and risk assessments. Will we see them becoming even tighter lipped? will CPOs be viewed as potential sources for leaking newsworthy information that was gained during the course of their duties? Will deeper vetting be demanded by principals and C.P.Companies for their CPOs ? will we see the greater use of confidentiality contracts? Or conversely will the release of certain information, malicious or true, lead to greater demand for the services of CPOs?

Ahead of Slur.io's release I just wanted to stimulate some thought specifically about the potential impact for the CP Industry.
Over to you..........

 

[Block 30 Janitor]

Grey men, you only have to look at the lack of Opsec at times on this forum. CPO's are and will remain a source of intelligence to those looking to do us and our charges harm. Confidentiality contracts are a deterrent providing they are followed up when necessary. For example individuals should be allowed to verbalise their experience and of course add it to CV's but should not commit it to the Internet or write about it in books without permission from the contract owner. That way the information is better controlled and any impact can be considered by all relevant parties before any disclosures are made.

 

[houdini1]

Platforms like Slur.io represent a significant and predictable escalation in the threat environment, where sensitive information is not only exposed but deliberately commercialised. The combination of anonymity networks and cryptocurrency makes attribution and enforcement extremely difficult, and this alone should concern anyone involved in security or risk management.

From a close protection perspective, the implications are very real. Principals are likely to become even more cautious about sharing information, and that reluctance is understandable given the potential consequences of data leakage. At the same time, CPOs and protection companies may face increased scrutiny, tighter vetting and more robust confidentiality controls, not as a reflection of mistrust but as a necessary evolution of professional standards.

I think that this environment is likely to increase demand for close protection services. The release, or even the threat of release, of personal or operational information can rapidly elevate risk levels and drive the need for professional protective support.