Former PET chief: Threat against top leaders has increased

Is a CEO more exposed today than in the past?

Yes, according to the brief and clear response from former PET chief Jakob Scharf, who is now director of security and intelligence company Certa.

- It's clear that over the past few years there has been a very significant development in the threat landscape that not only Danish companies, but large companies in Denmark and abroad are facing, says Jakob Scharf in DR's business podcast Sorte Tal (https://www.dr.dk/lyd/p1/sorte-tal/sorte-tal-2025/tidligere-pet-chef-truslen-mod-topchefer-stiger-11802505141 ).

Where does this come from?

- We can see that private companies are being exposed to some very serious security incidents. It involves employees who are kidnapped abroad, cyber attacks, and physical attacks on CEOs, as we have seen in New York.

In December last year, Brian Thompson, the CEO of the American giant in the health insurance industry UnitedHealthcare, was shot and killed on the street in New York.

* The 26-year-old Luigi Mangione is detained and charged with the murder of Brian Thompson. Prosecutors are demanding a death sentence for both murder and terrorism.

* Several gathered in February outside the courtroom where Luigi Mangione was for a judge. Here they protested against the arrest. (Photo: © Spencer Platt/AFP/Ritzau Scanpix)

* The murder of Brian Thompson is both condemned and praised. Several praise Luigi Mangione for standing up against the American health insurance companies. (Photo: © Temilade Adelaja/Reuters/Ritzau Scanpix)

1 / 3 The 26-year-old Luigi Mangione is detained and charged with the murder of Brian Thompson. Prosecutors are demanding a death sentence for both murder and terrorism. 1 / 3 Several gathered in February outside the courtroom where Luigi Mangione was for a judge. Here they protested against the arrest. (Photo: © Spencer Platt/AFP/Ritzau Scanpix) 2 / 3 The murder of Brian Thompson is both condemned and praised. Several praise Luigi Mangione for standing up against the American health insurance companies. (Photo: © Temilade Adelaja/Reuters/Ritzau Scanpix) 3 / 3

The murder of Brian Thompson was subsequently praised by many Americans, because he was at the helm of the American healthcare system, which many do not care about.

It is precisely the fact that the company is the face of the outside world that increases the threat. And with the internet and social media, one is more in the spotlight today than one was before.

- It's combined with the fact that there are threats that can be directed at the company, where the CEO is seen as an easily accessible and vulnerable target. A symbolic target in relation to the individual company, says Jakob Scharf.

Read also: CEO of billion-dollar company was shot on the street - now the murderer is praised by many (https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/udland/topchef-milliardvirksomhed-blev-skudt-paa-aaben-gade-nu-hyldes-drabsmanden-af-mange )

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Where does the threat come from?

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Something else has also changed, it sounds. The threats also come from more sides than one has seen before.

- The state actors now, in contrast to what we have seen before, constitute a very significant part of the threat landscape. Also for private companies, says Scharf.

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> One should not be nervous, but one should be aware of what the threat landscape means for one's company and security

Jakob Scharf, director of Certa and former PET chief

For a long time, there has been a focus on European and private companies that have been part of the war in Ukraine, for example through arms production. Here, one has seen Russia as a threat, sounds from Scharf. But one should not believe that the threat only comes from there.

- It's not just Russia. It's state actors from China, Russia, North Korea, Iran, but also state actors from countries that we in principle see as more friendly.

This development makes it all more complex – and pressures companies to take a new stance on the threat landscape.

- There is reason for companies to look at their staffing in this context, says Scharf.

- It's something completely different if you are facing a spy threat that originates from state actors, or if it is the more traditional industrial espionage that it is your competitors who are trying to gain access to your research and development.

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Should one be nervous?

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On another front, it can be a good idea for a company to orient itself towards the threat landscape. Because it is not only state actors who threaten.

- There is no doubt that in certain activist and extremist environments there is a focus on a series of private companies, and also CEOs. The entire extremist environment has developed, says Jakob Scharf.

Back in February, demonstrators blocked the entrance to Maersk's headquarters because the shipping company, according to demonstrators, was transporting weapons to Israel. The demonstration ended violently, as the police intervened and used tear gas. (Photo: © Mads Claus Rasmussen/Ritzau Scanpix)

It can be anything from animal and climate activists to groups that are against the authorities, or conspiracy theorists. And thus, there is also a broader range of companies that need to consider threats from outside.

- It's about understanding as a company, how are we exposed in relation to these environments? Is there a focus on us in these environments? Are there things happening in these environments that we in the worst case should be aware of in relation to how we protect our company and our employees?

Should a CEO be nervous when going to work?

- No, one should not be nervous, but one should be aware of what the threat landscape means for one's company and security, says Scharf.

- And one can simply say that it requires more than before, because the threat landscape has become extremely dynamic. It is very complex.

There have been more examples of threats against CEOs – among other things, the Russians are reportedly after the CEO of the German weapons company Rheinmetall. Learn more about it – and how one deals with the threat – in DR's business podcast Sorte Tal.

Warning: This article was translated by a Large Language Model, in case of doubt, you can always visit the original source.