Braav is the fractional Chief Security Officer for California organizations. We're who you call when something has gone wrong and you aren't sure what to do next, when employees are anxious, or when you want to know if your security meets best practices but can't tell what you're doing right or wrong. We assess your facilities, test your defenses the way a real intruder would, and give you a clear plan with senior security leaders behind it.
Schedule a callSenior security leadership without a full-time executive hire. We're your standing point of contact for security questions, incidents, and employee concerns. We help you work out next steps after something happens and keep your security program in line with best practices over time.
Learn more about fractional CSO services →Most clients come to us after an incident, but assessments shouldn't wait for one. Best practice is to assess at least once a year. We review your facility, policies, and systems from top to bottom: access control, camera coverage, lighting, locks, and response protocols. You get a report that ranks each risk and tells you what to fix first. On-site or remote.
Learn more about security assessments →Authorized, simulated break-ins using badge cloning, tailgating, lock bypass, and social engineering. We document what worked, give you a resilience score, and show you how to fix it fast.
Learn more about penetration testing →SB 553 requires most California employers to keep a written workplace violence prevention plan, train employees, and log incidents. We review or write your plan, train your team, and give you a free compliance checklist.
Learn more about SB 553 compliance →If you need guards, we help you find, vet, and manage the right security company, so you get qualified officers and the coverage you're paying for.
Learn more about guard vendor support →Our team brings 65+ combined years of military, law enforcement, and private security experience. That includes a former Regional Chief of Police and veteran corporate investigators.
We use red team tactics, so the weaknesses we find are the ones a real intruder would use, not the ones a checklist guesses at.
We use modern tools to assess risk, document findings, and track progress, so every recommendation is backed by evidence.
Every engagement ends with a written report that ranks each risk, aligned with SB 553 and CPTED best practices. It's built for regulators, insurers, and boards, not just security teams.
You work directly with senior operators, who respond quickly and handle sensitive situations quietly.
Braav was founded in 2021 in Santa Monica, California by Anna Redmond, who set out to modernize private security by pairing seasoned professionals with technology and genuine customer care.
Anna founded and led Hippo Reads, bootstrapping it into an agency with a roster of Fortune 500 clients, served as COO of a public company, and worked as an investment professional at Boston Avenue Capital and Rustic Canyon Partners. Her writing has appeared in Entrepreneur, Forbes, and Wired. She hosts the Braav security podcast.
Dave has served military and civilian communities for over 27 years, including as Regional Chief of Police for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Police in Long Beach. He is a Qualified Workplace Violence and Threat Specialist.
Scot brings 25+ years in investigations, personal security, and corporate security. He co-founded an investigations firm specializing in due diligence and a training company for corporate security professionals.
Uriel has 13+ years in security. At Securitas he managed 6,000+ weekly hours of security services across 26 cities.
Ashley has 15+ years leading consumer and marketplace product teams at Dollar Shave Club, eHarmony, and DogVacay, with two patents from the early days of native mobile.
Meet the full team1. Consultation call. We learn about your facility, your risks, and what's prompting the call.
2. Scope. An assessment, a penetration test, SB 553 training, or ongoing fractional CSO support, whichever fits.
3. Do the work. On-site work is scheduled around your operations, led by senior operators rather than account managers.
4. Report and walkthrough. A written report ranking each risk, and a walkthrough of the fixes.
5. Ongoing support. Fractional CSO clients get a direct line to the team for questions, incidents, and annual reassessments.
Schedule a callAt least once a year, which is best practice. Also do one after any incident, a move or expansion, or a big change in staffing or operations.
Access control, cameras, lighting, locks, policies, and response protocols. You get a report that ranks each risk and recommends specific fixes.
An audit reviews paperwork and procedures. A penetration test simulates a real break-in, so you see exactly how an attacker would get in and how your team responds.
SB 553 is California's workplace violence prevention law, in effect since July 2024. Most California employers must keep a written prevention plan, train employees, and log violent incidents. There are limited exceptions, such as small workplaces closed to the public and fully remote employees. We can tell you on a short call whether it applies to you.
Our focus is physical security. If it would help, we can recommend cybersecurity professionals we trust.
Every engagement is scoped to your facility and goals, so we quote per project. Book a consultation call and we'll scope it with you.
Most engagements begin within a few weeks of the consultation call. If something has just happened, tell us and we'll move faster.
Book a 30-minute consultation call.
Schedule a call