These Are The Most Strictly Guarded Places On Earth – And Their Security Measures Are Insane

Criminals will go to any lengths to get their thieving paws on high-value assets. Powerful institutions, meanwhile, have secrets to guard and V.I.P.s to protect. Over the centuries, that’s created a kind of arms race between the bad guys and the security experts. Whether it’s Fort Knox, Buckingham Palace or the White House, protective measures seem to get stricter by the year. Read on to see the lengths people go to in pursuit of perfect security.

20. The White House

We’ve come a long way since President James Madison ordered 100 volunteer militiamen to guard the White House from imminent attack by the invading British in 1812. In the event, the defenders retreated in the face of the advancing British forces. Today, the Secret Service provides the strict security that keeps President Biden and his family safe.

Hidden out of sight

Unsurprisingly, the Secret Service is tight-lipped about the precise complement of officers that guards the White House. But we know that armed emergency response teams patrol the grounds and snipers are stationed on the White House roof. Other security measures include the steel perimeter fence, an array of sensors to detect intruders and bulletproof windows. Sounds like the Secret Service is taking no chances.

19. R.A.F. Menwith Hill, U.K.

From a distance, the Royal Air Force Menwith Hill base in the northern English county of Yorkshire looks as if some giant golfers are about to tee off. In fact, the massive globe-shaped structures are radomes, outer skins protecting radar equipment. What do these structures, often likened to golf balls, actually do? In 2020 The Yorkshire Post newspaper quoted from official documentation stating that the base is a “communication intercept and intelligence support service for both the United Kingdom and the United States of America.”

24/7 patrol

In other words, it’s a massive spying facility. It was established back in 1954 at the height of the Cold War and it’s still going strong today. Given its purpose, the tight security around the base comes as no surprise. A formidable 10-foot-high razor-wire fence protects the perimeter of the 545-acre site. Inside Menwith Hill, armed military police are on 24-hour patrol, and cameras mounted on poles scan the perimeter. Visitors are definitely not welcome.