What Every Leader Needs to Know About Executive Privacy

What is executive privacy, and why is it so important to understand? In this article, we discuss how to safeguard your professional and personal information with executive protection. For more information, fill out our contact form here to connect with us directly.

What if you and your company were more vulnerable than you could ever imagine? In today’s world, your online identity and personal information are at constant risk of being exposed and exploited for vulnerabilities.

Your business competitors aren’t the only ones you have to worry about, either. Individuals who use data broker websites can pose a threat, too.

If you’re a company executive, a breach of your privacy can put the entire business at risk. Moreover, an executive’s home network, personal life and physical security could also be under threat.

This is why executive privacy is so important to understand. Still, far too many corporate executives continue to ask questions like, “What is executive privacy? Why is executive privacy so important?”

Today, we’re going to explore this topic in-depth, and you’ll learn how to protect yourself, your sensitive personal information, and the company you have sacrificed so much for.

If you’re worried about data breaches, social engineering attacks or even physical threats to you, your board members or your family, contact us today at 941-259-4554 to speak with a corporate security expert.

What Is Executive Privacy?

In this guide, we’re going to explain the role of executive privacy, including how to improve your safety and your family’s safety.

First, though, we need to answer the big question: What is executive privacy, anyway?

Simply put, “executive privacy” refers to the privacy of a company’s executives. To some extent, this refers to physical security. But these days, the most persistent threat to your privacy comes from the internet.

Everyone has suffered from the occasional phishing scheme or scam phone call. But you must now be wary of increasingly sophisticated attempts to steal your data and threaten your company.

That’s the bad news. 

The good news is that with the right information and a few easy safeguards, you can use digital executive protection against 21st-century threats and avoid having exposed personal information.

To speak with an online reputation management expert about protecting your digital footprint, call us at 941-259-4554 today.

Common Ways Your Information Can Be Exposed

It’s easy to dismiss threats to your online privacy. However, data breaches and other mishaps happen when an executive doesn’t know how easily their data can be exposed.

Typically, your data is not gathered in huge chunks by nefarious online forces. Instead, individuals and information-sharing companies called data brokers gather smaller bits of data from a variety of sources and put it together in a way that reveals sensitive info about you, your family members, and your company.

For example, there may be very basic information about you from a public company’s marketing report or on company websites. The sources may include your full name, and from there, additional sensitive information can be taken from your social media accounts.

That information may be enough to help someone gain access to your accounts and personal devices. At this point, they could have enough information to seriously damage your reputation.

That may sound like a lot of work for the average online criminal. Someone who has it out for you or your company, though, can hire the services of data brokers who specialize in gathering all of a person’s sensitive online information together in one package.

The True Threat of Cybercrime 

Why the focus on executive protection instead of basic online privacy? The reason is simple: High-profile executives typically have access to sensitive documents, databases, emails, and more that the average employee simply doesn’t have access to.

Plus, cyberattacks go far beyond identity theft. Attacks on high-profile executives have unlocked access to sensitive corporate data and more, putting this data in the hands of bad actors.

While some of these attacks are more sophisticated than others, the sheer number of attacks that occur emphasizes the need for solid executive privacy solutions and advanced digital executive protection.

Risks To Your Home and Family Members

In the past, it was much easier to separate work life from home life. When there’s a clear distinction, business attacks don’t typically make their way into your personal life.

However, with more and more people working from home, executive protection now overlaps with personal online privacy more than ever.

While working from home is a great perk that some employers offer, it’s easier for WFH employees to have their personal addresses and phone numbers exposed to data brokers.

Once someone gets hold of your phone numbers or home address, there are a number of threats to be concerned about. For starters, it may be easier to find more in-depth private information about you online once someone has your address. And in very serious cases, a person can show up at your home or even attempt a break-in.

Fortunately, you can begin proactively exploring executive protection options and solutions today by calling our experts at 941-259-4554. We can help you protect your personal and business data to stay safe online.

What Are Different Kinds of Online Threats?

Earlier, we mentioned that threats to your online privacy are becoming more sophisticated. What do more sophisticated threats actually look like, though? Let’s go over some of the most common ones.

Spear Phishing

One popular method of attack is known as spear phishing. This involves collecting bits of personal information about an executive one piece at a time, much like someone spearing for fish in the ocean.

Think of it like this: Between data broker websites and other sources, there is a lot of information available about you online that seems innocent enough. This might include where your children go to school, where you last worked, and so on.

With even this basic, surface-level information, though, threat actors could, for example, impersonate someone from your child’s school to get information out of you or find out your whereabouts. If they ask for your email address, they could send you an email that contains malware, which would send your sensitive data to bad actors.

Whaling Attacks

Another common kind of attack is known as a whaling attack. This is a high-risk, high-reward fraud technique where someone outright impersonates you or another executive. A whaling attack targets high-level executives.

If the impersonation is successful, threat actors might be able to get someone to disclose sensitive information. In a worst-case scenario, they may be able to get someone to wire funds to a third party.

It’s easy enough to uncover this type of financial fraud after the attack. But once the information is disclosed or the money is sent, the damage is done.

Conducting a Digital Footprint Risk Assessment Checklist

This executive-focused checklist will help you identify blind spots in your corporate security so you can work to patch them and prevent cyber attacks. You may also want to speak with an expert in online security threats by calling 941-259-4554 today.

Communication Exposure

• Are there domains registered to you using your personal name and home address?
• Is your primary email address used for login information and social media accounts?
• Have you secured executive communications across email and text?

Corporate Data That Links Back To You

• Is your name and other personal information included in board materials, investor reports or regulatory filings?
• Does Google show results with your email address, signature or title?
• Have affiliates, partners or vendors ever published information about you without your consent?

Data Broker and People-Search Sites

• Have you searched background report sites or other types of data aggregators for your information?
• Do your online listings include more in-depth information like property records or past employment details?
• Even if your information has been removed from a data broker site, does it seem to repopulate quickly?

Digital Risks in the Household

• Do your household members have unsecured accounts or devices on the home network?
• Do assistants, contractors or family members have access to your devices, documents or schedule?
• Could threat actors easily impersonate a family member?

Personally Identifiable Information

• Is your home address available on people search sites or in public filings or press releases?
• Are your email addresses or phone numbers — or those of your family members — accessible online?
• Do your online registrations, especially ones you no longer use, include your real contact details?

Social Media Risks

• Do you or your loved ones post photos that reveal locations, routines or travel itineraries?
• Have you separated your personal and professional social media accounts?
• Are your privacy settings set to “public,” or have you locked them down beyond the default options?

Weak Account Security

• Do you have multi-factor authentication set up on your accounts?
• Are you using the same or similar passwords for multiple accounts?
• Have you protected your personal devices with biometric locks, encryption and strong passcodes?

Taking Your Executive Protection To the Next Level

Now that you understand the importance of executive protection, you may be wondering which steps you can take to stay safe online and prevent physical threats as well.

At InternetReputation, we pride ourselves on our ability to monitor for cyber threats and prevent them before they even happen. Our suite of executive protection solutions is unmatched.

To learn about our executive protection services to safeguard you, your company and your loved ones, call us today at 941-259-4554.