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Executive Privacy Under Siege: 8 Critical Steps to Protect Your Leadership Team

In an era where 72% of senior executives face targeted cyberattacks(1) and data breaches cost businesses $4.88 million on average and $6.08 million on average for financial services firms(2), protecting leadership team privacy has become non-negotiable. The convergence of AI-powered threats, remote work vulnerabilities, and data-hungry apps demands urgent action—both for personal security and corporate survival.

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The New Frontline: Executive Digital Lives

Cybercriminals now prioritize executives’ personal devices and accounts as entry points to corporate systems. Shockingly, 54% of U.S. companies experienced executive identity fraud in 18 months, with 27% of those attacks involving AI-generated deepfakes(1). CNN reported in February of 2024 that a Financial Services firm paid out $25M based on a deepfake video call with the “Chief Financial Officer”(4). Data brokers sell comprehensive dossiers on leaders—home addresses, phone numbers, and social connections—for $15 on dark web markets(3).

Despite these risks, many organizations lack formal programs to secure executives’ personal digital assets. This gap leaves companies exposed to:

  • 194 days average time to detect breaches (3)
  • $10.1 million average breach cost in healthcare (the highest of any sector)(3)

The vCISO Solution: Strategic Privacy Leadership

Rhindon Cyber’s Virtual Chief Information Security Officer (vCISO) services bridge this protection gap. Rhindon Cyber’s vCISO approach delivers:

  1. Personal Digital Footprint Audits mapping vulnerable apps and data exposures
  2. Custom Privacy Action Plans aligning technical controls with corporate policies
  3. Continuous Threat Monitoring for dark web leaks and attack patterns
  4. Crisis Response Playbooks for identity theft and account takeovers

8 Actionable Privacy Upgrades (With vCISO Implementation Strategies)

1. Deploy Privacy-First Browsers

Replace Chrome/Edge with Brave , DuckDuckGo or Firefox Focus to block trackers collecting dozens of data points per site visit. vCISOs configure enterprise-wide deployment with DNS-over-HTTPS and automated cookie clearing to prevent digital fingerprinting.

2. Eliminate Browser Password Storage

Credential theft often starts with compromised browser-stored passwords. Transition to enterprise password managers like 1Password Teams or Keeper Security, enforcing multifactor authentication and weekly secret rotation for service accounts. Your vCSIO can help on selecting the right password management approach for your company.

3. Mandate Travel VPNs

Pre-configure VPNs on corporate/BYOD devices with automatic travel mode activation to counter Man-In-The-Middle (MITM) threats. A MITM threat is where an adversarial device captures WiFi / Network traffic, copies the data and forwards it someplace else and then also sends the data to the actual desired endpoint. The end user never knows that their data has been compromised.

4. Ban Confidential Email

Email should never contain confidential data. Email protocols support transport layer security (TLS) – but not every email provider implements TLS. This means that emails transmitted with an assumption of encryption might be exposed without the sender ever knowing. One mitigation is to implement ProtonMail for Teams with PGP encryption and self-destructing messages – but it’s better to set a policy banning confidential information from email and then using Data Loss Protection technology to enforce the ban. Rhindon Cyber’s vCISOs will help craft a usable email strategy and guide implementation of appropriate layered defenses.

5. Audit Mobile App Permissions

The average executive’s phone leaks location data constantly. Privacy advocate Naomi Brockwell discussed an experiment where a tester removed the cell phone SIM device and never setup WiFi – keeping the phone in airplane mode for a day. The phone still tracked location and then sent it out to third parties once connected to the Internet again. Conduct quarterly app reviews, replacing risky apps with enterprise-secured alternatives, and working with your vCISO on securing phone settings.

6. Implement Disposable VOIP Numbers

Sign up for free Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) numbers and give them out to retail outlets or any other non-business/non friends. The goal is to limit executive information available for stealing and targeting executives.

7. Enforce Smart WiFi Habits

Devices broadcast unique Media Access Control (MAC) addresses even when disconnected from WiFi. Deploy Always-On VPNs and disable WiFi when corporate networks are unavailable. Keep the VPN on when using “trusted” home networks because they are not commercially secured.

8. Restrict Location Tracking

Uber-for-spyware apps like mSpy track movements within 10ft accuracy. Enable Android Work Profiles to containerize location data, and turn off location tracking on iOS devices per app. You will always want to find your Rhindon Cyber vCISO – but don’t want adversaries finding you.

Measurable Privacy ROI

Organizations implementing these steps with vCISO guidance see:

  • Less susceptibility to phishing attacks
  • Reduction in credential theft incidents
  • Improved breach detection time by reducing the attack surface

Building Privacy as Competitive Advantage

Beyond risk reduction, executive privacy programs should deliver:

  • Faster regulatory compliance audits
  • Lower cyber insurance premiums
  • Higher client trust scores

Rhindon Cyber’s 90-day implementation blueprint includes:

  1. Executive Risk Scoring quantifying personal/professional exposure
  2. Family Protection Plans extending safeguards to household devices
  3. Deepfake Defense Training workshops
  4. Privacy Tech Stack with centralized monitoring

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Conclusion: Act Before Attackers Dictate Your Timeline

The threat landscape continues evolving—72% of senior executives were targeted in recent months, with AI-powered attacks increasing sophistication. Organizations implementing these steps transform privacy from technical overhead to strategic asset, protecting both people and profits. Privacy threats are constantly evolving and a Rhindon Cyber vCSIO will be there with you to evolve your privacy program.,

  1. https://www.getapp.com/resources/senior-executive-target-cyberattacks-how-keep-secure/
  2. https://www.ibm.com/think/insights/cost-of-a-data-breach-2024-financial-industry 
  3. https://www.trustwave.com/en-us/resources/blogs/trustwave-blog/how-prices-are-set-on-the-dark-web-exploring-the-economics-of-cybercrime/
  4. https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/04/asia/deepfake-cfo-scam-hong-kong-intl-hnk/index.html

Rhindon Cyber: vCISO services securing financial service firms, high net worth individuals, Catholic non-profits and the small and medium business market. We are craftsman focused on providing cyber resilience for people so that they can focus on becoming what God intended.

David Mosher is a CEO, Board Member, virtual Chief Information Security Officer (vCISO), MS in Cybersecurity, PhD Student in Cybersecurity Mgmt.