In 2024, major technology firms including Meta, Alphabet, Nvidia, and Amazon collectively spent over $45 million on personal security for their top executives. This figure reflects a fundamental shift in how corporate leaders are protected, not just within the confines of their offices, but across every aspect of their increasingly public and digital lives. As CEOs and senior executives become more visible in political, social, and economic arenas, they are also becoming high-value targets for cybercriminals, activists, and even hostile nation-states. The threats are no longer hypothetical, they are personal, persistent, and borderless, says Peter Connolly, founder and CEO of the consultancy Toro Solutions.
Expanding threat landscape
The traditional boundaries of corporate security such as firewalls, access controls, and perimeter defences are no longer sufficient. Today’s threat landscape demands a more expansive, and converged, approach that considers the full spectrum of personal and professional risk. Executives are exposed not only through their corporate roles but also through their digital footprints, family members, and even their travel habits.
Our digital footprints, for example, have increased individuals’ exposure to threats. Social media activity, public records, and personal devices offer a treasure trove of information for attackers. A single tweet or LinkedIn post can reveal location, intent, or associations that adversaries can exploit.
Family exposure must now also be taken into consideration. Children and spouses often share personal moments online, sometimes unknowingly disclosing sensitive data. Platforms like Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok are rife with geotagged content and behavioural cues that can be weaponised.
We also need to double down on cyber hygiene. Executives frequently use personal devices for work, yet many lack basic protection, like password managers or multi-factor authentication. Reused passwords and unsecured home networks are common entry points for attackers; many homes have older electronic devices connected to their network that are unable to run the latest, and most secure, operating systems – which is yet another attack vector. Additionally, international travel introduces new vectors for compromise. In regions with heightened surveillance or geopolitical tension, executives and their families may be subject to digital tracking, physical surveillance, or even targeted interference.
From IT silos to vigilance
This evolving reality calls for a fundamental shift in mindset. Security must no longer be the sole domain of the IT department or the CISO, it must be embedded across the entire organisation. Boards, HR leaders, marketing, sales and communications teams, in fact any member of staff, all play a role in shaping a culture of protection.
Executives are not isolated figures; they represent the brand, the values, and the strategic direction of their companies. Their visibility makes them symbols that attract attention, both positive and negative. As such, their protection must be holistic, encompassing online protection as well as physical, psychological, and reputational resilience.
Culture of protection
Embedding a culture of protection requires more than policies, it demands education, awareness, training and proactive engagement. For a modern executive protection strategy to work, an organisation must consider:
- Employee Training and Testing: All staff, especially those in high-profile roles, should receive regular training on personal safety and cyber hygiene, social engineering tactics, and digital risk awareness. This should be reinforced through ongoing testing, such as simulated phishing exercises and scenario-based drills, to ensure that awareness translates into practical readiness.
- Digital Risk Profiling: Organisations must assess the online exposure of their executives and families, identifying potential vulnerabilities and implementing mitigation strategies.
- Proactive Threat Mitigation: Routine bug sweeps of private residences, the use of secure communication tools, and real-time monitoring of social media and the dark web help ensure threats are spotted and contained before they escalate.
- Cross-Functional Collaboration: Security teams must work closely with legal, HR, and communications departments to ensure that protection strategies are aligned with broader organisational goals and values. Sharing threat intelligence across teams ensures that everyone at risk is alerted, prepared, and able to respond quickly.
AI factor
While AI presents huge opportunities for organisations to optimise their systems and processes, it also opens a world of risks. As AI-driven threats grow more sophisticated, the stakes are rising. Deepfakes, voice cloning, and automated phishing campaigns can now target individuals with uncanny precision. Personal data, once scattered and benign, is now aggregated, analysed, and weaponised at scale.
Executives must be prepared for scenarios where their likeness, voice, or digital persona is used to manipulate stakeholders, mislead employees, or damage reputations. For example, a deepfake video resulted in an employee at British multinational Arup being tricked into sending $39m to fraudsters. The attackers impersonated the CEO and other staff members during a convincing deepfake video call. The scam began with an email from Arup’s UK office requesting a confidential transaction, followed by a video meeting where the impersonated executives gave instructions.
This and other incidents underscore how executive impersonation is no longer a distant risk it’s happening now. Attackers are leveraging AI to bypass traditional defences and exploit human trust, making converged, intelligence-led security strategies essential.
Security without borders
In this hyper-exposed world, executive protection must transcend geography, device, and role. It must be adaptive, intelligence-led, and deeply personal. The office is no longer the boundary of risk, nor should it be the boundary of protection.
Organisations must embrace a duty of care that spans both professional and private spheres. This means investing in people, processes, technology and partnerships that enable resilience. It means recognising that the CEO’s home Wi-Fi is as critical as the company’s data centre. It means understanding that a child’s TikTok post can be as revealing as a leaked email.
The good news is that companies who act decisively can turn protection into a strategic advantage. In a climate where trust and reliability are paramount, demonstrating robust executive security can enhance investor confidence, attract top talent, and reinforce brand integrity.
