CASE FILE XI ยท EXECUTIVE PROTECTION
You are a high-value target.
The most effective attacks on senior people don't break systems - they exploit trust, urgency and authority. Recognising the pattern is most of the defence.
Know that you're specifically hunted
Attackers target executives deliberately - it's called whaling. Your authority, access and visibility make a successful manipulation far more valuable than an ordinary phishing hit.
Recognise pretexting
Sophisticated attacks impersonate people you trust - a board member, a supplier, your own assistant - using details harvested from public sources to sound convincing. The story is designed to feel routine.
Verify out-of-band before acting on urgency
Urgency plus authority is the signature of an attack: a wire needed now, a password reset, a confidential deal. Confirm through a separate, known channel before you act - always.
Starve attacks of the details that make them work
The more an attacker knows about your schedule, relationships and deals, the more convincing the pretext. Reducing your public exposure directly weakens these attacks.
Protect your assistants and family
Attackers often approach you through the people around you, who have access but less scrutiny. Extend awareness and verification habits to your assistant and household.
Rehearse the unusual-request reflex
Train yourself and your team to slow down on anything unusual, no matter who it appears to come from. That half-second pause is what defeats social engineering.
Technology alone cannot stop an attack aimed at human trust. Awareness training tailored to executives and their teams - plus reduced public exposure - is what turns your organisation's biggest target into its hardest one.
You don't have to handle this alone.
Talk to a guardian