Hackers Set Their Sights on the C-Suite
Guarding the C-suite from cyber threats is paramount.
AJ Nash, VP & distinguished Fellow of Intelligence at ZeroFox, dives into the evolving landscape of cyber threats against C-suite executives. Learn how to safeguard your leaders and organization
It’s no secret that cybercriminals are leveraging new technology to increase the scale and sophistication of their attacks. To maximize profit and minimize time spent, external cyber threats have increased their focus on the highest value target – C-suite executives. There’s been a 26% increase in executive impersonations and a 29% spike in scams, fraud, and piracy targeting executives this past year.
Unfortunately, C-level executives are often an organization’s weakest security link. Aside from often having the greatest level of access within the company, these individuals are more likely to store sensitive data on their devices, which makes them the ideal target for any hacker. While executives are usually well-protected inside the corporate network, that security blanket vanishes as soon as they step outside the office. In many cases, executives’ home networks, mobile devices, and personal accounts often lag behind their corporate security protections. This makes them highly vulnerable to hackers who are zeroing in on the potential profit of targeting executives as the initial point of attack.
The Problem: The Executive as a Target…and a Weapon
In today’s digital-first world, executives increase their online presence for various reasons, including strengthening brand awareness, building a credible reputation, and improving business outcomes and customer trust. This includes using social media platforms like LinkedIn or X (Twitter) to share personal stories or to build a community. However, as executives increase their online presence, it’s essential to understand that they also create hundreds of data points online. This is a massive liability for themselves and their organizations if their digital identity is not properly protected.
Cybercriminals were already proficient in phishing, but with emerging technology like AI assisting in the creation of more believable deepfakes – tactics like fabricating public forums, creating fake social profiles, video scams, scalping through emails, sending malicious text messages – are even more likely to succeed. As AI creates much more efficient and convincing phishing lures, the information the C-suite is divulging online is at higher risk for exploitation. For instance, if you talk about an ill family member or your child’s college graduation on LinkedIn, hackers can use that information to make phishing emails or fake social media profiles more believable. Citing things like needing access to certain documents because you’re away from your work computer tending to family matters – after you’ve already shared that information online – might make a security team more likely to oblige your request and unwittingly create a data leak or security breach.
The other major risk with these posts is that, as more data remains online than ever, executives can unknowingly arm an attacker with their tone of voice and general style. These nuances can make already-sophisticated attacks nearly impossible to differentiate from authentic communication. These email requests – or even videos and phone calls – become much more successful if they can prey on the employees’ knowledge of that individual executive. If you frequently work with someone and know their mannerisms well, it’s easy to overlook the sender’s email or fail to double-check what phone number is called when the conversation feels authentic. The same goes for impersonating an executive on social media: the more a cybercriminal can mimic their tone and the topics they talk about, the more believable the impersonation becomes.
The ease with which hackers can pull off these attacks necessitates taking a deeper look at how we prepare executives for the level of vulnerability they take on when stepping into their roles.
The Solution: Arm the C-suite with Tools and Tactics
Mitigating the external cyber threat landscape is easier said than done, especially for executives with already full plates. Much of it falls on the individual to understand the risks of stepping outside the corporate security perimeter and what external threats look like. However, here are a few important fundamentals to keep in mind.
The biggest takeaway is that executives must keep their Personal Identifiable Information (PII) offline as much as possible. Readily available PII is a resource for cybercriminals to leverage against executives. Suppose you were to Google your CEO right now. In that case, there’s a strong chance that within minutes, you would be able to locate their PII, including their email, phone numbers, home addresses, or financial and medical information. Legal data brokers often house This valuable content online and buy and sell information. It can also be found without data brokers if an executive posts it themselves. Something seemingly innocuous, like posting a selfie at your daughter’s school soccer game or an awards dinner for a club or alums association, can give hackers valuable information about where you live, where your kids go to school, and what groups you have membership. Availability of his information increases the risk of successful attacks against you and your company, as it offers hackers the building blocks for more realistic approaches. It probably is if you question whether the information you’re putting online is risky. Trust your instincts and keep those things private.
See More: What is Personally Identifiable Information (PII)?
What won’t be a surprise is how critical implementing a training or awareness program is. Human error remains a crucial component of successful social engineering attacks. Basic cybersecurity courses are likely in place for most large workforces, but specialized training for the C-suite is something that organizations should also consider. This is especially true for those who maintain a more public image. Tailoring training to focus on the threats being levied against C-level executives – and the associated risks – should be part of every organization’s strategy for hardening their C-level targets. This customization should result in increased buy-in and long-term adoption of security awareness practices.
The responsibility to prioritize their security largely lies with the executives. That said, companies need to take executive protection seriously by acknowledging the unique risks to their company VIPs. Ensuring that the extensive network and data access granted to C-level executives doesn’t serve as a vulnerable gateway for cybercriminals to exploit is a good place to start.
Protecting executives today is much more than physically shielding them from danger – it’s about covering them, and subsequently, the companies they work for, from cybersecurity risks that continue to evolve. This includes arming them with the tools to keep themselves secure and not become the accidental access point that leads to a security breach. Taking appropriate measures safeguards personal information and mitigates company risks associated with reputational harm, financial impact, and potential disruption to business continuity.
Why do you think C-suite executives are prime targets for cyber attack? Let us know on Facebook, X, and LinkedIn. We’d love to hear from you!
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