Keep sensitive data off of the public internet
Personal information on the web is a goldmine for people who want to threaten your executives or your business. We get that information removed.
Personal information is widely available online
A typical ReputationDefender audit uncovers over 300 elements of exposed personal information per covered individual, scattered across the internet and accessible to hackers and stalkers.
Top online privacy threats
Spearphishing
Cybercriminals target executives and business leaders with highly individualized scams that rely on personal information they collect online.
Executive impersonation
High-ranking executes are often impersonated as a means of conducting wire fraud, using a mix of personal information and business news found online to dupe unsuspecting employees.
Stalkers and estranged employees
Stalkers and disgruntled acquaintances turn to the internet to find addresses, phone numbers, and other personal details about their targets—including the names and locations of family members.
Doxxing and data dumps
People looking to harm your executives or your business’s reputation increasingly weaponize data dumps of private information to force your company’s hand.
Talk to a privacy expert today
Demo the ExecutivePrivacy process and receive an initial threat assessment
Security questions are not so secure
The answers to the vast majority of common security challenge or password-reset questions can be found online, leaving your company IT systems vulnerable to motivated attackers.
Password reset request for Jill.Smith@email.com
Please answer the following security questions:
Mother’s maiden name?
| Correct answer | Fischer |
| Findable on | People-search sites |
High school mascot?
| Correct answer | Warrior |
| Findable on | Web search |
Father’s middle name?
| Correct answer | Franklin |
| Findable on | People-search sites |
College attended?
| Correct answer | UW |
| Findable on |
City of birth?
| Correct answer | San Jose |
| Findable on |
Year graduated college?
| Correct answer | 2005 |
| Findable on |
High school attended?
| Correct answer | Yerba Buena HS |
| Findable on | Classmate-finder site |
City where married?
| Correct answer | Seattle |
| Findable on | People-search sites |
Year graduated high school?
| Correct answer | 2001 |
| Findable on | Classmate-finder site |
Address history?
| Correct answer | 63 Gough St 2123 32nd Ave 115 NE 42nd St |
| Findable on | People-search sites |
Online privacy: the weakest link
The best security in the world is only as good as its weakest link.
ExecutivePrivacy complements your existing executive protection and cybersecurity efforts to safeguard against threats that stem from online personal information.
Data brokers collect and compile detailed profiles on virtually every American. Many of them sell this information through so-called people-search sites, where anyone can access the data for a small fee. Data brokers draw from public records, social media, marketing databases, and other sources to make their profiles as comprehensive as possible. When we conduct our initial ExecutivePrivacy scans, it is not uncommon for us to locate over 300 records per covered individual.
People-search sites – These sites collect and compile detailed personal information from multiple sources, then sell them to anyone who wants access.
Social media – Your team members’ accounts or those of the people who they know may inadvertently reveal large quantities of personal information, especially details related to family members and daily routines.
The dark web – Stolen information from data breaches or other hacking efforts can end up on the dark web and be used against your company or its executives.
Activity sites with geotracking – Websites that share routines, hobbies, or interests can be lucrative for online stalkers trying to confront an executive or social engineers mounting a spearphishing or impersonation attack.
Virtually all of the information they sell is already available online in fragmented form, often via government public records, obscure marketing databases, and social media APIs. People-search sites invest in scraping technologies that allow them to collect and compile all of this information. Each data source creates little risk on its own, but combined into a profile with many others, the privacy vulnerabilities compound.
The information that third-party people-search sites collect is already publicly available, sometimes as a matter of law, so these sites are not technically sharing anything new. There is as of yet no legal protection against compiling public information and reselling it, even though this compilation process creates major privacy risks.
Questions? Let’s Talk
Schedule a meeting to discuss your executive protection and digital privacy needs