In recent years, the Internet and social media have devolved into a virtual minefield for corporate executives. The pandemic and sociopolitical unrest of 2020 further accelerated the trend, leading to more nastiness and threats than ever. Against this changing backdrop, the field of executive protection has been expanding and redefining itself in real-time. Today, executive protection has advanced far beyond securing locations and bodies in the physical realm to also safeguarding online identities and reputations in the digital realm.
CEOs and companies are expected to take a stand on pressing social issues, yet the moment they do, they put a target on their back. There will always be someone who disagrees, and likely, there will be someone who takes that disagreement a step too far. In this politically charged and polarized environment, attackers are increasingly weaponizing the use of personal information that they freely obtain online to phish, dupe, dox, impersonate, and physically threaten executives.