Cyber protection for executives proliferates

The bigger the paycheck, the bigger the target. As targeted cyber attacks become more of a worry for corporations than the unfocused, indiscriminate kind, executives are finding themselves the object of phishing and other social engineering scams designed to take advantage of their status. And in response, a host of tailored security solutions are on the market offering to make the CEO a tougher mark for would-be criminals.

Guidepost Solutions’ cyber forensics chief Kenneth Citarella says executives should shop around for the right level of digital security. In some ways, high-level executives are easier to scam than lower-level ones: they may skip security training that’s mandatory for their employees and rely on subordinates to filter their email or other data traffic. Top executives also have higher online profiles and may be more susceptible to run-of-the-mill phishing messages, CEO Rohyt Belani of security firm Phish.me noted in a Harvard Business Review article titled “Why your CEO is a security risk.” “If they see a message that contains an emotional trigger, such as ‘Company XYZ is filing a lawsuit against your company. Please find attached the details,’ they’ll click,” Belani wrote. That means digital security for executives requires monitoring what information is available about them on the Web, securing their devices, educating them about threats, and more. Reputation management solutions While security and IT staff at larger businesses take primary responsibility for protecting employees—top-level executives included—smaller companies might find themselves contracting with vendors for individual services such as identity theft prevention, reputation management and training. Reputation management services have been around for years, offering to bury unflattering information online or place favorable mentions more visibly. Now, some of those firms, as well as more traditional security contractors, are getting into the business of protecting the CEO on the Web—with their employers picking up the tab. Reputation.com, based in Redwood City, Calif., offers a premium privacy product alongside its standard reputation management service. Reputation.com will remove client data from online brokers that harvest personal details from databases, help prevent tracking on a client’s Web browser and remove their names from unwanted mailing lists, says CEO Michael Fertik. “It’s not just for identity theft,” Fertik says. “Security, compliance, and risk management teams are all very interested now in how to make sure that individual employees, middle management, and senior management are all as protected as reasonably can be.” While Reputation.com’s standard product starts at $99 annually, the premium products range $1,000 to $5,000 a year. Fertik notes that the reputation and privacy services are often bought together by companies on behalf of their executives. The company may expand its offerings to focus on mobile privacy and private communication solutions, he adds. Former law enforcement, boutique PR firms Kicking it up a notch, CEOs can hire security consultants like those at Guidepost Solutions LLC to audit their online reputation, remove personal data from the Web and train a client’s office staff and family about secure online behaviors and configuring devices for safe use. They’ll even walk them through recovery from an identity theft scenario and cultivate positive news and reviews to appear in search engine results. “The background of the leadership of Guidepost Solutions is all law enforcement at the state and federal level,” says Kenneth Citarella, managing director of investigations and cyber forensics at Guidepost. Citarella himself was a white-collar crime and computer crime prosecutor for 28 years. Joining Guidepost in 2010, he has worked to develop the company’s existing digital security services into a unique offering alongside the physical security services—bodyguards—offered by the 130-employee firm. “There are obviously other companies that offer [digital security services]. I’m not sure there’s anybody that offers them all in one package,” boasts Citarella, who declined to describe Guidepost’s fee structure but says it is tailored to meet each client’s requirements. Citarella adds that execs should shop around to see what services they really need. “A client may not be aware that they need social engineering awareness training both at home and at work,” he says. “Security is like a healthy lifestyle: it can be considered inconvenient, but the benefits are really worthwhile.” Maybe the Secret Service style of protection isn’t warranted. In that case, established public relations agencies and communications firms can help make sure that positive, but not personal, information is accessible online.

Boutique reputation management firms are competing for space with public relations firms that have expanded to digital services, says Rhea Drysdale, CEO of Upstate New York-based Outspoken Media. Outspoken Media consists of a seven-person team offering one-on-one consultations that cost around $3,000 and active reputation management starting at $3,500 per month New York reputation management firm BrandYourself is most known for its do-it-yourself reputation product but began offering a hands-on concierge service in May. CEO Patrick Ambron says companies will purchase the service—costing between $299 and $599 per month depending on the client—on behalf of an executive more often in advertising, finance, and professional service industries.