ORLANDO, FL, April 11, 2023 – BlackCloak, the pioneer in Digital Executive Protection and concierge cybersecurity for executives and senior leaders, high net worth individuals, and family offices, today announced that a new national survey conducted in partnership with the Ponemon Institute found that cyber attacks on the personal digital lives of executives are a growing threat, but most companies are unprepared to prevent them or to mitigate the potential damage to their organizations.

The study, which polled over 500 cybersecurity professionals across all major industries, found that 42% of companies have already experienced cybercriminal attacks on their executives or their executives’ families which had serious negative consequences for the organization. Some of these organizational impacts include: loss of customers or business partners (66%); theft of corporate intellectual property, research and development data, or business strategy information (78%); and theft of customer or employee data (27%).

“Based on our first-of-its kind national survey focused on the digital personal lives of corporate executives, we found that 62% of organizations do not have a team dedicated to preventing or responding to cyber attacks on executives and their families,” said Dr. Larry Ponemon, Chairman and Founder of the Ponemon Institute. “Even more astounding is that 79% of those surveyed believe that a future risk of cyber attack on these executives is likely. It’s not a problem that companies can afford to sweep under the rug.”

“The results of our study confirm what our team is seeing day in and day out in our discussions with senior cybersecurity leaders – corporations are not well prepared to face cyber threats against their executives in their private lives,” said Dr. Chris Pierson, CEO and Founder of BlackCloak. “With only 9% of cybersecurity professionals highly confident that their CEO or executives would know how to protect their personal computer from viruses, and only 22% when it comes to securing personal emails, it paints a pretty dismal picture.”

BlackCloak has observed a wide range of cybercriminal threats which are actively targeting the personal digital lives of executives. These include email compromise, ransomware, malware infection, doxxing, extortion, online impersonation and even physical attacks, such as swatting.

The complete BlackCloak research report will be published in May 2023. Click here to download BlackCloak’s infographic with preliminary results. To get on the list to receive a copy as soon as the full report is published, click here. 

 

RSA Conference 2023

BlackCloak will be attending RSA 2023 this year, offering several ways for attendees to meet and mingle with its leadership team. Click here to: 

  • Register for its Happy Hour party on Monday, April 24
  • Schedule a 1:1 meeting with the BlackCloak leadership team (including the CEO, CISO, or VP of Sales), or 
  • Attend a Learning Lab led by Dr. Pierson. 

About Ponemon Institute

Ponemon Institute is dedicated to independent research and education that advances responsible information and privacy management practices within business and government. Our mission is to conduct high-quality, empirical studies on critical issues affecting the management and security of sensitive information about people and organizations. We uphold strict data confidentiality, privacy, and ethical research standards. We do not collect any personally identifiable information from individuals (or company identifiable information in our business research). Furthermore, we have strict quality standards to ensure that subjects are not asked extraneous, irrelevant, or improper questions. Learn more at ponemon.org. 

About BlackCloak

BlackCloak protects corporate executives and high-profile individuals from cybersecurity, privacy, financial, and other reputational risks. Used by Fortune 500 companies across all industries, the BlackCloak Concierge Cybersecurity & Privacy™ Platform is a holistic solution including mobile and desktop apps as well as concierge support. Executives and high-profile individuals get peace of mind knowing their family, reputation, and finances are secured. Companies rest assured that their brand, intellectual property, data, and finances are protected against threats coming through executives without having to invade their personal lives. Learn more at www.blackcloak.io, follow them on LinkedIn and Twitter. 

Media Contact:

Mike Sias

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