ABC News’ Erielle Reshef spoke with Dr. Chris Pierson, CEO of BlackCloak on what customers can do if their data was compromised in the AT&T data leak.
Chris provides his tips on how to protect yourself form a security breach.
https://abcnews.go.com/US/video/tips-protecting-consumer-identity-light-att-data-breach-108725046
Extending Digital Executive Protection on Demand to other Key Individuals in an External Cybersecurity Incident
ORLANDO, FL, April 2, 2024 – Today, BlackCloak, the pioneer in Digital Executive Protection and concierge personal cybersecurity for executives and senior leaders, high-net-worth individuals, and family offices, announced the expansion of BlackCloak’s Incident Response as a Service (IRaaS), designed to offer rapid, expert-led privacy and cyber security incident response to corporate clients who have other key employees targeted in cyber or privacy attacks on an ad hoc basis.
The IRaaS launch comes at a critical time when cyber and privacy threats are becoming increasingly sophisticated and pervasive, targeting individuals in their personal lives. Attacks targeting employees’ personal phones, email accounts, and families have been on the rise. As the Pioneer of Personal Cybersecurity™, BlackCloak’s IRaaS will allow organizations to expand coverage beyond the executive suite, offering assistance in remediating cybersecurity or privacy related incidents to other senior executives and key personnel at the company.
For Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) and Chief Security Officers (CSOs), BlackCloak’s IRaaS marks a pivotal shift in managing cybersecurity threats, especially when an executive’s personal cybersecurity breach becomes the gateway to compromising the corporate environment, their personal reputation, or could impact the company’s brand. This scenario is increasingly common, with cybercriminals targeting high-profile or high access employees as a point of weakness in the security chain.
“By combining cutting-edge technology with the expertise of our Security Operations Center and the Concierge Customer Experience teams, BlackCloak offers a rapid and comprehensive approach to personal incident response,” said Rob Duncan, Vice President of Global Sales at BlackCloak. “BlackCloak IRaaS ensures an organization has the ability to extend their current coverage of Digital Executive Protection on the fly to other key persons within the company who may be suffering a privacy or cybersecurity incident.”
Dr. Chris Pierson, CEO of BlackCloak, emphasizes the critical need for such services in today’s digital landscape: “In an era where cyber threats are evolving at an unprecedented pace, it’s essential for organizations to be enabled to respond quickly when their key employees have issues outside the work environment. Our Incident Response as a Service is not just a solution—it’s a strategic advantage. With IRaaS, we’re offering peace of mind to businesses, ensuring that they can immediately mitigate cyber and privacy incidents targeting their employees beyond the executive team. Our team of experts is on standby, ready to respond.”
BlackCloak IRaaS is set to redefine how companies approach personal cybersecurity and privacy events that could have material impact on their organization. The service includes immediate incident response, assistance with remediation, post-incident analysis, and tailored recommendations for strengthening security postures for those affected in their personal lives.
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, and follow them on LinkedIn and Twitter.
BlackCloak Media Contact:
Mike Sias
Calling all high-risk individuals: Ensure you’re taking adequate steps to secure your personal devices and accounts against hacking, tampering and other types of interference.
Britain’s National Cyber Security Center is warning that criminals and nation-state hacking groups, confronted with well-managed corporate cybersecurity defenses, have turned their sights to individual personal devices and accounts.
Experts are sounding the alarm over a rise in AI-generated obituaries mysteriously appearing online.
In one disturbing ‘obituary pirate’ case, an LA Times reporter read her own obituary and watched a video whereby ‘news anchors’ discussed her death.
Fraudsters are able to make money off ad revenue generated through the fake article and specifically target people with high-traffic searchable names, experts say.
Do some checking to make sure an online obituary is legitimate and the person actually died – or that it’s not a fake obituary for you.
That’s because scammers are using AI-generated fake obituaries to try to get at lucrative ad revenue in a new scheme reported by CNN.
A Los Angeles Times reporter, Deborah Vankin, read her own obituary and watched “news anchors” in an accompanying video discuss her untimely death, CNN reported.
“Without her knowledge, Vankin had become the latest victim of scammers who fabricate death announcements to get clicks and ad revenue,” the CNN story said. “Some of the so-called ‘obituary pirates’ are turning to AI to create death announcements padded with key words for Google searches, spreading alarm and misinformation, experts said.”
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved a new cybersecurity labeling program for smart products earlier this week, designed to give customers greater insight into the security of devices on the market.
IoT World Today spoke to industry experts about what this new program aims to achieve and what additional steps businesses can take to maintain security standards in an age of increasing risk.
Chris Pierson, CEO, BlackCloak
Publishing a trust program for IoT devices/manufacturers to provide information on the cybersecurity protections is a positive step if the requirements are robust, consumers are educated on what the options mean, the risk options are robust and specific and consumers actually choose to review the data.
As the program is voluntary, its usefulness will depend on user education about the trust seals, what they mean, what the choices mean and how to make buying decisions based on the data.
Given that many IoT devices are purchased online, the awareness and efficacy of the trust seals may lag behind other programs launched to enable better consumer awareness around differences in products (e.g. Energy Star ratings on large appliances).
While the program focuses on cybersecurity by reporting on whether the devices are automated patched and the length of support for the device, there is little mention of the collection, use
and onward use (or sale) of the data that might be collected by IoT devices. This is a pretty big hole to not include both cybersecurity and privacy awareness in the trust seal initiative.
Hackers escalate cyber threats by targeting personal data for extortion, pushing for advanced cybersecurity strategies in the digital age.
In an alarming escalation of cyber threats, hackers are now targeting personal data for extortion, causing significant disruptions across various sectors. Joe McMann of Binary Defense highlighted this shift at the RSA cybersecurity conference, emphasizing the move from traditional ransomware attacks to data theft and public threats. With over $219 billion projected to be spent on cybersecurity this year, the battle against these evolving threats is intensifying. Chris Pierson from Black Cloak pointed out the increased targeting of employees’ personal devices, a vulnerability exacerbated by the rise of remote work.
ORLANDO, FL, March 14, 2024 – BlackCloak, the pioneer in Digital Executive Protection and Concierge Cybersecurity & Privacy™ for high-net-worth individuals, family offices, and corporate executives, today announced its prestigious recognition as the Cybersecurity Gold Winner in the Most Innovative Security Service of the Year category at the 2024 Globee Awards.
The Globee Awards, known for celebrating the achievements of organizations and professionals from across the globe, recognized BlackCloak for its outstanding contributions to the cybersecurity industry. The company continues to make advancements to anticipate and mitigate the evolving threats that its members face in the digital world.
“Naming BlackCloak as the Gold Winner in such a competitive category is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our entire team,” said Ingrid Gliottone, Chief Experience Officer of BlackCloak. “We’re committed to pioneering solutions that protect the personal cybersecurity of executives, high-net-worth individuals such as celebrities and professional athletes, and each of their families. This award is a recognition of our relentless pursuit of excellence and innovation in ensuring the reputation, wealth, and physical security of our members remain intact.”
BlackCloak’s award-winning service was lauded for its unique combination of privacy protection, cybersecurity defense, and proactive threat detection capabilities. Designed to address the complex security needs of high-profile individuals and executives, the service ensures clients are safeguarded against a wide array of digital risks, including malware and ransomware, home network vulnerabilities, privacy and identity theft risks, exposed information on the dark web from data breaches, and other types of targeted attacks such as swatting and doxxing.
As digital threats continue to evolve, BlackCloak’s recognition at the 2024 Globee Awards underscores the company’s role as a critical defender in the cybersecurity landscape. BlackCloak extends its gratitude to the Globee Awards for this honor and to its members and partners for their trust and support.
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, and follow them on LinkedIn and Twitter.
BlackCloak Media Contact:
Mike Sias
In the recent installment of Brand Stories with BlackCloak, co-hosts Marco Ciappelli and Sean take a journey into the escalating issue of cyber threats facing venture capitalists, private equity professionals, and affluent individuals invested in cryptocurrency. This episode stands out for its insightful analysis into how cybercriminals are increasingly targeting high-net-worth individuals, employing sophisticated strategies to breach their privacy and security and to steal their cryptocurrency. The discussion, enriched by the expertise of Chris Pierson, CEO and founder of BlackCloak, along with in-depth research from his team, highlights the imperative for tailored cybersecurity solutions in an era where financial investments intersect with digital vulnerability.
When you think of executive protection, you think of work related activities such as security details, travel planning, and other physical security protections. But in the world of Artificial Intelligence and DeepFakes, the risk landscape for executives goes far beyond work and into their personal lives. The home is now the new battle field and family life will never be the same.
Chris Pierson, CEO at BlackCloak, joins Business Security Weekly to discuss the changes in the risk landscape for executives, including Generative AI, and its impacts on social engineering, personal attacks, and family threats. Executive protection must now include digital protection, both at work and at home.
