How Executives Can Improve Their Cybersecurity While Working from Home

Jeff Stutzman is CEO Trusted Limited Liability Company.

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The interconnected nature of modern businesses means that a successful cyberattack on an executive in their home can lead to access to the executive’s personal life and potentially wider access to the executive’s organization or corporate network. This greatly amplifies the potential impact of a breach.

Cyberattacks on executive homes are becoming increasingly common. As the founder of a cybersecurity firm that protects homes and businesses, I believe it is almost certain that within 24 hours an unsecured home will be visited and potentially compromised by an automated piece of malware that constantly searches publicly exposed computers. If successful, the home could become infected and provide hackers with cyber access.

No matter where they are located, executives need to consider the cybersecurity protections they have in their homes and home offices. As more and more botnets are deployed on the Internet to scan for vulnerabilities in home networks, I believe executives who get hacked at work should expect to be targeted in their homes as well.

Corporate executives are attractive targets for cyberattacks. Cybercriminals are aware of the potential benefits of attacking these high-profile individuals. With access to personal and professional data, cyberattacks on business leaders can result in significant financial gain, intellectual property theft, and damage to personal and corporate reputations.

Cybersecurity measures should be robust and tailored to protect leaders from both opportunistic and determined adversaries targeting them, their families, and their businesses. Protecting executives requires a proactive and comprehensive approach to cybersecurity, recognizing their unique risks and the far-reaching consequences of a breach.

Improving Cybersecurity in Home Offices

Executives often conduct business from home, using personal devices and networks that may not have the same level of security as corporate environments. Comprehensive cybersecurity measures in the home should be adopted to protect the sensitive nature of this telework.

Cyber executive protection is a cybersecurity practice that encompasses a range of cybersecurity measures designed to protect high-profile individuals, such as corporate executives, politically exposed persons, and high-net-worth families, from digital threats. (Full disclosure: my company provides this as a service, as do others.) In my experience, it is divided into two main components:

• Gain an understanding of what is being said about you online. If you notice negative sentiment and know whether and how you are being tracked or threatened online, remove as much of that information as possible.

• Now that you know the threats, protect yourself from them. Your home and office should be properly equipped to defend against detected threats.

What can you do about it?

There are many cybersecurity firms that will be happy to offer consultations and educate you, your family, and other leaders on your team about phishing, how to recognize it, and how to stay safe online. However, the complexities introduced by home automation, audiovisual systems, personal preferences, and home layouts are variables that not all cybersecurity firms routinely work with, so I suggest finding a firm that has experience with home cybersecurity.

In general, I recommend the same practices for executives working from home that I recommend for any company. In addition to the day-to-day administration of best practices, the basic defense looks like this:

• Separate your home office from the Internet with a robust home firewall. Not only does this help isolate your home from the unsecure internet, but it also offers several layers of protection that can help combat threats or prevent an infected computer from infecting you. RotaJakiro, Mirai, Bladabindi, and Zeroaccess are examples of malware that can infect devices. A good home firewall will show you what’s going on; think of it as a virtual chain-link fence that’s used to keep hackers out.

• Install an intrusion prevention system. To get in and out of the Internet through this fence, you need a door in the fence. Think of the intrusion prevention system as a bouncer who always checks the list to see if you have permission.

• Consider monitoring domain name services. DNS is like the Internet’s phone book, converting a domain name to an IP address. For example, Google is 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4. We know which DNS names are good and which are bad. The ability to control your Internet connection through DNS monitoring is very helpful and often built into next-generation firewalls.

• Run a strong antivirus program on personal and work computers, phones and tablets.

• Know who to call in the event of an emergency. If there is any damage, contact the FBI at the Internet Crime Complaint Center. If you need support, try others, such as your local computer emergency response team or a cybersecurity firm.

• Regularly update all work and personal devices to eliminate security vulnerabilities. It is also essential to use strong, unique passwords and multi-factor authentication.

• When away from home or the office, use virtual private networks. This can help ensure encrypted communications over the Internet and reduce the risk of interception. Regular security audits and monitoring can also help detect and mitigate threats quickly.

The number of malicious automated tools on the Internet is growing, and many of them are available to criminals without cyber skills who are now taking to cyberspace to create the next big thing. The Internet is polluted and not getting any cleaner. Protect your business, home, family, and yourself from the flood of automated and targeted attackers.

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