Chad Angle, Head of ReputationDefender at Gen Digital | Expert in Growth Strategy, Online Reputation Management, & Executive Privacy.
For years, executive security has focused on reputation management—mitigating negative press, countering misinformation and protecting personal brands. But a new threat is rapidly transforming the way digital security should be approached. AI: Every day you hear about companies around the globe discovering new ways to harness and maximize this powerful technology to improve services, products and even healthcare. The excitement surrounding AI is palpable, and there is no denying that it is transforming the world. But for all the amazing opportunities that AI is opening up for visionaries everywhere, it’s not just the “good guys” benefitting. As AI becomes more sophisticated, so do scams, fraud and other schemes perpetrated by bad actors. And now, AI-driven threats go far beyond reputation and into a direct security risk for executives and high-profile individuals.
From deepfake scams to AI-powered data harvesting, cybercriminals are exploiting AI to target executives at an unprecedented scale. The numbers tell a clear story:
• Deepfake fraud cases have surged tenfold globally from 2022 to 2023, according to Sumsub.
• In 2022, 76% of threats were highly targeted spearphishing attacks focusing on credential theft.
The old approach of reactive damage control is no longer enough. Executives should shift to a proactive, multilayered digital security strategy before they become targets.
How AI Is Transforming Digital Threats Against Executives
AI-driven cyber threats are growing exponentially, and I’m even seeing them outpace traditional security measures.
Deepfake Scams: Executives Can Be Impersonated At Scale
Among the most alarming ways for criminals to use AI against executives is deepfake technology. Now a weaponized tool for fraud, deepfake technology allows criminals to convincingly replicate an executive’s voice, image and mannerisms with sometimes near-perfect accuracy.
In early 2024, A Hong Kong employee was tricked into wiring millions of dollars after scammers used deepfake videos to impersonate senior company representatives. And these are still early days—this technology is getting better every day. In fact, Deloitte’s Center for Financial Services predicted that generative AI could enable U.S. fraud loss to grow from $12.3 billion in 2023 to $40 billion in 2027.
According to a report from Team8, 56% of CISOs now consider deepfake-enhanced fraud the biggest threat to their organizations.
Automated Data Scraping: Executives’ Personal Information is Exposed
AI-powered bots can compile an executive’s entire digital footprint in seconds, gathering everything from home addresses and phone numbers to social media activity. In worst case scenarios, bad actors can even access leaked credentials from past data breaches.
Hundreds to thousands of data brokers may be making executives’ sensitive information widely accessible.
This data can fuel:
• Targeted phishing and business email compromise attacks
• Identity fraud and account takeovers
• Doxxing threats, putting personal and family safety at risk
Data from GetApp (via Tech Monitor) shows that U.S. executives are highly likely to be targeted by cybercriminals, likely due to the level of sensitive and valuable information to which they have access.
AI-Generated Misinformation: Manipulating Public Perception
With AI-generated content now indistinguishable from real media for many people, executives face a rising risk of reputation manipulation. Misinformation and disinformation have long been issues for companies and their executives, but with AI’s ability to generate believable news articles, videos and other campaigns, dangerous misinformation can go viral in minutes. AI image misinformation has surged and can make it harder for businesses to counter false narratives.
The ability to counteract AI-driven misinformation in real time is now a critical component of executive security.
Why Reactive Approaches No Longer Work
Historically, executives have approached digital security reactively by taking action only after an attack occurs. While mitigation can and does help, AI-driven threats present new and challenging obstacles:
• Deepfake fraud happens in real time—there is no delay for detection.
• It may not be possible to fully erase leaked personal information once it’s sold on data broker sites.
• Reputational damage can spread exponentially faster due to AI-powered content manipulation.
A reactive strategy is no longer an option. Executives must shift from damage control to proactive digital security.
The New Standard: A Proactive Digital Security Strategy
There are a few very important factors executives must consider when building a proactive digital security strategy.
Visibility Management: Reducing Public Exposure
Removing your personal data from data broker sites is one of the easiest steps you can take to limit your visibility online. Another very easy step to take? Limit social media exposure. That means locking your social media down and considering what you are sharing online very carefully. Don’t post vacation photos while you’re on vacation, turn off geolocation features, and limit sharing of personal information about friends and family. Finally, take control over domain names, social handles and AI-generated likenesses before bad actors exploit them.
AI-Powered Monitoring And Risk Detection
Executives can also leverage a number of tools to protect their reputation and security, including the following. (Full disclosure: Gen Digital brands offer tools like these, as do others.)
• Real-time deepfake detection and impersonation monitoring
• Dark web surveillance for leaked credentials and personal data sales
• Automated alerts for digital threats before they escalate
AI-powered cybersecurity solutions can reduce manual security efforts, significantly enhancing threat response.
Digital Security Resilience: Strengthening Protection Before An Attack
According to Microsoft, 99.9% of compromised accounts in their systems do not have multifactor security protections in place. Executives and companies can take the following measures to improve digital security:
• Use biometric authentication and multifactor security keys for executive accounts.
• Develop a crisis response plan for deepfake fraud and impersonation incidents.
• Engage cybersecurity professionals who specialize in executive security.
What’s Next? The Future Of Executive Digital Security
As real-time AI impersonation attacks increase, so to will the challenges executives face. Regulations will struggle to keep pace with the rates at which the cybersecurity threats evolve, forcing executives to take personal responsibility for digital security. By embracing proactive digital security, executives can not only safeguard their personal and financial security but also lead the charge in setting industry standards for digital leadership.
In the AI era, your digital security isn’t just about privacy—it’s about business survival.
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