Executives, board members, founders, and other high-profile individuals are often highly visible both inside and outside their organisations. This visibility can make them attractive targets for attackers seeking access to company systems, sensitive information, or finances, as well as for harassment, activism, burglary, or even politically or ideologically motivated attacks.

What is an Executive Vulnerability Assessment?

At SecAlliance we offer Executive Vulnerability Assessments. EVAs are a structured review and analysis of information that is publicly available about an individual and the threats this may present to both them and their organisation. The assessment begins with only an individual's name and the organisation they work for, reflecting what an external actor could realistically access. Using open sources, including social media, public records, and previously leaked data, the assessment builds a picture of the individual’s online footprint and their pattern of life.

The purpose is to highlight exposure of sensitive or otherwise useful information, and how these malicious actors could weaponise this against the individual or the organisation. No direct contact is made with the person, and no hacking, phishing, or social engineering methods are used. All findings are based solely on information available in the public domain.

What the report looks at – Core Threat Categories

Each assessment is structured across threat categories, prioritising findings and presenting actionable intelligence:

These categories form the standard structure of an Executive Vulnerability Assessment. Reports can also be tailored to focus on specific areas of concern or adapted to meet the unique needs of an individual or organisation.

Why are executives at risk?

Executives and other high-profile individuals are particularly exposed because of the public-facing nature of their roles, and the symbolic position they hold as representatives of their organisations. People in public roles, or those with privileged access to sensitive information, finances, or decision-making can also face significant threats, even if they are not part of an organisation’s top leadership team.

As the face of the company, executives are associated with strategic decisions, corporate influence, and substantial compensation, making them attractive targets to a wide range of threat actors, ranging from activists and hacktivists to criminal groups and even nation-states. Attackers use publicly available information to build detailed profiles and identify vulnerabilities, exploiting these weak points through methods including social engineering, phishing, doxing, or disinformation campaigns. Compromised accounts, leaked credentials, or personal information can allow criminals to access sensitive corporate data, manipulate business decisions, or target colleagues, creating threats that extend out from the individual to the organisation itself.

In addition to online and financial threats, executives may face physical threats, which can vary depending on industry, public profile, or location. These threats include:

• Extremism and terrorism — targeting leaders in sectors such as energy, defence, finance, or politics.
• Activism and public protests — public-facing executives may be subject to demonstrations, picketing, or coordinated harassment campaigns.
• Stalking and harassment — executives and their family members can attract unwanted attention, both online and offline. ‍
• Theft and burglary — attackers can exploit publicly available information on travel, routines, or residential locations to plan burglaries or thefts.
• Targeted physical attacks — in some cases, attackers may combine online reconnaissance with physical surveillance to plan assaults, coercion, or property crimes.

Next steps — how to protect your leaders

Want to see a redacted sample report or book a short briefing with our team? Contact us at info@secalliance.com today.

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