Cybersecurity in 2025: Organizations Must Protect High-Profile Individuals
Cyberattacks targeting high-profile individuals, or VIPs, are poised to escalate in 2025.
Recent events underscore this growing threat. In November, a joint statement from the FBI and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency revealed that Chinese state-sponsored actors compromised telecommunications companies to steal call records and private communications of individuals involved in government and political activities.
In December, the arrest of UnitedHealthcare Chief Executive Officer Brian Thompson’s alleged killer, Luigi Mangione, highlighted the potential for simple methods to enable devastating real-world attacks. Court documents revealed that Mangione used basic social engineering techniques and readily available technology to identify, track, and locate Thompson. Mangione chillingly described these efforts as “fairly trivial.”
Organizations Must Prioritize the Cybersecurity of Their VIPs
These incidents emphasize the urgent need for organizations to prioritize the cybersecurity of their VIPs, who are increasingly vulnerable to cyberattacks that blur the lines between their personal and professional lives.
Wearable technologies, mobile devices, and social media platforms, for instance, generate a wealth of data that can be exploited by malicious actors to track, profile, and conduct reconnaissance on targets.
Companies can proactively address these risks by implementing security measures that combine technology, awareness, and vigilance. This includes establishing a comprehensive cybersecurity policy for top executives and their staff addressing risk awareness and device, communication, data, and travel security.
VIPs themselves must be aware of the digital trails they leave behind and exercise caution in their online activities. They can start by critically assessing the privacy practices of apps, limiting data sharing, and prioritizing the use of paid apps and services that offer enhanced privacy protections.
The climate of national discord, political transitions, and geopolitical uncertainty amplifies the risks faced by VIPs. As such, addressing VIP cybersecurity should be a top priority for any organization’s leadership and board of directors.
