What is Executive Protection Software?

If you want to learn about what is executive protection software, you’re in the right place! Executive protection software is a solution designed to defend high-profile individuals and accounts from cybersecurity threats and digital vulnerabilities.

With the Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG) reporting over 932,923 phishing attacks in just the third quarter of 2024 and the cybersecurity stats growing astronomically in the wrong direction, executive protection is a must for organizations of any size in this modern threat landscape.

Executive protection isn’t about bulletproof cars or bodyguards, but rather real-time threat intelligence, dark web surveillance, impersonation detection, and data-driven risk prioritization. Balancing cost-efficiency with comprehensive protection is an ongoing challenge, and one that we’re sure you lose some sleep over. Modern executive protection software helps bridge that gap by providing 24/7 protection without the unnecessary overhead or need to train and retain new staff.

To safeguard your most valuable assets, particularly your leadership, while maintaining operational resilience, explore our executive protection solution. 

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Identifying Emerging Threats Facing Executives

Malicious attackers are constantly changing their methods of attack, and high-profile individuals like your executive staff are main targets for impersonation attacks, doxing, SIM swaps, and credential leaks for financial gain. 

Legacy systems like Constellis, Pinkerton, or Allied Universal are great for physical security, but lack the sophistication needed to identify the latest tactics and cybersecurity vulnerabilities.

With constant changes, advanced executive protection solutions can leverage AI in cybersecurity to quickly:

• Identify deepfake impersonation campaigns targeting investors and boardrooms
• Prevent personal data exposure from third-party breaches
• Shut down compromised email accounts and stop credential leaks
• Hault social media doxing and extortion attempts targeting executives and families
  
  

Learn how we defend top executives from digital threats like phishing and impersonation. From a risk assessment to doxing prevention, you can see how we protect the world's best brands with 24/7 vigilance and adaptive protection. Download the executive protection datasheet.

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How These Threats Go Beyond Physical Security

Attacks on high-level executives are much more than physical and are more often than not the prime target for a cyberattack. Just recently, hundreds of compromised credentials belonging to the US Department of Defense (DOD) agencies and contractors were sold as part of an infostealer malware campaign. Some stolen logs included active session cookies, potentially allowing attackers to bypass multi-factor authentication (MFA).

On top of that, we’ve seen recent news about fraudulent wire transfers from CFO’s leaked password, recent stock price drops due to a CEO’s social media impersonator, and a health tech founder doxxed after a recent conference talk, which poorly tainted their reputation.

And of course, the higher the personnel, the more risk and access a potential threat actor can have for lateral movement across your network. Executive protection services create a holistic solution for capturing suspicious activity before escalation and help streamline threat detection without privacy invasion on your executives or more work on your security team.

Looking to strengthen your executive data protection and digital reputation? Read our insights on safeguarding high-profile individuals.

Matching Software Features to Risk Profiles

Not all executives face the same risks, and not all executive protection software is built the same. Creating data-driven strategies for each risk profile with modern purpose-built platforms like Doppel creates the needed protection around: 

• Dark web monitoring: Scan for stolen credentials, executive and brand mentions, or compromised accounts.
• Impersonation takedown: Remove deepfakes, spoofed domains, and fake profiles before any reputational damage.
• Physical threat detection: Monitor open-source intelligence (OSINT) for location-specific risks tied to executive travel.
• Threat intelligence reporting: Analyzes signals from digital and physical sources for fast remediation and response.

Discovering and assessing threats quickly is difficult, but we want to help you address these challenges. Check out our detailed executive protection guide for strategies around safeguarding your executives and VIPs with effective measures to ensure their security.

Tech-Driven Advantages Over Competitors

Executive protection needs a proactive approach like Doppel’s AI and human-powered technology. Reactive and siloed models that lack simple integrations for a seamless approach create security gaps. Physical security, threat intelligence, and incident response need to go hand in hand for comprehensive threat coverage.

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Personal privacy can be a concern for executives when looking to protect their digital footprint, but modern solutions ensure the perfect mix of privacy and protection that your higher-ups need with AI-driven alerts and centralized dashboards.

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Doppel’s platform protects the individual and their digital identity — without intrusion. Explore our Executive Protection solution and get a free security posture assessment. 

Building a Comprehensive Executive Protection Program

Effective protection is more than software or staffing. It’s a strategic blend of tools, people, and policy. A cohesive executive protection program merges technology with human expertise to continuously monitor and assess digital and physical threats, implement risk-based mitigation plans for each executive, and automate repetitive tasks to scale without bloating headcount.

According to The HIPAA Journal, the average cost of a data breach has risen to $4.88 million, with the highest breach costs at critical infrastructure entities and healthcare organizations leading the pack with the weight of it. But no matter the industry, a data breach can be irreparable. Repercussions from irreplaceable data and a bad reputation that can’t easily bounce back from are a hard weight to bear.

Upfront, an executive protection program may seem costly if you haven’t worked it into your budget, but if you consider the costs and its built-in threat intelligence and risk frameworks for your brand's reputation, it’s well worth the price. On top of that, a well-thought-out program will help you optimize your global security operations while also maintaining and securing your day-to-day business. 

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Essential Do’s and Don’ts

Planning out your executive protection strategy saves time and resources. Here are a few important tips to help you get started.

DO:

• Monitor the dark web for leaked credentials.
• Align security tools with executive risk tiers.
• Provide up-to-date executive protection training.
• Combine digital protection with secure travel protocols.
• Regularly review and monitor threat intelligence tools. 
• Enable AI and context-based reporting.
  
  

DON’T:

• Assume physical security providers can provide online threat protection.
• Wait until threats arise or a reputational hit occurs.
• Forget to set up real-time alerts to identify personal digital exposure.
• Treat your protection plan as a one-size-fits-all.

It’s important to note that real-time, centralized executive brand protection is critical for securing your leaders and their online presence. Automation can help support your efforts. Learn how AI is reshaping cybersecurity defenses in this short article. 

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Explore Doppel’s Executive Protection Platform

Defend what’s real and disrupt what’s not with Doppel’s executive protection solution. By combining real-time dark web and credential monitoring, PII removal, and physical threat intelligence, Doppel closes the security gap that other platforms leave behind and brings unified protection.

Get your peace of mind and business continuity back, read our insights on safeguarding high-profile individuals, or explore our Executive Protection solution today to see how we eliminate blind spots, dismantle digital threats, and protect your organization at every level.

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