Most executives imagine cybersecurity threats as technical: firewalls, ransomware, system vulnerabilities. But for bad actors, the easiest way in isn’t through the company.

It’s through you.

Here’s how that process typically unfolds.

Step 1: Data Collection Begins with What’s Public

It starts small. Your name appears in a breach. Your personal phone number is on a conference speaker bio. Your home address is still tied to an old business registration. A quick search pulls up your LinkedIn, press mentions, and maybe your family’s social profiles.

To you, these are harmless details. To them, they’re pieces of a playbook.

Step 2: Building Context and Leverage

From here, they assemble a detailed profile. They look at your connections, your job title, your location, and even the language you use in public posts. They can identify family members, assistants, or key partners. With this context, they can predict your routines, understand your habits, and pinpoint vulnerabilities.

Now it’s personal.

Step 3: Execution

Once they know enough, they act. A phishing email might look like it came from your CFO. A deepfake voicemail might sound like your voice. They might impersonate you internally or pressure someone close to you. In some cases, they target your family to create urgency and fear.

This isn’t theoretical. It’s already happening to leaders, founders, and public-facing professionals every day.

Why You?

You hold access, influence, and credibility. That makes you a high-value target. And it doesn’t take a misstep, it just takes exposure.

What to Do About It

You don’t need to vanish online. But you do need to reduce what’s available to the wrong people. That means removing your data from the places it doesn’t belong, closing gaps before they’re exploited, and understanding that protection today is about staying ahead—not reacting late.

If you think this sounds far-fetched, watch it happen in real time. In this live demo, Rachel Tobac calls a phone company, pretends to be someone else, and gains access to an account using only public information—and a baby crying in the background. It’s a jaw-dropping example of how attackers weaponize the details you didn’t think twice about sharing.