You Secured the Perimeter, why would you leave the Throne Room Wide Open?
You protect your perimeter, lock down your endpoints, and monitor your network… but what happens when the person with the master key opts out?
Excluding your senior leaders from the very protections you impose on staff isn’t leadership — it’s complete #cyberinsanity!
Attackers know that CEOs, CFOs, and other executives often bypass or disable security controls under the guise of convenience or “too much hassle.” That makes them the highest value targets—and the easiest backdoor into your business.
Why Leadership Is a Prime Target
High value access:
Trust & immunity:
Greater exposure:
In fact, 72% of senior executives report being targeted by cyberattacks in the last 18 months. (Business Wire) That’s no coincidence. (UpGuard)
Common “Exclusion” Mistakes You Probably Make
- Letting C-levels skip complex password requirements, endpoint protection, or exempting them from MFA
- Turning off logging or elevation restrictions “for convenience”
- Using shadow devices, apps or private tools that don’t follow corporate security policy
- Failing to secure executive access across personal devices, home networks, and travel environments.
- Outsourcing leadership security separately, creating a blind spot in centralized visibility
What Strong Leadership Protection Looks Like
- Leading by Example / Mitigating Liability: If executives bypass security controls (like MFA, ZTNA, or endpoint protections), they not only increase risk – they may be held legally liable (as outlined in TOP 7 Cyber Truths Series: “Truth 6: Leadership is Culpable and Liable in Court” – cybersecurity negligence isn’t just a technical failure—it can be a personal legal one.
- Mandatory executive-level defenses: Stronger MFA, dedicated device management, and advanced threat protections
- Zero trust even for leadership: No special exemptions or standing privileges.
- Segmentation & isolation: Restrict executive systems so that compromises can’t jump across to other critical systems.
- Dedicated monitoring & alerting: Real-time detection tuned for executive risks (impersonation attempts, unusual activities).
- If leaders override something, log it, alert on it, and be able to roll it back.
%
Execs targeted in past 18 (months)
72% of senior executives have been targeted by cyberattacks in the past 18 months. That’s not theory — it’s reality, and it’s happening right under your nose. (Business Wire)
Implication: The more you allow exemptions or manual overrides, the more you hand attackers a path straight to your power users.
%
Employees Bypassing Cybersecurity Measures
65% of employees bypass organizational cybersecurity policies, highlighting growing challenges in maintaining data security across flexible workplaces.
Implication: Even the best‑designed policies fail if users don’t follow them—and that includes leaders.
Source: Tech Monitor
%
No Specific Exec Cyber Protections
37% of companies do not provide specific cybersecurity protections for executives.
Implication: Ignoring executive protection isn’t just negligence – it’s handing attackers a VIP pass.
Source: UMA Technology
Your Next Step: Assess Your Leadership Risk Posture
- Are your executives excluded from any security policy?
- Do they still use unmanaged devices?
- Is executive behavior—and override usage—logged, monitored, and reviewed?
- Have you run red-teaming / phishing / impersonation campaigns targeting leadership?
- Do you have safeguards if an executive’s account is compromised (separation of duties, emergency shutdown)?
If you can’t confidently answer “yes” to all of these – your risk posture is compromised at the highest levels!
Coming Up Next: #CYBERinsanity Habit #7: Still Think Antivirus is Enough?
If you’re relying solely on antivirus or your IT team to protect and bail you out, your #CYBERinsanity is off the scale.
Today’s threats move too fast, spread too wide, and exploit too many gaps for any single tool—or single team—to stop them all.
In the final post of our series, we’ll show why true security demands layers of defense, shared accountability, and real-time visibility—because the moment you need a miracle is the moment you’ve already lost.
Ready to STOP the #CYBERInsanity?
The habits are real. The risks are rising. And doing nothing? That’s not a strategy. Take the #CYBERsane next step now – while you still have a choice.
About the Author:
Matt Tankersley, CISSP is a US Navy combat veteran and the Founder & CEO of TechOnPurpose. Matt is recognized as an innovator with over 35 years of experience in Information Technology specifically in the areas of collaboration, cloud, security, and managed services. Recognizing the complexity, risk and blindsides that business owners face led Matt to create the TOPCYBER21™ Framework, which simplifies how organizations operationalize cybersecurity. Matt’s dedication to customer experience and unwavering belief that “Technology is at the Heart of Business today,” cast the foundation for our culture and simple operating philosophy: “We love what we do, who we do it with, and who we do it for.”
About TechOnPurpose:
Based in Austin, Texas, TechOnPurpose (“TOP”) delivers comprehensive managed IT and cybersecurity solutions to select clients globally. TOP’s approach to managed IT and cybersecurity continues to deliver simplified conversations and comprehensive, affordable solutions for our global customer family of Small & Medium Businesses and Non-Profits.
