Survey Finds Security Leaders See Digital Exposure as a Physical Safety Risk
Summary
360 Privacy’s 2026 survey found security and wealth professionals link digital exposure with physical safety, citing perceived executive invulnerability, episodic security attention, and limited exposure metrics. It recommends regular exposure reviews and household-risk
Key points
- The survey found 84% of CISOs and CSOs, 87% of security and privacy professionals, and 82% of wealth professionals see physical security and cybersecurity as inseparable.
- Respondents said people they advise often feel untouchable because of their success and status; 85% of CISOs and CSOs and 89% of security and privacy professionals reported this perception.
- Most respondents said security focus rises after high-profile incidents and fades afterward, while many expressed concern about inadequate metrics for assessing exposure.
- Respondents reported increased attention to family members’ risky behavior and difficulty helping those they advise stay safe from AI-driven threats.
- The report says many organizations are merging digital and physical security functions; respondents also reported physical-security funding being diverted from cybersecurity budgets.
- Recommendations include regularly measuring personal exposure, auditing household members’ exposure, and avoiding real-time posts that reveal routines or locations.
- Wakefield Research surveyed three groups of 100 U.S. professionals each in June 2026; the report gives a margin of error of ±9.8 percentage points for each audience at 95% confidence.
Article Details
- Publisher
- 360 Privacy
- Report Period
- Survey conducted June 12–22, 2026; report released October 20, 2026
- Scope
- Survey on digital exposure, physical security, and perceived risk among U.S. security, privacy, and wealth professionals.
- Sample Size
- 300 respondents: 100 senior security and privacy professionals, 100 CISOs and CSOs, and 100 wealth professionals.
- Key Statistics
- 84% of CISOs and CSOs, 87% of security and privacy professionals, and 82% of wealth professionals said physical security and cybersecurity cannot be separated.
- 96% of CISOs and CSOs, 88% of security and privacy professionals, and 80% of wealth professionals were concerned they lacked adequate metrics to describe threats to the people they advise.
- 64% of CISOs and CSOs, 68% of security and privacy professionals, and 54% of wealth professionals said their organizations had merged digital and physical security functions or were doing so.
- 59% of CISOs and CSOs, 62% of security and privacy professionals, and 53% of wealth professionals said funding for physical security was being diverted from cybersecurity budgets after recent high-profile incidents.
- The reported margin of error was ±9.8 percentage points for each respondent group at the 95% confidence level.
- Recommendations
- Search for the information an attacker would find and show the results to the person being protected.
- Measure exposure on a regular schedule to establish a baseline for budget requests and maintain attention between incidents.
- Audit household members and staff for sources of exposure.
- Avoid real-time posts that reveal routines or locations, such as gym visits, school runs, or favorite restaurants.