Table of Contents
| Firmographics | Digital Risk Exposure |
| Industry: Banking/Finance Executives Enrolled: 21 Employees Enrolled: 72 | VanishID discovered 2,843 breaches and 269 cleartext credentials in the span of nine months. VanishID removed 62,142 pieces of exposed PII over nine months. |
Executive Summary
A major financial institution partnered with VanishID to address a critical cybersecurity vulnerability: the massive exposure of personal identifiable information (PII) of their executives and employees.
This exposed personal data was compounding an already urgent situation. Sustained online harassment targeting the CEO, paired with threatening posts directed at Board Members on LinkedIn and other social media platforms, revealed that the risk extended well beyond a single individual. The organization selected VanishID to address both the immediate threats and the broader digital exposure across its leadership.
Within nine months, VanishID removed over 62,142 pieces of exposed PII across 93 people and reduced digital risk across enrolled users by 32%. This dramatic reduction in the company’s human attack surface has significantly strengthened their overall security posture against data-driven threats.
The Challenge: A Visible Digital Footprint
As a prominent player in the banking sector, the company faced unique security challenges. Targeted online harassment directed at the CEO had created an urgent security concern, compounded by hostile posts aimed at Board Members across LinkedIn and other social media platforms. As a member-owned financial institution with deep community roots, the organization’s leadership maintained a highly visible public presence that amplified their personal exposure to coordinated digital and physical threats. Initial scans revealed alarming exposure levels:
- A total of 62,142 pieces of PII were removed in a 9 month span across enrolled users, which included 21 executives.
- The largest category of removed exposed PII was family, with 16,358 pieces of information. 12,975 pieces of exposed PII relating to contact information were removed.
- 2,843 breaches and 269 cleartext credentials were discovered across enrolled users in nine months.
This extensive digital exposure created a perfect environment for sophisticated social engineering attacks, with personal data readily available to craft convincing phishing attempts, impersonation scams, and targeted attacks against key decision-makers.
The Solution: Continuous PII Removal
VanishID implemented its automated solution, requiring minimal effort from the the financial institution’s security team. The implementation included:
- Enterprise-Wide Protection: Enrolling 93 people in VanishID’s continuous PII removal service
- User Reconciliation: Coordinating with the financial institution to update enrolled user lists and establish ongoing provisioning and de-provisioning processes
- Executive Family Focus: Launching a focused effort to increase family member enrollment, recognizing that executives’ family members often represent an overlooked vulnerability
- Continuous Monitoring and Removal: Deploying automated scanning and removal technology to identify and eliminate PII from data broker sites continuously
VanishID required only employee names and work emails to begin the protection process, with initial results appearing within 24-48 hours.
Powerful Results: Measurable Risk Reduction
The impact of VanishID’s protection was substantial and measurable:
Protection Results:
- 32% reduction in overall digital risk
- 62,142 pieces of PII removed
- 2,843 breaches discovered
- 269 cleartext credentials discovered
Removal of numerous exposed profiles:
- 16,300 pieces of family PII
- 11,100+ pieces of network PII
- 12,900+ pieces of contact information
- 11,700+ pieces of background PII
Initial Digital Risk Scores
Current Digital Risk Scores
Understanding Risk Measurement and Mitigation
In the charts above, every dot is an employee. The X axis shows the target’s overall value, and the Y axis shows the target’s accessibility.
Access: The Access score measures how accessible a person appears to threat actors outside your perimeter. Scoring includes overall vitals, biographics, openness, and activity metrics.
Higher Access scores = relatively easier for attackers to research, approach, and communicate with.
Value: The Value score measures how attractive a target appears from an attacker’s perspective. Scoring includes overall security, privileges, network, and exposure.
High Value scores = most worthwhile for attackers to target, directly or through impersonation.
Beyond Technical Protection: Business Impact
The implementation of VanishID’s solution delivered several key business benefits:
- Reduced Social Engineering Success Rates: By removing the personal information that fuels targeted attacks, the company experienced fewer successful social engineering attempts.
- Enhanced Security Posture: The dramatic reduction in exposed PII strengthened the company’s overall defense against human-targeted attacks—often the starting point for more severe security breaches.
- Operational Efficiency: Instead of dedicating internal resources to remove personal information manually, the automated solution handled this task continuously, allowing the security team to focus on other priorities.
- Family Protection: The expanded protection to executive family members closed a significant vulnerability gap, as family members are often targeted as indirect entry points to company systems.
Looking Forward: Building on Success
Proven impact drove expansion. Today, 72 employees and 21 executives are under continuous protection, with VanishID built into onboarding. Executives cite Privacy Briefings as a standout benefit; the security team gains a force multiplier with no added burden.
