A recent analysis has unveiled a substantial rise in threats against senior corporate leaders, reaching unprecedented levels in 2025.
The Executive Targeting Report: Analysis of Attacks on Corporate Executives from 2003-2025 outlines 424 incidents globally from 2003 to October 31, 2025. By late 2025, the number of incidents had doubled compared to the total for 2024, representing a 100% year-over-year increase.
Physical vs. cyber threats
In 2025, physical incidents dominated, comprising 85% of cases, which included assaults, kidnappings, stalking, and protest-related activities.
Cyber threats accounted for 14%, covering actions like death threats, impersonation, swatting, and account compromise. A third of all incidents resulted in death or physical injury, with hybrid cases reflecting the intersection of physical and digital threats.
Report background and methodology
The dataset informing this report was initiated by a major corporate security entity and subsequently expanded through collaboration with the Security Executive Council (SEC), Mercyhurst University's Business Intelligence & Innovation Lab, and analytical assistance from the Center for Intelligence Research, Analysis, and Training (CIRAT).
Key trends and findings
The findings indicate that CEOs continue to be the primary targets, constituting 64% of attacks
The findings indicate that CEOs continue to be the primary targets, constituting 64% of attacks. Nonetheless, there is an observed increase in threats against other senior executives. Executives in the technology and financial services sectors comprised more than a third of targeted incidents.
Additionally, attacks on female executives reached a record high in 2025, although males are still predominantly targeted. Weapons were present or suspected in 37% of incidents, with firearms involved in 22% of those events. Personally motivated attacks, despite their lower frequency, proved particularly hazardous, involving armed assailants in 70% of cases.
Emerging threat areas
The report also points out a rise in threats located within workplaces and homes since 2020, highlighting an increasing merging of digital and physical threat methodologies.
Bob Hayes, Managing Director of the SEC, noted, “Threat actors are no longer focusing on a single executive profile—targeting has broadened across leadership tiers.” In response to the considerable risk implied by these findings, the SEC is disseminating this information to the public to foster heightened awareness and readiness.
