Cybersecurity Framework
A cybersecurity framework is a structured set of controls, policies, and processes that govern how a family office manages digital security risks. Common frameworks include the CIS Critical Security Controls and the NIST Cybersecurity Framework; specialised offices often layer family-office-specific guidance on top.
The threat model for UHNW families differs from generic enterprise security. Attackers are fewer but more sophisticated, more patient, and more targeted. Pretexting (impersonating a trusted contact to extract information or initiate transactions) is more common than mass phishing. The family's broader ecosystem — lawyers, accountants, household staff — is part of the attack surface.
Working frameworks combine baseline controls (multi-factor authentication, endpoint detection, encrypted email, password managers) with targeted practices (travel and personal-device policies, segmented access, annual external penetration testing by firms specialising in family offices).
Related terms
Deeper reading
Setting Up a Family Office: Structure, Costs, and First-Year Priorities
From choosing between a single-family and multi-family office to sequencing your first hires and estimating true running costs, this guide walks through every major decision in building a family office from scratch.
Setting Up a Family Office: Structure, Costs, Build Sequence
A practical guide for principals deciding whether to establish a family office: when an SFO beats an MFO, what it costs by AUM tier, which functions to build first, and how to pressure-test readiness before committing.
Family Office Services: The Complete Service Map
Not all family offices offer the same services. This complete service map distinguishes core from optional functions and shows how scope shifts across single-family, multi-family, and outsourced models.
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