Security Awareness for Family and Friends

By: Hunter Storm

Published:

March 1, 2025

Hunter Storm: “The Fourth Option.”

Hunter Storm is a CISO, Advisory Board Member, SOC Black Ops Team Member, Systems Architect, QED-C TAC Relationship Leader, and Cyber-Physical Hybrid Threat Expert with decades of experience in global Fortune 100 companies. She is the originator of the Hacking Humans: Ports and Services Model of Social Engineering framework and The Storm Project: AI, Cybersecurity, Quantum, and the Future of Intelligence. She contributes to ANSI X9, FS-ISAC, NIST, and QED-C, analyzing cybersecurity, financial systems, platform governance, and systemic risk across complex socio-technical systems.

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How to Protect Loved Ones Without Causing Panic | Security Starts at Home

Security isn’t just about firewalls, encryption, or two-factor authentication. It’s also about how we talk, what we share, and what we unknowingly give away. And often, well-meaning conversations, especially from our family and friends, can unintentionally expose details that put us at risk. That’s why security awareness for family and friends is so important.

Recently, I noticed a pattern where multiple people asked my family the same oddly specific question about me. To them, it seemed normal. To me, it set off alarms.

So, how do we help our loved ones understand the importance of security without making them feel like we’re shutting them down? How do we balance being proud of our work with knowing when to stay discreet?

The answer: We educate them.

This post covers why family and friends need security awareness, how to answer questions without oversharing, and resources to help them get up to speed.

Security Awareness for Family and Friends | Why They Need It

Most security professionals, executives, and people in sensitive roles are trained in what to say, what not to say, and how to recognize social engineering and fake friend accounts. But our families and friends? Not so much.

That’s why they are often the easiest way for someone to gather information about us. Our loved ones:

Assume the person asking is just being friendly.
Don’t realize that “small talk” can be a security risk.
Don’t see certain questions as red flags.

It’s not their fault. But it is our responsibility to help them recognize patterns without making them feel like they’ve done something wrong.

How to Talk About Work Without Oversharing

To make security easier for our loved ones, we need to give them simple, repeatable answers that don’t encourage further questioning.

For example, instead of: “Oh, she works in cybersecurity, but she’s done some wild projects. It’s really cool stuff.”

Try: “She works in security and technology. It’s mostly corporate stuff, nothing too wild.”

If someone keeps pressing, they can say: “I don’t really know the details, but she’s doing well!”

By keeping responses boring and vague, we stop people from digging for more.

Resources to Help Family and Friends Stay Security-Aware

If you want to teach security without making it overwhelming, here are some great resources:

CDSE Security Awareness Games: Fun, interactive ways to learn about security.
CISA’s Secure Yourself and Your Family: Practical security tips for non-technical people.
KnowBe4’s Cybersecurity Activity Kit: Great for teaching security in a simple, engaging way.

How to Teach Awareness Without Causing Fear

Security training shouldn’t feel like an interrogation. Here’s how to make it approachable:

Give them an easy script to follow. Just say, “She works in business and tech.”
Make it a conversation, not a lecture. For example, “Have you noticed that a few people have asked about the same thing? That’s interesting, isn’t it?”
Normalize awareness. It’s not paranoia. It’s just a habit, like locking your doors.

Security isn’t about being afraid. It’s about being smart. By educating our families, we don’t just protect ourselves. We protect them, too.

Have you ever had to help your family or friends understand security? What worked for you?

Discover More from Hunter Storm

About the Author | Hunter Storm: Technology Executive, Global Thought Leader, Keynote Speaker

CISO | Advisory Board Member | Strategic Policy & Intelligence Advisor | SOC Black Ops Team | QED-C TAC Relationship Leader | Systems Architect | Artificial Intelligence (AI), Cybersecurity, Quantum Innovator | Cyber-Physical-Psychological Hybrid Threat Expert | Ultimate Asymmetric Advantage

Background

Hunter Storm is a veteran Fortune 100 Chief Information Security Officer (CISO); Advisory Board Member; Strategic Policy and Intelligence Advisor; SOC Black Ops Team Member; QED-C TAC Relationship Leader; Systems Architect; Risk Assessor; Artificial Intelligence (AI), Cybersecurity, Quantum Innovator; Cyber-Physical-Psychological (Cyber-Phys-Psy) Hybrid Threat Expert; and Keynote Speaker with deep expertise in AI, cybersecurity, quantum technologies, and human behavior. Explore more in her Profile and Career Highlights.

Drawing on decades of experience in global Fortune 100 enterprises, including Wells Fargo, Charles Schwab, and American Express; aerospace and high-tech manufacturing leaders such as Alcoa and Special Devices (SDI) / Daicel Safety Systems (DSS); and leading technology services firms such as CompuCom, she guides organizations through complex technical, strategic, and operational challenges.

Global Expert and Subject Matter Expert (SME) | AI, Cybersecurity, Quantum, and Strategic Intelligence

Hunter Storm is a globally recognized Subject Matter Expert (SME) in artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, quantum technology, intelligence, strategy, and emerging and disruptive technologies (EDTs) as defined by NATO and other international frameworks.

A recognized SME with top-tier expert networks including GLG (Top 1%), AlphaSights, and Third Bridge, Hunter Storm advises Board Members, CEOs, CTOs, CISOs, Founders, and Senior Executives across technology, finance, and consulting sectors. Her insights have shaped policy, strategy, and high-risk decision-making at the intersection of AI, cybersecurity, quantum technology, and human-technical threat surfaces.

Bridging Technical Mastery and Operational Agility

Hunter Storm combines technical mastery with real-world operational resilience in high-stakes environments. She builds and protects systems that often align with defense priorities, but serve critical industries and public infrastructure. She combines first-hand; hands-on; real-world cross-domain expertise in risk assessment, security, and ethical governance; and field-tested theoretical research with a proven track record in high-stakes environments that demand both technical acumen and strategic foresight.

Projects | Research and Development (R&D) | Frameworks

Hunter Storm is the creator of The Storm Project | AI, Cybersecurity, Quantum, and the Future of Intelligence, the largest AI research initiative in history.

Hunter Storm pioneered Hacking Humans | The Ports and Services Model of Social Engineering, introducing foundational concepts that have profoundly shaped modern human-centric security disciplines, including behavioral security, cognitive defense, human risk modeling, red teaming, social engineering, psychological operations (PsyOps), and biohacking. It continues to inform the practice and theory of cybersecurity today, adopted by governments, enterprises, and global security communities.

Hunter Storm also pioneered the first global forensic mapping of digital repression architecture, suppression, and censorship through her project Viewpoint Discrimination by Design | The First Global Forensic Mapping of Digital Repression Architecture, monitoring platform accountability and digital suppression worldwide.

Achievements and Awards

Hunter Storm is a Mensa member and recipient of the Marquis Who’s Who Lifetime Achievement Award, reflecting her enduring influence on AI, cybersecurity, quantum, technology, strategy, and global security.

She is a distinguished member of the Industry Advisory Board at Texas A&M School of Computer Science, where she advises on curricula and strategic initiatives in AI, cybersecurity, and quantum technology.

Hunter Storm is a trusted contributor to ANSI X9, FS-ISAC, NIST, and QED-C, shaping policy, standards, and strategy at the highest levels.

Hunter Storm | The Ultimate Asymmetric Advantage

Hunter Storm is known for solving problems most won’t touch. She combines technical mastery, operational agility, and strategic foresight to protect critical assets and shape the future at the intersection of technology, strategy, and high-risk decision-making.

Hunter Storm reframes human-technical threat surfaces to expose vulnerabilities others miss, delivering the ultimate asymmetric advantage.

Discover Hunter Storm’s full Professional Profile and Career Highlights.

Confidential Contact

Contact Hunter Storm for: Consultations, engagements, board memberships, leadership roles, policy advisory, legal strategy, expert witness, or unconventional problems that require highly unconventional solutions.

Securing the Future | AI, Cybersecurity, Quantum computing, innovation, risk management, hybrid threats, security. Hunter Storm (“The Fourth Option”) is here. Let’s get to work.