What “light-touch” really means
It isn’t fewer safeguards. It’s quiet integration:
Small teams with excellent judgment.
Clear checklists and pre-briefs.
Technology configured to reduce noise, not add it.
If it looks like security, it’s already failed.
Three layers that never compete
People. Vetted staff, defined roles, calm practice under stress. When staff exits, access exits with them.
Places. Homes and travel routes designed for low friction: role-based access, safe areas that don’t draw attention, perimeters that separate curiosity from threat.
Digital. Privacy by default: minimized footprints, attack-surface audits, second-factor protocols that don’t break daily life.
Why family offices lead with prevention
UHNW environments don’t wait for headlines. They build in silence—because the costs of exposure are real and rising. The average cost of a data breach was $4.45M in 2023.¹ Insider/employee-related incidents remain a meaningful share of breaches, not just “outside hackers.”²
At the same time, only ~40% of global family offices report having formal cybersecurity controls—more mature offices are far likelier to have risk management in place.³
How gatekeepers choose a partner (and keep control)
NDA-first intake. Confidential by design; details shared only when necessary.
Discreet references. Quiet proof beats public logos.
Alignment with counsel. Paper you can use; nothing you need to explain.
One number. Add posts, extend shifts, flip to overnights without ceremony.
After-action, not after-the-fact. Ten-line debriefs and next-time fixes.
Close Protection for UHNW Families: Light-touch in practice (anonymized snapshots)
Deepfake attempt, stopped. A voice clone triggered a transfer request. Secondary verification killed it in minutes; travel plans continued without disruption.
Contractor exposure, contained. An unvetted vendor held admin credentials to an estate network. A quiet audit closed access, rotated keys, and documented proof for counsel.
Metadata trail, removed. Tagging and travel patterns exposed a routine. Within 24 hours, the route changed, photos were cleaned, and the week stayed invisible.
The standard we hold
Licensed coverage for homes, travel, and events—plain-clothes or low-visibility.
Quiet supervision and debriefs your advisors actually use.
No theater. Just outcomes: stability, privacy, continuity.
Private access (referral + NDA only)
(510) 760-8803
Concierge intake: dssprivate.com/concierge
Sources
IBM Security — Cost of a Data Breach Report 2023 (avg. $4.45M).
Verizon — 2023 Data Breach Investigations Report (internal actors ≈19% of breaches).
UBS Global Family Office Report 2024 (as summarized by Barron’s: 40% have cyber controls; larger/more mature offices show higher governance and risk-management adoption).
Related Phrases: Close Protection for UHNW Families, Light-touch Security for UHNW, Residential Security for Family Offices