Cybersecurity for High Net Worth Individuals in Australia: Protecting Personal, Family and Business Digital Assets

High net worth cybersecurity is not simply small business security with a different label.

For many private clients, personal, family and business systems overlap. A founder may use the same phone for investment documents, family photos, private banking, travel, board papers and property matters. A spouse may share access to household accounts. A private assistant may manage calendars, invoices, flights, events and cloud folders. A family office may coordinate with accountants, lawyers, wealth advisors, property managers and external IT providers.

That mix creates a different risk profile. The goal is not to create fear or turn a private household into a corporate security programme. The goal is to identify the accounts, devices, domains and workflows that matter, then reduce avoidable risk with practical controls.

Solway Web Consulting provides private client IT and cybersecurity support for high net worth individuals, families, family offices and executive home offices across Australia and New Zealand.

Why high net worth cybersecurity is different

A private client may have more public exposure, more valuable accounts and more people involved in day-to-day administration than a typical household. There may be business interests, property entities, old company domains, investment portals, travel accounts, cloud drives, personal websites, household devices and family members using shared technology.

The risk is often fragmented rather than centralised. There may be no single IT manager, no asset list and no clear ownership record for domains, websites, email accounts or backup systems. A practical review starts by mapping what exists.

Authoritative Australian guidance is useful context. The ACCC warns that scams can involve criminals stealing money or personal details, and that invoice and payment redirection scams can impersonate real businesses. The Australian Cyber Security Centre's Essential Eight is aimed at organisational cyber resilience, but private clients can still apply the same broad thinking: patch systems, use MFA, restrict privileged access and maintain backups.

The difference is that private-client controls need to be adapted to a household, family office or executive environment. A normal business can mandate a policy and push a device management profile. A private client may need a more careful path: review the highest-risk accounts first, explain the trade-offs, avoid unnecessary disruption, and work with assistants or advisors who already support the family.

Useful references:

• ACCC scams guidance
• ASD Essential Eight explained
• Microsoft 365 security best practices

The overlap between personal, family and business risk

Private-client environments often include:

• personal email and cloud storage
• Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace for a company or family office
• banking, wealth, insurance and investment portals
• property and travel accounts
• family devices and shared tablets
• assistants or household staff with delegated access
• old domains and websites
• accounting and legal document systems
• social media and public-profile accounts

Security problems often appear at the joins. A private assistant may have access to a personal inbox without MFA. A domain may be registered in an old supplier account. A cloud folder may be shared with a former advisor. A family member may reuse passwords. A travel account may be protected only by SMS.

These are not signs of negligence. They are usually the result of years of practical decisions made by different people. The task is to bring order to the environment without blame: identify the accounts, confirm ownership, remove access that is no longer needed, strengthen authentication and document recovery paths.

Email compromise and invoice fraud

Email compromise remains one of the most practical risks for private clients. A compromised mailbox can expose documents, invoices, travel details, contacts and recovery links for other accounts.

Invoice fraud is also relevant. The ACCC has warned Australians to check payment details directly with a business before paying emailed invoices, noting that scammers may impersonate businesses or alter payment details. For private clients, the amounts can be significant and the workflows may involve assistants, family members and advisors.

Useful controls include:

• MFA on email accounts
• hardware security keys or passkeys for high-value accounts
• review of mailbox forwarding rules
• careful payment change verification
• separation of personal and business mail where appropriate
• account recovery review
• documented access for assistants and advisors

Payment workflows also need human controls. A technical review can reduce email spoofing and account compromise risk, but payment changes should still be verified through a trusted channel. For example, a private assistant should not rely only on a new bank account number received by email, even if the email appears to come from a known supplier.

Domain, DNS and email authentication risks

Domains are often overlooked digital assets. A domain may control email, websites, family office systems, client-facing aliases and password resets.

DNS records should be reviewed for ownership, registrar security, nameservers, SPF, DKIM and DMARC. These controls do not stop all phishing, but they can reduce direct spoofing of a real domain.

SPF lists authorised sending systems. DKIM signs outgoing mail. DMARC ties SPF and DKIM to the visible From domain and lets the domain owner publish a policy. For private clients with family office domains, company domains or personal brand domains, this matters.

The review should include unused and parked domains as well as active domains. A domain that does not send email should still be configured defensively so it is harder to abuse. Renewal dates and registrar recovery details should also be documented because losing control of a domain can affect email, websites and account recovery.

For a deeper explanation, see SPF, DKIM and DMARC explained for Australian businesses and the email security and DMARC setup service.

Microsoft 365, Google Workspace and cloud account security

Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace are powerful, but default settings and old configurations are not always enough.

A private-client security review may check:

• MFA coverage
• administrator accounts
• recovery email and phone settings
• delegated mailbox access
• old users and external guests
• cloud sharing settings
• suspicious forwarding rules
• DKIM and domain authentication
• audit and alert settings where available

Google publishes Workspace security checklists for administrators, and Microsoft publishes security best practices for Microsoft 365 business environments. These are useful baselines, but implementation still needs to fit the household, family office or executive office context.

For example, administrator accounts should be separate from everyday user accounts where practical. Former assistants, contractors and advisors should be removed or reduced to the minimum access still required. External sharing should be reviewed before assuming cloud storage is private. Recovery accounts should belong to the client or agreed trusted structure, not an old supplier.

Password managers, MFA and account recovery

Password reuse is still common, especially where accounts have accumulated over many years. A password manager can help, but rollout needs to be practical. Family members, assistants and advisors may have different access needs.

MFA should be applied first to email, password managers, banking and finance portals, domain registrars, cloud storage, social media, accounting platforms and administrator accounts. Where risk is higher, passkeys or hardware security keys may be more appropriate than SMS.

Account recovery is just as important. A secure account can still become a problem if recovery depends on an old phone number, a former assistant's email or an unmanaged personal account.

The practical outcome should be a small set of well-protected recovery paths. That might include backup security keys, documented recovery codes, trusted contact details and a secure record of who can help if the primary phone or laptop is lost.

Home office and household technology risks

Executive home offices and private households often contain a mixture of business and personal equipment: routers, Wi-Fi networks, printers, scanners, cameras, NAS devices, smart TVs, laptops, tablets, phones and guest devices.

The practical questions are simple:

• Who manages the router?
• Is there a separate guest network?
• Are devices updated?
• Are old laptops still holding sensitive data?
• Are backups working?
• Can family members access business files accidentally?
• Are printers and scanners storing documents?
• Is remote support controlled?

For a focused guide, see secure home office IT for executives and family offices.

Household technology also needs clear boundaries. A guest Wi-Fi network, sensible router configuration and separation of sensitive work devices from unmanaged smart devices can reduce avoidable exposure without making the home difficult to use.

Travel and remote access considerations

Travel can change the risk profile. Devices may connect to hotel Wi-Fi, airport networks, hired cars, serviced apartments or temporary offices. Phones and laptops may hold sensitive documents, identity records, travel plans and financial access.

Preparation can include device updates, backup checks, screen lock settings, disk encryption, reduced local data, MFA checks, secure remote access, temporary travel devices for higher-risk trips and recovery planning if a phone or laptop is lost.

This is defensive preparation, not physical security advice. For higher-risk travel or personal safety matters, specialist advisors may be needed.

Travel preparation should be proportionate. For many trips, the right answer is updated devices, reliable backups and strong account recovery. For higher-sensitivity travel, it may be sensible to reduce locally stored data, use a dedicated travel laptop or review which accounts are signed in before departure.

The role of discretion and trusted hands-on support

Private-client cybersecurity requires trust. The consultant may see sensitive account names, family workflows, advisor relationships, domain records and device inventories. The work needs clear scope, minimal exposure and careful documentation.

Mark Solway's career began in 5-star hospitality in Sydney over 35 years ago, including work in some of Sydney's most prestigious hotels. That background shaped a service style based on discretion, calm delivery, attention to detail and working effectively around demanding clients. Today, that service mindset is combined with practical IT, DNS, hosting, email security and cybersecurity experience.

That combination matters because the work is personal. Private clients need someone who can speak plainly to the principal, coordinate through an assistant, work with an existing IT provider and still handle technical details accurately.

Working with assistants, advisors and family offices

Private-client cybersecurity often depends on the people around the principal. A private PA, estate manager, family office, accountant, lawyer, wealth advisor or IT provider may have legitimate access to systems and documents. The goal is not to block useful support. The goal is to make access deliberate.

A review can identify who has access to email, calendars, cloud folders, domains, password vaults, websites and devices. It can also separate day-to-day delegated access from administrative control. For example, an assistant may need calendar and travel access, while domain registrar access should be limited to a smaller group and protected by strong MFA.

Clear documentation helps when roles change. If an assistant leaves, the client should know which passwords, recovery details, shared folders, mailbox permissions and devices need review. If a new advisor is appointed, access can be granted intentionally rather than by forwarding old links or sharing broad folders.

Practical cybersecurity checklist for private clients

• Identify all important email, domain, cloud and finance accounts.
• Enable MFA for email, banking, cloud, password manager and domain registrar accounts.
• Review Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace administrators and delegated access.
• Check SPF, DKIM and DMARC for family office, company and personal brand domains.
• Remove old users, old devices and former supplier access.
• Review cloud storage sharing and external guests.
• Check backups for key documents and devices.
• Secure the home office router, Wi-Fi and guest network.
• Review password reuse and move important accounts into a password manager.
• Document account recovery paths.
• Secure old laptops, drives and phones before disposal.
• Prepare devices before travel.
• Keep legal, financial and physical security matters with the appropriate specialists.

When to request a private-client cybersecurity review

Request a review when there has been a family office change, assistant change, business sale, home office move, travel concern, suspicious email, domain ownership uncertainty, cloud sharing concern, invoice fraud scare or general lack of clarity about important accounts.

The review does not need to be intrusive. It can start with a discreet discussion, a defined scope and a prioritised list of practical checks.

For clients in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Canberra, Perth, Adelaide, Auckland, Wellington or Christchurch, work can often begin remotely with domain, email and cloud account review before deciding whether on-site support is required. Travel across Australia and New Zealand can be arranged for scoped private-client projects.

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