Why Rising Threats Against Tech Executives May Signal a Deeper Crisis of Trust
September 8, 2026 – 8:28 pm
By Tim Crockett, co-founder of DGBI-USA
Credit: Tim Crockett
Threats against corporate leaders are becoming harder for businesses to treat as isolated security issues. According to Reuters, 42% of security chiefs across various industries witnessed a significant surge in threats of violence against company executives over the past two years, with this figure reaching 66% among U.S.-based security chiefs in the tech sector, suggesting a heightened concern within the technology industry.
For Tim Crockett, co-founder of DGBI-USA specializing in intelligence, investigations, and security risk management, these statistics raise broader questions for technology leaders. While ensuring executive safety is an immediate priority, he highlights a longer-term issue: whether distrust towards technology, work, and institutions could make gauging hostility towards prominent business leaders more challenging.
Crockett attributes this to the growing "sense of uncertainty around what people can trust." With constant exposure to conflicting narratives, competing claims, and increasingly convincing AI-generated content, differentiating credible information from misinformation becomes difficult. This erosion of trust can influence how individuals perceive institutions, companies, and their leaders.
The situation becomes more intricate with the advent of AI, which alters both what people see and their expectations regarding work. The 2025 World Security Report revealed that 73% of CSOs had encountered misinformation or disinformation campaigns targeting their companies. Meanwhile, a 2026 Pew Research Center survey indicated that 71% of U.S. adults believe AI will lead to fewer jobs over the next two decades, up from 64% in 2024.
These expectations do not predict the future of employment but highlight widespread workforce uncertainty. The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025 found that 41% of employers anticipate reducing staff where AI can replace roles, while 77% plan to reskill or upskill employees to work alongside AI effectively.
Crockett emphasizes the security implications of this uncertainty, especially regarding perceptions of companies and their leaders. He predicts a "dip" in trust that could create issues, as people already feeling economically insecure might increasingly associate those anxieties with tech-leading companies.
Recent events within the technology sector exemplify this trust issue. A 2026 Reuters investigation reported Meta scaling back an AI-driven workforce restructuring due to employee resistance, productivity concerns, and operational disruptions. While not implying a direct link between job dissatisfaction and violence, Crockett argues that AI disruption can contribute to a broader environment of uncertainty surrounding jobs, institutions, and corporate leadership.
He differentiates between legitimate criticism, protest, or employee dissatisfaction and concerning behaviors like escalating anger into threats. Security teams, according to Crockett, should approach these situations judiciously, recognizing the nuanced distinction between dissent and potential violence.