Were you a victim of last week’s terrifying cyber-attack?
If not, consider yourself lucky…
76 million households and 7 million small businesses were hacked.
If you’ve ever used Chase or JPMorgan’s websites or apps, online criminals now have your name, address, phone number, and email.
Nine other financial institutions were infiltrated, too – all by criminals who seem to be based in Russia.
As one of the most serious online thefts ever perpetrated, the Treasury, the Secret Service and the F.B.I. have all gotten involved
But there’s a silver lining to this debacle –
And it could mean big gains for early investors.
Basic Protections
Today we’ll do three things for you:
- We’ll look at what you can do to protect yourself from these attacks
- We’ll tell you about a new start-up that’s aiming to help; and
- We’ll show you how you can invest in this start-up
So let’s dive in…
First of all, there are basic steps you should always take to protect yourself online:
For example, review transactions on your banking statement each month, and check your credit reports once a year (it’s free) at AnnualCreditReport.com.
And here are three ways to be even more cautious.
1. If you receive an email asking for personal information like your social security number, don’t respond.
Banks and credit card companies never ask for personal info like this over email.
2. Did you know that 860 million cases of identity theft have been reported?
To avoid becoming part of this statistic, you can do what’s called a security freeze.
A security freeze stops the credit bureaus from releasing your credit reports. This single step ensures that no fake accounts get set up in your name.
3. Install sophisticated privacy software on your computer, your tablet, and your mobile device.
And this is where a new start-up we’ve discovered can help…
Where There’s Chaos, There’s Opportunity
As Wayne wrote about a couple months ago, Cybercrime is big business:
It costs U.S. corporations $250 billion annually. Globally, the figure is closer to $1 trillion.
But as Wayne said, “Where there’s chaos, there’s opportunity.”
One company taking advantage of this opportunity is called SnoopWall.
SnoopWall is a security and privacy software company. They build tools that detect and block malicious activity.
As investors, we like the big, fast-growing market they’re going after – and we like the quality of their team, too.
Their founder, Gary Miliefsky, is a founding member of the US Department of Homeland Security.
Gary’s advised two White House administrations (Bill Clinton and George W. Bush) on cyber security. In the past, his technology innovations have been acquired by McAfee, a top software security company, and been licensed to companies including IBM.
Let’s take a look at what Gary and his team are building and patenting.
Counterveillance
SnoopWall’s expertise is in what’s called counterveillance.
To explain what this term means, consider the Stealth Bomber — the B-2.
The B-2 is so powerful because it’s invisible to radar.
Its outer layer is a form of counterveillance technology.
In other words, it counters any surveillance.
SnoopWall is taking the same approach, but for the war against cybercrime.
Their technology makes your computer and other devices invisible.
This way, cyber criminals won’t be able to find you. And none of your private information or data can be stolen.
Who’ll Be Next?
Senator Markey, a member of the Senate Commerce Committee, said “the data breach at JPMorgan Chase is yet another example of how Americans’ most sensitive personal information is in danger.”
After the breach at JP Morgan, and after attacks on household names like Target and Home Depot, the real question is: who’ll be next?
If you’re interested in keeping your personal information safe — or, interested in exploring an investment in this fast-growing sector, check out SnoopWall here >>
They’re currently raising money from investors like you on ibankers.com, one of the funding platforms we cover here at Crowdability.
(Please note: Crowdability has no relationship with SnoopWall or ibankers. Crowdability is an independent provider of research and education.)
Best Regards,
Founder
Crowdability.com
