IT Brew

IT Brew: How to protect an exec’s personal email

Chris Pierson, our CEO and Founder, has dedicated much of his “digital executive protection” firm’s efforts to protecting a breach point that, at times, lives beyond corporate walls and firewalls. Pierson says today’s cyberattackers bypass high-security corporate environments—the castles—by exploiting less-defended personal email accounts.

“If the castle walls are high, don’t attack the king and queen there. Go attack them down at the summer cottage, right? You attack them where there are less controls, but the same target,” Pierson told IT Brew.

Pierson, along with other cybersecurity pros who spoke with IT Brew, gathered a checklist of controls to avoid turning personal compromises into corporate ones.

Read the full article here: https://www.itbrew.com/stories/2024/10/23/how-to-protect-an-exec-s-personal-email

ABC 7

ABC 7 News: AI deepfakes, voting misinformation, fake fundraisers and other 2024 election scams ramp up

As the 2024 election approaches, scammers are ramping up their tactics, from AI deepfakes to fake fundraising links. BlackCloak’s CEO, Chris Pierson, shares crucial insights on how to stay vigilant and protect yourself from these threats. 

“Don’t be preyed upon,” Pierson warns. “Always verify information and never pay to register to vote.”

Stay informed and stay safe. Read the full article to learn more about these scams and how to protect yourself. 

Read the full article here. 

Crain Currency Logo

Crain Currency: Family offices must assess ‘weak links’ for cyber protection

From Ohio school computers to nationwide hospital operations and Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, cyberattacks are compromising vast areas of society. Family offices are no exception, with ultra-high-net-worth individuals being a top target for criminal groups around the world.

“Even though family offices might be small employee-wise, they really need to think of themselves like medium-sized companies, because the assets they control be be significant,” said Michael Ehrlich, former chief of operations for a cyber defense group at the U.S. National Security Agency. “It’s surprising the number of businesses and family offices that have in the past four or five years fallen victim to business email compromise attacks and wired money completely to the wrong account, with the best of intentions.”

Ehrlich is now a founding partner of Trifident, a cybersecurity consultancy that works with single and multi-family offices ranging from 30 to 250 employees. In a survey by J.P. Morgan Private Bank of 190 family offices, with an average net worth of $1.4 billion, 24% said they’ve been hit with a cyberattack, and 40% view cybersecurity as a top area of concern.

“We’re trying to help family offices rethink cybersecurity,” said Ileana van der Linde, head of cyber advisory at J.P. Morgan. “A lot of them believe this is a technology problem. But most cyberattacks don’t happen through technology; they happen because of people and process.”

 

Read the full article here. 

ITSP Magazine

ITSP: $17M Series B Will Accelerate Growth As BlackCloak Further Strengthens Its Personal Cybersecurity Platform And Drives Innovative Products | 7 Minutes on ITSPmagazine | A BlackCloak Short Brand Innovation Story with Chris Pierson

Discover how BlackCloak is revolutionizing digital executive protection with insights from CEO and Co-founder Chris Pierson, who shares their recent $17 million Series B funding success and future plans for scaling their proprietary technology and concierge-level services. Tune in to find out why investors are excited about BlackCloak’s unique approach to safeguarding high-profile individuals and their families.

Listen to the interview here. 

Friends of Other Chuck

SecurityGuyTV: With Dr. Chris Pierson, CEO and Rob Duncan, VP of Sales at GSX 2024

In this episode, Dr. Chris Pierson and Ron Duncan, discuss the convergence of executive protection and cybersecurity, highlighting the importance of digital executive protection. They delve into the understanding of risks and pain points by CSOs and CISOs, and also touch upon future plans. Join the conversation as they provide insights and explore the evolving landscape of executive protection.

Watch the interview here: https://vimeo.com/1007911319

Bank Info Security

Bank Info Security: BlackCloak Raises $17M to Boost Cybersecurity for Executives

New Funding Will Help BlackCloak Improve Protection Against Rising Cyberthreats

A startup led by the Royal Bank of Scotland’s former privacy leader raised $17 million to provide threat modeling and deepfake protection to C-suites and boards.

Orlando-based BlackCloak said the Series B funding will help the digital executive protection vendor scale both its product development and concierge services to help protect high-profile individuals from cyberthreats in their personal lives. Growing BlackCloak’s engineering and security teams will enable the company to offer deepfake protection, threat intelligence and incident response tailored to executives.

“This is different than any other mission that’s been out there,” founder and CEO Chris Pierson told Information Security Media Group. “We’re the pioneer. We’re the first company that is here, tackling this issue for corporations. We need to grow the engineering team and the product team.”

 

Read the rest of the article here: https://www.bankinfosecurity.com/blackcloak-raises-17m-to-boost-cybersecurity-for-executives-a-26300

 

SecurityWeek: Cybersecurity News, Insights, and Analysis

SecurityWeek: BlackCloak Raises $17 Million to Protect Executives, High-Profile Individuals

Cybersecurity and privacy firm BlackCloak today announced raising $17 million in a Series B funding round that brings the total investment in the company to over $30 million.

The new funding round was led by Baird Capital, with additional support from Blue Heron Capital and existing investors TDF Ventures and TechOperators. BlackCloak previously raised $11 million in a Series A funding round in 2021.

Founded in 2018, the Florida-based company provides corporate executives and other high-profile individuals at risk of sophisticated cyberattacks with robust personal protection for them and their families.

The BlackCloak Concierge Cybersecurity & Privacy Platform secures mobile and desktop applications and devices to shield customers from social engineering, cyber-extortion, doxing, and other types of threats, and also includes incident response capabilities.

The company’s mobile application provides real-time reports on digital health status. The desktop application allows users to monitor the security of personal, home, and family devices, while an enterprise dashboard provides insights aggregated for organizations.

 

Read the full article here: https://www.securityweek.com/blackcloak-raises-17-million-to-protect-executives-high-profile-individuals/

BlackCloak announcing $17 million Series B Funding

BlackCloak Raises $17M Series B Funding Round to Enhance Personal Cybersecurity Protections for Corporate Executives, High Net Worth Individuals, and Family Offices

Led by Baird Capital, investment will accelerate growth as BlackCloak further strengthens its personal cybersecurity platform and drives innovative products to support growing market demand.

 

ORLANDO, FL, September 17, 2024 — BlackCloak, the Pioneer in Digital Executive Protection for executives and senior leaders, high-net-worth individuals, and family offices, today announced the successful close of its $17M Series B funding round. Led by Baird Capital with significant strategic investments from Blue Heron Capital and with continued support from existing investors, including TDF Ventures and TechOperators, BlackCloak will use this funding to prioritize technology investments in cutting edge, platform expanding products and intelligence as the company continues its mission to protect the personal digital lives of highly targeted individuals. The Series B funding round brings BlackCloak’s total equity financing to over $30M.

“Over the past decade, nation-states and cybercriminals have shifted their attention from the well defended walls of corporate environments and investment banks to softer targets that are easier to penetrate. This means that high-net-worth and high-profile individuals, family offices, and corporate executives are increasingly falling prey to bad actors. There has never before been a platform that solves these problems for this clientele – oftentimes pushing the problem back on the individual or their advisor network,” said Mark Donnelly, Partner at Baird Capital. “BlackCloak’s use of industry-leading guidance, concierge support, and automation to deliver cutting-edge Digital Executive Protection is the differentiator that we look for as a firm. We are thrilled to partner with the pioneers in the space to accelerate the expansion of BlackCloak and its services.”

“As our clients and their peers contend with stale and inadequate consumer solutions to the problems they uniquely face, leveraging a technology platform, purpose built for this market is more important than ever,” said Dr. Chris Pierson, Founder and CEO of BlackCloak. “With the support of Baird Capital, Blue Heron Capital, TDF Ventures, TechOperators, and DataTribe, BlackCloak is continuing to scale our Digital Executive Protection Platform and to pioneer new advances in the field ensuring our clients receive the highest degree of protection available in the market.  The home is the new battleground for cyber and BlackCloak is there to meet the challenge.”

BlackCloak’s industry-defining approach to Digital Executive Protection continues to set the standard for the personal cybersecurity industry. The company’s bespoke solution addresses the shortcomings of outdated, consumer-grade options by delivering an enterprise-grade platform that provides the most robust personal protection available for high-profile individuals at risk of sophisticated attacks.

“Our investment in BlackCloak highlights our excitement for this platform and the team that is reshaping the way the industry thinks about personal cybersecurity,” added Gordon Crenshaw, Partner at Blue Heron Capital. “BlackCloak’s mission and dedication to protecting those increasingly targeted individuals and their families inspired us, and we couldn’t be more excited to support BlackCloak in this next phase of growth.” 

BlackCloak has become the trusted solution for Fortune 50 companies, the world’s largest financial institutions, prominent public officials, and top talent management firms in the entertainment industry. The platform helps shield clients from an increasingly diverse attack vector – ranging from deepfakes and advanced social engineering attacks to cyber-extortion, doxxing, and even physical threats. BlackCloak’s growth has been and will continue to be fueled by exciting innovations in the personal cybersecurity space. 

For more information on BlackCloak, visit https://blackcloak.io/.

 

About BlackCloak

BlackCloak protects corporate executives and high-profile individuals from cybersecurity, privacy, financial, and other reputational risks. Used by Fortune 500 companies across all industries, the BlackCloak Concierge Cybersecurity & Privacy™ Platform is a holistic solution including mobile and desktop apps as well as concierge support. Executives and high-profile individuals get peace of mind knowing their family, reputation, and finances are secured. Companies rest assured that their brand, intellectual property, data, and finances are protected against threats coming through executives without having to invade their personal lives. Learn more at www.blackcloak.io, follow them on LinkedIn and Twitter

 

About Baird Capital 

Baird Capital manages two investment platforms, Venture Capital and Global Private Equity, and invests in B2B technology and services-focused companies worldwide. Founded in 1989, the group focuses on investing in sub-sectors where it has deep institutional knowledge and leveraging global operating capabilities to support the operational and growth needs of partner companies. Baird Capital is the direct private investment arm of Robert W. Baird & Co. For more information, please visit BairdCapital.com.

 

About Blue Heron Capital

Based in Richmond, VA, Blue Heron Capital is an early-stage growth equity firm funding big ideas in the enterprise technology and healthcare industries. Using the powerful combination of financial capital and the human capital of its OA Collaborative, Blue Heron helps build businesses that make big impacts. For more information, please visit https://www.blueheroncap.com/.

 

Media Contact for BlackCloak:

Mike Sias
[email protected] 

 

Media Contact for Baird Capital: 

Rachel Berkowitz

Baird Capital Public Relations

[email protected]