Staying Uncompromised in a Compromised EnvironmentStaying Uncompromised in a Compromised Environment

Security startup IDVector wants to assure you can use the Internet with having your data snooped out.

IDVector, which recently emerged from stealth mode, is a new company offering a simple and unobtrusive method to safely and securely access the Internet without data compromises. With IDVector, online connections are secure from unauthorized observation, whether tethered to a smartphone, using an app, or free Wi-Fi hotspots in coffee shops and other places.

To learn more about IDVector, I spoke with co-founders Ben Baumgartner, CEO, and Andrew Boyce, CTO, both of whom have previous experience as contractors for the defense industry. They said target users include corporate C-level executives, information security workers, intellectual property professionals, investigative journalists, and U.S. government officials.

Espionage, organized crime, national and state level surveillance, and data brokerage for monetary gain are all concerns, as are mobile exploits, such as Apple's recent iOS compromise. Data brokerage, for example, is estimated to be a $150 billion market, while hackers are said to cost more than $445 billion annually.

How It Works
IDVector creates a secure and private path using a VPN with AES 256-bit IPsec encryption from your computer to the Internet through any network. Internet traffic is encrypted, then redirected through the IDVector ephemeral VPN network. A Web interface allows you to customize how your data flows through the IDVector network, and in which geographic region it egresses to the Internet. Your identity is secure so you can connect to the Internet with anonymity, and your MAC address is randomized so service providers cannot inspect your traffic for data brokerage purposes. This mitigates man-in-the-middle attacks and snooping.

Information stored can be information gleaned, and information traversing the network or Internet can be exploited and sold by providers. The Internet is a tremendous vehicle of opportunity, and in all things Internet we have choices to make. Without the right tools in the right places, enterprises continue to run risks and the potential losses that can easily exceed any short-term perceived rewards.

Traversing any network while providers are gleaning information without adequate tools and protection is akin to promiscuous behavior.

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