For the third episode of Digithy Talks, we sat down with Ryan, co-founder of Cypaw, and Adam CEO and co-founder of Cypaw; a cyber security startup on a mission to make cyber privacy and security accessible to all.
Cypaw is a mobile application designed to help users improve their online security and privacy by reviewing their digital footprint and protecting their digital activities.
Cyber-attacks: How serious are they, and how can Cypaw help prevent them?
We’ve all heard the term cyber-attack before but what is it, really?
A cyber attack is first and foremost a violation of privacy and a form of theft that can be caused by even the simplest of actions.
The most common mistake people make online is using the same password for different platforms. Adam gives the example of signing up to a common website to get a free voucher and then reusing the password on another website.
It sounds like a normal thing to do. However, by doing so, we unwillingly endanger our data and private information because one of the websites we signed up for can easily be a victim of a security breach. In a matter of minutes cyber attackers can access our name, email address, and password, which likely many people use for their bank accounts, social media, etc.
Cypaw is striving to get people to understand where the danger lies and how to look after themselves online.
With 4.000 people using the newly launched Cypaw mobile application, each user has had around 2-3 security breaches, leading to around 13 billion records of leaked passwords for the Cypaw users only. A terrifying figure to say the least.
The idea for the project came from Adam’s big interest and professional experience in cybersecurity, along with the realization that there was a major focus on hardwares and computers themselves rather than on the people using these hardwares.
It is people who click on bad websites and open bad emails, not machines or softwares.
“We wanted to make a product that would protect people and businesses” - Adam CEO and co-founder of Cypaw
Challenges encountered
“One of the biggest challenges we faced was having to adapt to different circumstances thrown our way” indicated Ryan, Co-Founder of Cypaw.
He then explained that the company’s original vocation was to start out as a B2B project. However, once the product was out in the market, feedback indicated that the public was interested in the idea as well.
This was the reason Cypaw’s Adam and Ryan quickly shifted and adapted their product from B2B to B2C; a challenge they did not see initially but have learned a lot from and became an important element of their success.
Another challenge is brand awareness, which is crucial to every business.
Trying to build a brand that would attract customers to your product and maintain a high level of trust and fidelity is what makes or breaks a company.
This was an important milestone in Cypaw’s strategy.
To help customers see that Cypaw is a trustworthy cyber security startup, the company based its action plan on raising awareness and educating users on cyber attacks.
Covid-19 and remote working sure put a restrain on fundraising and organizing oneself, but as the whole world is adapting to this new normal, so is Cypaw.
Accounting: The dreaded business step
As glamorous as it may seem, running a startup is no piece of cake. Adam and Ryan agree that the admin side of the whole process is a hassle; from coming up with new ideas to picturing and designing the products.
And then having to deal with all the accounting that comes with it _ Ah! wouldn’t it be a treat if we didn’t have to do that!
The Cypaw app can be found on both the Apple store for iOS and on Google Play for Android devices.