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Ransomware Costs Surge as Quantum Computing Risks Loom: How Data Security Stocks Are Responding

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USA News Group News Commentary

Issued on behalf of Scope Technologies Corp.

VANCOUVER, BC, Oct. 2, 2024 /CNW/ — USA News Group News Commentary – Ransomware is on the rise, according to the IBM Cost of a Data Breach Report 2024, with the global average cost of a data breach reaching $4.88 million this year, for a 10% increase over 2023. As computing power and technology advances, so too does the ability of cybercriminals to penetrate vulnerabilities, with 55% of companies reporting modern cybercriminals are now more advanced than their internal teams. With the rise of quantum computing the G7 Cyber Expert Group (CEG) recently advised the G7 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors encouraging jurisdictions to monitor quantum computing development, and begin planning for the potential risks quantum computing poses on some current encryption methods. Several tech developers are currently working on AI-powered, and future-proof quantum computing security to protect data today and tomorrow, with recent developments coming from, including: Scope Technologies Corp. (CSE: SCPE) (OTCQB: SCPCF), Gen™ (NASDAQ: GEN), Palantir Technologies Inc. (NYSE: PLTR), Veritone, Inc. (NASDAQ: VERI), and SentinelOne, Inc. (NYSE: S).

The article continued: Swedish multinational telecom Telia has warned that the rise of AI technology has increased the risk of cyber-attacks targeting businesses. The Federal Communications Commission addressed the need for better telecom security, forcing T-Mobile to pay $31.5 million in data protection and cybersecurity settlements after investigations into data breaches that impacted millions of US consumers.

Scope Technologies completes updates for Retail User Subscription Model for Fully Encrypted, Quantum-Resilient, and Decentralized Cloud Storage

Scope Technologies Corp. (CSE: SCPE) (OTCQB: SCPCF), a pioneering technology company specializing in quantum security and machine learning, today announced the successful completion of updates for its new retail subscription model, offering full access to its industry-leading encrypted, quantum-resilient, and decentralized cloud storage solutions. Having reached this key milestone, Scope Technologies is now in closed user group testing gearing up for the official launch, which will deliver top-tier data protection solutions to individual users and small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs).

As the global demand for secure, immutable data storage continues to rise, Scope Technologies’ QSE (Quantum Security & Entropy) platform delivers enhanced protection through a combination of post-quantum encryption and decentralized storage, ensuring data is safeguarded against both current and future cyber threats. Unlike standard cloud backups, QSE’s decentralized approach ensures that data remains immutable and resistant to ransomware and denial of service attacks, among many others.

“Data protection should not be a luxury,” said Sean Prescott, Founder and CTO of Scope Technologies. “Having completed the updates to our decentralized storage network, we are excited to bring the power of quantum encryption and decentralized storage to a wider audience. This solution ensures that individuals and businesses can protect their data not only from current threats but also from the unprecedented risks posed by quantum computing and ransomware.”

With updates now complete, Scope Technologies is gearing up to launch its decentralized cloud storage service, QSE, for retail users. This service provides robust data security through quantum-proof encryption, utilizing quantum entropy to create unbreakable encryption keys, even against future quantum computing threats. The decentralized infrastructure ensures that data is immune to tampering, over-encryption, or corruption, offering far superior protection compared to traditional cloud backups. Additionally, the service is designed for seamless integration with existing systems, allowing for easy setup and scalability via simple APIs. Scope’s affordable subscription plans make enterprise-level security accessible to individuals and small to medium-sized businesses, ensuring comprehensive data protection at competitive rates.

The upcoming retail subscription model will offer tiered pricing plans based on storage needs, with access to additional services such as increased entropy calls for enhanced encryption. This flexible pricing structure allows users to scale as their storage demands grow, all while maintaining the highest level of data security available today. Unlike traditional storage services, QSE’s decentralized, immutable infrastructure ensures that data remains secure and untouchable by attackers, offering a significant improvement over centralized cloud backups.

CONTINUED… Read this and more news for Scope AI at:  https://usanewsgroup.com/2024/04/26/the-currency-of-tomorrow-why-investing-in-cutting-edge-ai-recognition-tech-could-mean-big-money/

In other industry developments and happenings in the market this week include:

Gen™ (NASDAQ: GEN), a global company dedicated to powering Digital Freedom through its trusted Cyber Safety brands, recently announced that its employee benefits division Norton Benefit Solutions has expanded its offerings to help employers in the US, EMEA, LatAM and Asia protect their employees’ digital lives with all-in-one Cyber Safety solutions available through their benefits programs.

“Over the past 16 years, our team has offered Norton and LifeLock products to employers and has become a leading employee benefit provider in the United States and Canada, helping more than 10,000 companies protect their employees with a 99.8% retention rate,” said Casey Cullinan, Head of Norton Benefit Solutions. “As a global leader in Cyber Safety, we are passionate about making online privacy and protection accessible for people around the world.”

Palantir Technologies Inc. (NYSE: PLTR), a leading provider of AI systems, was recently recognized as a top performer by Dresner Advisory Services in the 2024 AI, Data Science, and Machine Learning Wisdom of Crowds® Market Study, for a second year in a row. The recognition came just days after Palantir announced a contract awarded by the DEVCOM Army Research Laboratory (ARL) expanding Maven Smart System access across the military services to include the Army, Air Force, Space Force, Navy, and US Marine Corps, worth up to $99.8 million over five years. The Maven Smart System is part of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency’s Maven AI infrastructure.

“To stay ahead of our adversaries, we must deliver software advantage at speed and at every level of the Department of Defense,” said Shannon Clark, Head of Defense Growth, Palantir. “NGA has been a leader in rapidly adopting the strongest AI capabilities to enable warfighters around the globe, and we are excited to support the program as it scales to meet critical infrastructure requirements across all of the services.”

Veritone, Inc. (NASDAQ: VERI), a leader in building human-centered enterprise AI solutions, recently announced a partnership with Midwest Public Safety, a premier provider of public safety technology solutions. As per the collaboration, Midwest Public Safety will offer its prospective and current customers across the Midwest Veritone Public Sector’s complete line of AI-powered applications for law enforcement and judicial agencies will help agencies streamline and automate manual workflows, accelerate investigations and improve public safety while providing greater transparency.

“We are excited to partner with Midwest Public Safety to expand the reach of our industry-leading technology across the Midwest,” said Jon Gacek, general manager, Public Sector, Veritone. “This collaboration underscores our commitment to providing law enforcement agencies with innovative AI-driven tools that streamline digital evidence management and protect privacy. By working with Midwest Public Safety, we are able to support agencies in their mission to serve and protect their communities more effectively and efficiently.”

SentinelOne, Inc. (NYSE: S), a global leader in AI-powered security, was recently named a Leader in the 2024 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Endpoint Protection Platforms (EPP) for the fourth consecutive year, and also took top honors winning both the Best Enterprise Security Solution and the Best Endpoint Security Solution at the 2024 SC Media Awards.

The accolades came just weeks after SentinelOne announced a collaboration with Lenovo to protect Lenovo PCs with SentinelOne’s industry-leading Singularity™ Platform and generative AI capabilities (Purple AI) in new PC shipments, as well as offer upgrades to existing customers to expand its ThinkShield security portfolio and autonomously protect devices from modern attacks.

“The endpoint remains a primary vector of cyberattacks and the most critical part of a business’ ongoing operations,” said Akhil Kapoor, Vice President Embedded Business, SentinelOne. “By working with market leaders like Lenovo, we can rapidly scale AI-powered security to millions of PCs and servers across the globe.”

Article Source: https://usanewsgroup.com/2024/04/26/the-currency-of-tomorrow-why-investing-in-cutting-edge-ai-recognition-tech-could-mean-big-money/ 

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USA NEWS GROUP
info@usanewsgroup.com
(604) 265-2873

DISCLAIMER: Nothing in this publication should be considered as personalized financial advice. We are not licensed under securities laws to address your particular financial situation. No communication by our employees to you should be deemed as personalized financial advice. Please consult a licensed financial advisor before making any investment decision. This is a paid advertisement and is neither an offer nor recommendation to buy or sell any security. We hold no investment licenses and are thus neither licensed nor qualified to provide investment advice. The content in this report or email is not provided to any individual with a view toward their individual circumstances. USA News Group is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Market IQ Media Group, Inc. (“MIQ”). MIQ has been paid a fee for Scope Technologies Corp. advertising and digital media from the company directly. There may be 3rd parties who may have shares Scope Technologies Corp., and may liquidate their shares which could have a negative effect on the price of the stock. This compensation constitutes a conflict of interest as to our ability to remain objective in our communication regarding the profiled company. Because of this conflict, individuals are strongly encouraged to not use this publication as the basis for any investment decision. The owner/operator of MIQ own shares of Scope Technologies Corp. which were purchased as a part of a private placement. MIQ reserves the right to buy and sell, and will buy and sell shares of Scope Technologies Corp. at any time thereafter without any further notice. We also expect further compensation as an ongoing digital media effort to increase visibility for the company, no further notice will be given, but let this disclaimer serve as notice that all material disseminated by MIQ has been approved by the above mentioned company; this is a paid advertisement, and we own shares of the mentioned company that we will sell, and we also reserve the right to buy shares of the company in the open market, or through further private placements and/or investment vehicles. While all information is believed to be reliable, it is not guaranteed by us to be accurate. Individuals should assume that all information contained in our newsletter is not trustworthy unless verified by their own independent research. Also, because events and circumstances frequently do not occur as expected, there will likely be differences between any predictions and actual results. Always consult a licensed investment professional before making any investment decision. Be extremely careful, investing in securities carries a high degree of risk; you may likely lose some or all of the investment.

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SOURCE USA News Group

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Hearing Notice – CIRO to Hold a Settlement Hearing for Desjardins Securities Inc.

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MONTRÉAL, Oct. 2, 2024 /CNW/ – A hearing has been scheduled before a hearing panel of the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO) pursuant to the Investment Dealer and Partially Consolidated Rules to consider a settlement agreement between CIRO Enforcement Staff and Desjardins Securities Inc.

The hearing will become open to the public in the event that the panel accepts the settlement agreement. If the settlement agreement is accepted, the panel’s decision and the settlement agreement will be made available at www.ciro.ca.

Settlement Hearing Date:    November 5, 2024 at 1:00 pm (Eastern Time)

Location:                                Montréal, Québec (by videoconference)

Members of the public who would like to obtain further particulars should fill out this questionnaire.

The Notice of Application announcing the settlement hearing is available at:

Desjardins Securities Inc. – Notice of Application

Desjardins Securities Inc. is CIRO-regulated investment dealer.

The Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO) is the national self-regulatory organization that oversees all investment dealers, mutual fund dealers and trading activity on Canada’s debt and equity marketplaces. CIRO is committed to the protection of investors, providing efficient and consistent regulation, and building Canadians’ trust in financial regulation and the people managing their investments. For more information, visit www.ciro.ca.

All information about disciplinary proceedings relating to current and former member firms and individual registrants under the Investment Dealer and Partially Consolidated Rules (for investment dealers), the Mutual Fund Dealer Rules (for mutual fund dealers) and the Universal Market Integrity Rules (UMIR) is available on CIRO’s website

Background information regarding the qualifications and disciplinary history, if any, of advisors currently employed by CIRO-regulated investment firms is available free of charge through the AdvisorReport service. Information on how to make dealer, advisor or marketplace-related complaints is available by calling 1-877-442-4322.

CIRO investigates possible misconduct by its member firms and individual registrants. It can bring disciplinary proceedings which may result in sanctions including fines, suspensions, permanent bars, expulsion from membership, or termination of rights and privileges for individuals and firms.

SOURCE Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO)

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Easy Ice Continues Growth with Pennsylvania Acquisition

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SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Oct. 2, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Easy Ice, the nation’s largest provider of commercial ice machine leases, has closed on another 2024 acquisition—this time, taking over the ice machine leasing operations of Credential Leasing & Finance in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

Credential Leasing & Finance has been in business since 1960, proudly operating as one of the oldest privately owned equipment leasing companies in the United States. As Easy Ice takes over the ice machine leasing portion of their business, Credential will continue to provide the personalized, solution-oriented leasing of other types of equipment to their customers that has made them so well known in the area.

This serves as another opportunity for Easy Ice to expand its operations in a key region—adding much more density to the DC, Baltimore, and Philadelphia markets.

“We are extremely excited to add growth to this area,” says Daren Boruff, Chief Acquisitions Officer at Easy Ice, “Integrating Credential’s operations into ours will be a huge step for Easy Ice in this region, allowing us to significantly expand our reach and give more businesses the superior service that Easy Ice offers. We look forward to more customers getting their ice the Easy Way!”

As with their past integrations, the transition for Credential Leasing & Finance’s ice machine leasing customers will be seamless as they join Easy Ice’s ever-growing base of customers across the United States.

About Easy Ice

Founded in 2009, Easy Ice has changed the way businesses manage their ice supply—moving them away from ice machine ownership and toward a managed leasing solution. With over 35,000 machines under their management across 47 states, they’ve made affordable ice machine leases available to customers all over the US. For more information, please visit www.easyice.com.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/easy-ice-continues-growth-with-pennsylvania-acquisition-302266108.html

SOURCE Easy Ice

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Quantum Computing Inc. Reports Second Quarter and First Half 2024 Financial Results

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HOBOKEN, N.J., Oct. 2, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Quantum Computing Inc. (“QCi” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: QUBT), an innovative, integrated photonics and quantum optics technology company, today released financial results for the three- and six-month periods ended June 30, 2024, which contain restated financial results for the quarterly periods ended June 30, 2023.

Dr William McGann, Chief Executive Officer of QCi, commented, “During the first half of 2024, we strengthened our position in the quantum computing landscape. Our progress on establishing our U.S.-based Thin Film Lithium Niobate (TFLN) foundry is proceeding well, marking a critical step toward positioning QCi as a leader in the growing optical chip market. Our partnerships continued to evolve, highlighted by our successful product sale to Johns Hopkins University and ongoing collaboration with NASA. I’m also pleased to announce that with the filing of these financial results, we have taken key steps to regain compliance with Nasdaq and are now caught up with our Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) reporting requirements. Like some other companies that experienced delays due to forced auditor transitions, we’ve navigated this process effectively while ensuring adherence to best practices. We are now well-positioned to continue advancing our mission.”

Second Quarter 2024 Financial Highlights:

Second quarter 2024 revenues totaled approximately $183,000 (32% gross margin) compared to $112,000 (54% gross margin) generated in the second quarter 2023. The increase in revenues was due to increased contractual sales. The decrease in gross margin was nearly entirely the result of revenue in the current period being primarily comprised of customized research and development as compared to consulting services revenue in the prior period.Second quarter 2024 operating expenses totaled $5.3 million compared to the previous year’s second quarter operating expenses of $7.0 million. The 24% period-over-period decrease is primarily a result of the Company’s disciplined strategy to minimize general and administrative expenses as well as net reductions in stock-based compensation.The Company reported a net loss available to common stockholders of $5.2 million, or $(0.06) per basic share for the second quarter of 2024, compared to a net loss available to common stockholders of $7.6 million or $(0.12) per basic share for the same period of the previous year.Total assets at June 30, 2024 were $76.0 million, increasing from $74.4 million at December 31, 2023. Cash and cash equivalents at June 30, 2024 increased $0.5 million from year-end 2023 to $2.5 million. Subsequent to the close of the quarter, the Company raised net proceeds of $7.0 million in a secured convertible debt financing.Total liabilities at June 30, 2024 were $3.6 million, a decrease of approximately $2.1 million compared to year-end 2023, driven primarily by the Company’s monthly repayment of its unsecured debt, which was paid in full in the first quarter of 2024, and sizable reduction in accrued expenses reflecting the issuance of restricted stock grants.As of June 30, 2024, the Company had shareholders’ equity totaling $65.5 million.

Second Quarter 2024 Operational Highlights

Successful Quantum LiDAR Prototype Sale: QCi executed the sale of a quantum LiDAR prototype to Johns Hopkins University for $200,000. This sale marked a significant advancement in underwater LiDAR technology and showcases the commercial potential of QCi’s quantum solutions across diverse applications.Enhanced Sales Strategy: QCi appointed Richard Nelson as Senior Vice President of Business Development and Pouya Dianet as Director of TFLN Optical Chip Sales to accelerate market penetration and expand global sales of QCi’s quantum technologies.TFLN Foundry Progress: The Company continues to advance its strategic initiative to establish the first U.S.-based TFLN fabrication facility in Tempe, Arizona, a key element of QCi’s long-term strategy to become a leader in the optical chip market, and to secure offtake agreements for future chip sales from the foundry.Subsequent to the Quarter: In line with the Company’s initiative to expand its partnerships with government agencies and laboratories, QCi announced the extension of its Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). This strategic collaborative agreement focuses on QCi’s new entropy quantum optimization machine, Dirac-3, and its capabilities to quickly and efficiently solve highly complex problems associated with quantum simulations, social networks, protein structure prediction, and telecommunications.

Additionally, the Company filed with the SEC its Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ending March 31, 2024, which contains restated financial results for the three-month period ended March 31, 2023. As previously disclosed, following the entry of a cease-and-desist order by the SEC against the Company’s former auditor, BF Borgers CPA PC, the Company engaged a new independent registered public accounting firm, BPM LLP, to reaudit 2023 and 2022 financial results and the quarterly financial results released today.  While the auditor transition was the primary reason for the delay in our March 31, 2024 and June 30, 2024, quarterly filings, we do not expect any further delays going forward.

Quantum Computing Inc. (QCi) (Nasdaq: QUBT) is an innovative, integrated photonics company that provides accessible and affordable quantum machines to the world today. QCi products are designed to operate at room temperature and low power at an affordable cost. The Company’s portfolio of core technology and products offer unique capabilities in the areas of high-performance computing, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity as well as remote sensing applications.

QUANTUM COMPUTING INC.

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets

(Unaudited, in thousands, except par value data)

 

June 30,

December 31,

2024

2023

  Assets

  Current assets

     Cash and cash equivalents

$

2,526

$

2,059

     Accounts receivable

56

65

     Inventory

266

73

     Loans receivable, net of provision for credit losses of $295 and $279

295

279

     Prepaid expenses and other current assets

272

180

Total current assets

3,415

2,656

Property and equipment, net

5,387

2,870

Operating lease right-of-use assets

923

1,051

Intangible assets, net

10,524

12,076

Goodwill

55,573

55,573

Other non-current assets

133

129

Total assets

$

75,955

$

74,355

Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity

Current liabilities

       Accounts payable

$

1,672

$

1,462

       Accrued expenses

327

639

       Financial liabilities, net of issuance costs

1,925

       Deferred revenue

104

       Other current liabilities

790

786

Total current liabilities

2,893

4,812

Operating lease liabilities

708

840

Total liabilities

3,601

5,652

Contingencies (see Note 10)

Mezzanine equity

6,829

Stockholders’ equity

     Preferred stock, $0.0001 par value, 1,550 shares Series A Preferred authorized; 1,241  

          and 1,490 shares issued and outstanding as of June 30, 2024 and December 31,

          2023, respectively; 3,080 shares of Series B Preferred Stock authorized; no shares

          issued and outstanding as of June 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023

     Common stock, $0.0001 par value, 250,000 shares authorized; 94,416 and 77,451  

          shares issued and outstanding as of June 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023,

          respectively

9

8

     Additional paid-in capital

209,086

200,635

     Accumulated deficit

(143,570)

(131,940)

Total stockholders’ equity

65,525

68,703

Total liabilities and mezzanine and stockholders’ equity

$

75,955

$

74,355

 

QUANTUM COMPUTING INC.

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations

(Unaudited, in thousands, except per share data)

Three Months Ended

Six Months Ended

June 30,

June 30,

2024

2023

2024

2023

(Restated)

(Restated)

Total revenue

$

183

$

112

$

210

$

233

Cost of revenue

125

51

141

107

Gross profit

58

61

69

126

Research and development

2,094

2,466

4,315

4,650

Sales and marketing

429

385

880

812

General and administrative

2,802

4,168

6,459

7,718

Operating expenses

5,325

7,019

11,654

13,180

Loss from operations

(5,267)

(6,958)

(11,585)

(13,054)

Non-operating income (expense)

Interest and other income

73

61

110

93

Interest expense, net

(537)

(155)

(963)

Change in value of warrant liability

17

370

Loss before income tax provision

(5,194)

(7,417)

(11,630)

(13,554)

Income tax provision

Net loss

(5,194)

(7,417)

(11,630)

(13,554)

Less: Series A convertible preferred stock dividends

(215)

(431)

Net loss available to common stockholders

$

(5,194)

$

(7,632)

$

(11,630)

$

(13,985)

Loss per share – basic and diluted

$

(0.06)

$

(0.12)

$

(0.13)

$

(0.23)

Weighted average shares used in computing net loss per 

common share – basic and dilutive

93,550

62,667

87,185

60,832

 

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SOURCE Quantum Computing Inc.

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