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Wonders & Blunders: Hack-y Holidays

11.30.2017
By: Kevin Dinino
Category: Fintech

 
 OUR CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF THE WEEK’S NEWS
Have you recovered from your tryptophan turkey nap and holiday shopping frenzy?
 
Uber wishes everyone would have napped through the news of the 2016 data breach they covered up.
 
If you’re revisiting your finances and donations before the end of the year, learn about the growing trend of socially responsible investing, popularized by Millennials.
 
Net Neutrality regulation is up for debate once again – what does this mean for you? If you’re a small business owner, you should brace for impact.
 
Wishing you a hack-free holiday season!
The Never-Ending Series of Uber Blunders
If your business experiences a data breach, would you:
  1. Contact authorities to handle the hackers, shore up your cybersecurity protocols, and alert compromised individuals immediately; or
  2. Keep it a secret, pay the hackers’ ransom to delete the data, then cover up the transfer on your accounting books by pretending the hackers are employees who were paid for a security test?
 
Uber allegedly chose option No. 2 – as seen in the recently uncovered 2016 hack that impacted 57 million drivers and customers. Not only is it a terrible idea to keep compromised employees and clients in the dark when their data is exposed, but it also causes a number of legal and ethical problems. Uber’s course of action has caused a tremendous PR blunder, further damaging public trust in the company. If they had disclosed the breach promptly, the impact on their brand would be far less significant. Uber might consider asking Santa for a new reputation this Christmas!
 
Impact Investing Increases Immensely
Impact investing is gaining momentum, with Millennials leading the charge. This new generation of investors care about more than profits and want their investments to make a difference. They are making “socially responsible investments” (SRIs) by seeking out opportunities that benefit society and the environment — investing in everything from alternative energy and environmentally-friendly products to companies that promote the advancement of women and minorities. 
 
Due to this growing demand, we’re seeing a drastic shift in mainstream investing. More than $8.5 trillion of professionally managed assets are now screened on SRI criteria, up 33 percent from 2015, according to estimates from The US Forum for Sustainable and Responsible Investment.
 
As fintechs continue to introduce technology that opens up the doors to investors of all income levels and simplifies the investment process, we’ll see the number of Millennial investors rise – this is only the beginning of impact investing. 
 
 
 
Emoji Index
Eliminating Net Neutrality = Slower Speeds for Small Businesses
Once again, net neutrality is making headlines. The FCC will vote in a few weeks on whether or not to end net neutrality. According to Forbes, if this regulation is reversed, the only winners would be the cable companies – already despised by consumers for terrible service. How could this vote affect you and small businesses’ ability to reach customers?
 
 
If net neutrality is eliminated, Internet service providers will be able to charge companies more money for faster internet speeds, allowing these companies to enter the “fast lane” when it comes to disseminating content to consumers. The Googles of the world won’t have trouble paying for this, but smaller companies without big budgets would be forced into the “slow lane.” It would be harder, if not impossible, for small businesses to “go viral” or gain popularity by offering good content if they can’t afford the fast lane of the internet. 
 
 
Additionally, consumers may see a spike in their internet bill. Forbes speculates the telecom companies could bundle websites in the same way they currently bundle TV channels, forcing you to choose which sites you want loaded quickly on your devices. This sounds like a lose-lose proposition!
 
 
» IN THE NEWS
Intrinio interviews with Modern Wall Street on its partnership with Quodd and Nasdaq. Click here to check out the on-camera interview!
» BOTTOM LINE: How e-Construction is Transforming the Nation’s Transportation Infrastructure


Take a pinch of transportation software and blend it with an electronic tablet, et voilà, you now have e-Construction. E-Construction is the movement to transition from a traditional, paper and pen method to using an electronic tablet for collecting data and observations on any given construction project/job site. For example, inspectors are able to collect weather data, equipment and materials data and more. Simply put, e-Construction is poised to take the transportation infrastructure industry by storm.
»FEATURED CASE STUDY: PAVIA


Pavia Systems, a Seattle-based transportation technology company, challenged KCD PR to develop and execute a mass media campaign involving strategic outreach and public relations that would result in significant exposure in a crowded marketplace. To develop our strategy, we conducted expansive research on the use of technology in the transportation industry. We then developed key company messages, a strategic plan, and identified target audiences and media.

 
 
 

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