The MEWforce is Always With You! Introducing Our Security Partners
At MyEtherWallet, user security is our number one priority. Many of you may know that MEW has been the target of numerous attacks, some of which have been among the most advanced attacks seen throughout the history of the internet.
The threats posed by these and potential future attacks have compelled us to redouble our efforts to make ours the safest and most reliable platform possible.
To that end, we have partnered with two cybersecurity firms — Segasec and PhishFort — to help us detect, track, and take down scams before they ever reach you.
Segasec
Attacks taken down by Segasec over 28-week period June — December, showing decline in attempted attacks as phishers are deterred by increased difficulty
Segasec is a cyber security firm that brings down online criminals targeting both cryptocurrency companies and traditional enterprise, including Fortune-500 banks. Segasec uses advanced technology to scan the web for signs of impersonations on the various digital channels that companies use to communicate with their users — domains, websites, certificates, social channels, blog posts and more.
The goal is to discover attacks preemptively and take them down as quickly as possible, at the earliest preparation stages, before an attack has even materialized. The team at Segasec maintains a list of suspects which is constantly being updated, neutralizing threats before they even become threats. As of this writing, around 3558 websites are being monitored 24/7 to see if and how these mature into an active attack.
Since partnering with MEW in June 2018, Segasec has intercepted more than 550 active attacks using specialized tactics including takedown, blocking, and deception, which undermine hackers by making their phishing attempts financially unviable.
PhishFort
Attacks taken down by PhishFort over 30 days in December 2018 — January 2019, also showing a decline in attacks
PhishFort is specifically focused on helping to protect blockchain companies from phishing attacks. They are uniquely equipped to deal with security challenges in high-risk industries.
The PhishFort team parses hundreds of thousands of domains daily, detecting phishing infrastructure as it is being set up, even before it goes live. Just in the two months since we started working with PhishFort, 188 phishing websites have been taken down — that’s 3 to 4 per day!
With the release of our MEWconnect app to iOS and Android smartphones, we are especially appreciative of PhishFort’s continued scouring of both app stores for fakes and impersonators. With PhishFort’s help, our users can be sure that they are downloading the official, secure MEW companion app.
Now, over to you…
We want our users to feel safe and we do everything in our power to ensure that safety. Partnering with Segasec and PhishFort helps teamMEW keep up with malicious actors, stopping attacks before they can make your life difficult. We may be a desirable target, but deflecting hundreds of attacks only makes us stronger.
However, phishers are becoming more sophisticated all the time. The MEW team and our cybersecurity experts are always on the lookout, but being responsible for your own security is an essential part of being a cryptocurrency user.
Cybersecurity is only part of the battle — user education is just as important! We encourage you to read through our Knowledge Base and learn about the potential risks. Being aware of best practices for online security will make you feel more confident and safe when navigating the crypto space.
With MEW, you are always in total control of your funds. What makes decentralisation and blockchain technology so special is that you don’t have to rely on your bank, government or any third party. But the price of true economic freedom is that ultimately it comes down to you, the users, to decide what steps you should take to safeguard yourself. Educating yourself is the best defense AND offense against scams.
We all need to work together to defend ourselves against the phishing evil out there!
As always, love from #TeamMEW
