About Us
BRANDON KING
CEO
Like many of you reading this, we hadn't given identity theft much thought. We thought we had our bases covered. After all, we were…
- ..using password managers..
- ..checking our credit scores periodically using Credit Karma..
- ..generally being hygienic with our online and offline security practices.
Or so we thought!
Until one day we witnessed the identity theft of a close family member and watched as they attempted to pick up the pieces and put them back together. This ongoing, painful, and confusing process finally gave us our mission: to take a long-neglected side project (this website right here) and turn it into the internet's best resource on identity theft protection.
Since then we have touched thousands of lives, but our mission to prevent 100,000 cases of identity theft from occurring by 2025 is still far from completion.
Our team is globally distributed and contains members with diverse backgrounds, from OPSEC to fraud prevention to digital payments and beyond. This diversity of skill sets allows us to attack a single problem – identity theft – from a variety of angles.
Our Team
Brandon King
CEO
Education:
- University of California, Santa Barbara — B.A., English with a specialization in Literature and the Culture of Information (Cum Laude)
- Warwick University
Bio:
Brandon is an entrepreneur whose most recent startup, Security Hero, is focused on preventing 100,000 cases of identity theft from occurring by 2025.
Brandon discovered the importance of online security at a young age, after taking his first job out of college in Shenzhen, China in 2008.
This was a time when the term "VPN" was still gibberish to most people, but in China, it was an essential lifeline to the outside world. One shoddily "home-brewed" VPN connection later and Brandon was firmly enchanted by the power of technology.
After repatriating to the US and briefly working as a product manager at a Kleiner Perkins-funded startup, Brandon found his true calling and jumped headfirst into entrepreneurship.
After witnessing identity theft ravage the life of a loved one firsthand, the importance of online privacy was reinforced and he took over Security Hero full-time in 2022. He currently works alongside the team with the mission of making SH a one-stop resource for anyone looking to enhance their online security.
"I don't profess to know it all and the information on this site is NOT intended to replace good operational security practices and data hygiene. Experts like those at some of the companies mentioned on this website can help but you alone are ultimately responsible for taking control and protecting your family against the predators out there. I hope that you will come to view Security Hero as a trusted partner that can help you better navigate the fast-changing world of online privacy."
Featured In:
Dolores Maxinne Bernal
Content Manager & Lead Editor
Education:
- University of Maryland, College Park – BA in English Literature
- University of Chicago, Graduate-level coursework in Threat and Response Management
- Caltech Center for Technology and Management Education (CTME), Cybersecurity Certificate
Bio:
Dolores is a cybersecurity professional with experience working at some of the largest cybersecurity companies in the U.S., including LookingGlass Cyber Solutions, and Adlumin where she currently works as a Cybersecurity Technical Content Writer. She is a Caltech graduate and holds a CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst certification (CySA+).
Before her career in cybersecurity, Dolores spent many years as a newspaper and radio journalist working for Gannett-owned daily and weekly newspapers in New Mexico and Delaware. Her radio career included contributions to Pacifica Radio (FSRN), Radio Bilingue, and other outlets.
In her spare time, Dolores is a practicing ethical hacker on the platform, Hack The Box. She is also passionate about Linux distros and enjoys using Kali Linux.
As a cybersecurity expert, I hope that my knowledge and passion for the industry can help you make well-informed decisions for choosing the best identity theft protection products we write about here at SecurityHero.
Featured In:
Justin Mrowicki
Product Researcher
Education:
- Bachelor of Science in Biology – Eckerd College 2016
- Google IT Support Certification
- IBM Cybersecurity Analyst Professional Certification
- Qualys Certifications
Bio:
Justin Mrowicki is a dedicated IT professional with a strong background in launching and managing technology-focused businesses, such as Alchemic Technology. Based in St. Petersburg, Florida, he has amassed extensive experience in cybersecurity, identity theft protection, and developing IT support services. Justin's expertise in these areas is demonstrated by his completion of the IBM Cybersecurity Analyst Professional Certificate and (ISC)2 Cybersecurity certifications, as well as his experience working with QualysGuard VM, VMDR, CSAM, PM, Cloud Security Assessment and Response, Policy compliance, and PCI Compliance.
In addition to his cybersecurity and identity theft expertise, Justin is adept at NLP Prompt Engineering, chatbot design and deployment, machine learning, various programming languages, and strategic partnership exploration. As the CTO, AI Prompt Engineer, and Writer for Alchemic Technology, Justin has successfully created and contributed to the company's blog, where he shares valuable insights on topics such as IT support, technology trends, and cybersecurity best practices.
I do not have all the answers, I am simply sharing my personal experience and insights to complement your understanding of cybersecurity and identity theft prevention. Expert advice from companies mentioned on this website can certainly be valuable, but ultimately, it is up to you to take charge and protect yourself and your loved ones from potential threats.
Kyle Brown
Product Research + Copywriter/Editor
Bio:
Kyle is a researcher, writer, and editor in the technology space with a personal passion for cyber security. He has been interested in technology since before he can remember, from participating in robotics clubs in school to building his first PC at 13 with money from mowing lawns. As time went on, his interests shifted from tinkering with hardware to learning the ins and outs of software and cybersecurity.
Kyle has a large amount of personal experience related to the most current tools for personal and professional cybersecurity. He has a personal passion for net neutrality and avoiding the ever-growing threat of data collection and social engineering. Professionally, Kyle has edited for various online publications that produce content ranging from using VPNs for personal secure network usage to navigating popular consumer crypto exchanges, to writing Ethereum-based hybrid smart contracts.
I have a passion for keeping my data secure online and would like to help others to do the same. The online world is becoming more complicated and less secure every day. Although many companies offer identity recovery tools, learning how to prevent your online identity from being compromised in the first place is the most useful tool of all.
Stephanie Faris
Content Writer
Education:
- Bachelor of Science, Middle Tennessee State University, Department of Mass Communications
Bio:
Stephanie is a professional finance writer with more than a decade of experience. Her work has been featured on a variety of top finance sites, including Money Under 30, GoBankingRates, Retirable, Sapling, and Benzinga. Before becoming a content writer, she worked as an information systems manager for the State of Tennessee.
As a help desk manager, I spent my days helping end users who had accidentally clicked on a link or downloaded a malicious file. Now I spend my days writing pieces that hopefully continue to help people like me. Knowing the various scams is the first step toward avoiding them.
Lauren Sakiyama
Content Writer
Education:
- Bachelors of Science, Hotel and Restaurant Mgmt. Cal Poly Pomona
Bio:
Lauren is an experienced freelance writer with a passion for explaining complex topics in simple terms.
Though she started her writing career in the food and lifestyle world, a too-close call with a cybercriminal gave her something new to write about. Today, she enjoys researching and reviewing identity protection services in hopes of saving people from what she considers to be one of the worst crimes.
When she's not researching and comparing the many identity protection services available, Lauren enjoys hanging out with her family, exploring new treasures in her Pacific Northwest home, and attempting overly elaborate baking projects.
I'm passionate about helping you navigate the identity protection world, but the information I provide can't take the place of good data hygiene and security best practices. The experts at some of the companies I mention on this site can help you, but in the end, you're responsible for protecting yourself and your family against identity thieves.
Kim Crawley
Cybersecurity Blogger
Bio:
For over a decade, Kim has been researching and writing about a wide variety of cybersecurity matters. Her work history includes AT&T, BlackBerry, Venafi, Hack The Box, and Sophos.
Her current day job is with IOActive. She has given talks at SANS PenTest HackFest and Wild West Hackin' Fest. She's also in the first Tribe of Hackers book.
She wrote 8 Steps to Better Security and co-wrote The Pentester Blueprint for Wiley.
Mastering your online privacy and cybersecurity habits is a learning process. I used to reuse passwords all the time! As long as you learn from your mistakes, you have plenty to be proud of.
Lyndon Seitz
Cybersecurity and Identity Theft Content Writer
Education:
- B.A. English — Writing Concentration, Westfield State University
- Commonwealth Honors Scholar, Graduated Summa Cum Laude
Bio:
Lyndon Seitz has written about technology, the internet, and cybersecurity for nearly a decade. He was previously the editor-in-chief of Securethoughts.com, a cybersecurity-focused site. He also was the managing editor for multiple websites, some relating to internet and technology services.
When he isn't writing about cybersecurity topics, Lyndon enjoys walks in the natural areas of beautiful Western Massachusetts (where he resides), reading books of all backgrounds, and gaming in the winter. He expects to be writing about cybersecurity for a long time to come.
Understanding cybersecurity and issues related to identity theft is an ongoing process, and it is impossible to know everything about it, even if you are a professional. To that end, I hope you see Security Hero as a site you can turn to when you want to know what's important to protect yourself and your loved ones.
Rahul Sharma
Technical Writer
Bio:
Rahul Sharma graduated from Delhi University with a bachelor's degree in computer science and is a highly experienced technical writer, who has been a part of the technology industry, specifically creating content for tech companies for the last 12 years.
He is an expert researcher and great cybersecurity writer who educates countless people in the world of technology, identity theft, and cybersecurity. He has written tech tutorials, and articles covering cybersecurity, and identity theft that help readers to think beyond the surface.
Rahul's work is also published on some popular websites like Android Authority, TechGenix, VPNAlert & Protecto. The role he has taken on in the past has driven his innovative and entrepreneurial skills.
I am not a professional in security processes — I would rather leave that role to the verified experts such as those on SH. Having navigated the web for some time now, I have heard the horror stories that others have endured. Therefore, I suggest that it is prudent to apply cautionary measures in a digital world where identity theft and financial fraud are prevalent.