Cybersecurity threats have been plaguing data — both personal and business — for decades as ransomware attacks continue evolving in line with technological advancements. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, malware attacks on databases from large organizations have also increased, which has led to an increased need in strengthening data security.
In line with this, the invasion of Ukraine by Russia has also led to increased cyberthreat fears, notably following an issue from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) of a “Shields Up” cyber warning. The agency said that while there were no specific threats linked to the US or North America, organizations should still be prepared to respond to any kind of cyber activity.
With that in mind, companies like
Datametrex AI Ltd. (
TSXV:DM,
OTCQB:DTMXF,
Forum) are innovators in the cybersecurity space thanks to its artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML)-based technology that can identify threats by scanning conversations on social media.
With a seven-year history, Datametrex has been working in the cybersecurity field with organizations such as NATO, the Canadian government and the United States Armed Forces for the six years to develop and deploy AI and ML solutions.
In line with this, in an interview with Stockhouse Editorial, Datametrex CEO Marshall Gunter said the company has taken battle-tested military-grade software and moved it into the private sector. He added that the company is now providing those same solutions to companies like Samsung and Lotte Corporation.
“Everyone needs cybersecurity,” Gunter told Stockhouse Editorial. “Right now, in this day and age, we are producing levels of data that have never been seen before.”
As people’s lives become more increasingly online, companies like Datametrex are becoming more integrated than ever thanks to its solutions that identify threats and help stop the spread of misinformation.
Identifying threats through AI
Gunter explained that the company’s AI software solutions take advantage and use the latest AI and ML techniques to try and find “unknown unknowns.”
“These are the things that you don’t really know about but could bite you in the days to come,” he said.
Gunter said that the company’s solutions can identify the words and people who write them through social media platforms in order to reveal the ‘unknown unknowns,’ which are considered risks, which then enables organizations to make informed decisions.
“[Datametrex] is able to find those things [organizations] should be aware of today but will become a problem in two or three days,” he said, adding that they are threats that should be looked at sooner before they become problems.
Notably, the company’s subsidiary, Nexalogy is an AI-based social data mining and analysis entity that searches social media in order to identify potential threats The deep analytics platform collects and analyses information from social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, blog forums, online news sites, Google Alerts, blogs and RSS feeds, which then allows organizations to make more informed decisions by pinpointing trends and risks, among other things.
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Gunter explained that while the technology scans information, it does so with privacy in mind and that Datametrex overall takes privacy “very, very seriously.” He said the company complies with all applicable laws and suggestions from the governing bodies the company is involved with.
“[Datametrex is] compliant with all levels, all the way up to the federal levels in the US and Canada and every jurisdiction that we work in,” he said. Gunter reiterated that the company’s solutions do not analyze any private information or information that isn’t available to the general public.
Tackling the spread of disinformation
In today’s digital world, the spread of disinformation is more rapid than ever. In a 2019 report, it is estimated that online fake news is costing roughly US$78 billion globally each year.
Fake news, or disinformation, can originate and can spread from anywhere and be shared across a wide range of platforms. This can include deep fakes, biased reporting and selectively quoting sources, which can make it challenging for consumers to determine the truth.
In the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the spread of disinformation has been rampant as edited and manipulated information has been surging in online forums and news outlets out of Russia.
Companies like Datametrex are working to solve these problems — case in point, Gunter said that the company has been working in the field of misinformation for many years.
“[Datametrex has been] on a task force with NATO and [the company] still participates in the task force to fight misinformation,” he said. “[Datametrex] has developed techniques and software that does help fight misinformation in conjunction with defense research in Canada, the Canadian Armed Forces, NATO, the US Airforce, etc.”
Notably, the company, through its subsidiary Nexalogy Environics, developed a Fake News
filter in 2018 called the Next Intelligence, which includes automated detection of suspicious news sources on social media.
In 2020,
the company worked with the US government to develop strategies on preventing the spread of misinformation on COVID-19. Just before that, Datametrex completed work for Democracy Labs on disinformation in social media regarding the pandemic and secured a relationship with Carnegie Mellon University IDeaS.
“[Datametrex] has developed tools and techniques that help shed light on misinformation and bring that to the attention of everyone involved so that [the company] can expose it and show the danger of fake news to the public,” Gunter said.
He explained that in addition to working with public entities such as governments, Datametrex also works with the private sector,
including organizations such as Democracy Labs to prevent the surface of misinformation.
The Datametrex AI advantage
While cybersecurity solutions aren’t new, Datametrex AI has a unique advantage when compared to its peers in the space.
Gunter explained that there are three things that differentiate Datametrex from its peers in the space, including:
- Datametrex can expose the ‘unknown unknowns.’ He said is not just cybersecurity and monitoring, but is also discovery, meaning the company’s solutions are able to identify what organizations should be looking for.
- The company has a proven track record. Gunter said the company has been deploying its solutions in the field for five or six years with organizations like NATO, and urban operations, among others.
- ·Its client list, which Gunter said includes defense agencies, US Air Force, NATO, Canadian Armed Forces, and a wide range of multi-billion-dollar companies in the private sector.
- The company was also recently recognized as Most Promising Tech Company for 2022 by CIOReview.
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Leadership team
Marshall Gunter, CEO
Marshall Gunter has an engineering background that is rooted in big data analysis and machine learning at scale. Gunter has worked with Sequoia Capital and Lightspeed Venture Partners where he was responsible for bringing Varagesale to the mass market.
Gunter led Varagesale from a one room shop to an engineering department of over 60 people and played a leading role in its $35 million raise. Gunter’s other experience also includes leading the team that built iSentium’s sentiment engine, which used a patented natural Language Processing system to extract sentiment from unstructured social content that is transformed into highly actionable indicators in finance, brand management and politics.
Don Shim, CPA, CA CFO
Don Shim has had an accounting and finance career in both the US and Canada, having worked and audited publicly traded junior mining companies and high-tech industries. Shim is a member of the Chartered Professional Accounts of British Columbia and a Certified Public Accountant registered in Illinois.
Shim has also been an audit partner on a range of audit engagements for various junior mining companies, oil and gas, pharmaceuticals and high-tech. Shim has also assisted start-up companies going public on the TSX Venture Exchange, Canadian Securities Exchange and the OTC Market. Shim also teaches accounting at a local Vancouver, BC college and acts as a facilitator at CPA Western School of Business.
Dr. Omar Sharif, Chief Medical Officer
Dr. Omar Sharif received his training from the University of Manitoba and then took a range of leading roles within his departments of hospital medicines and emergency medicine in BC and Alberta. Having worked for over 10 years in these fields, Sharif gained status as an instructor at the University of British Columbia.
The investment opportunity
With a market capitalization of C$55.05 million, Datametrex currently has a share price of $0.155 and trades on the TSX Venture Exchange in , but will be uplisted to the TSX by Q3 of this year. At present, Datametrex has 355.17 million shares and 356.17 million shares outstanding.
Thanks to the company’s proven track record and relationships with government entities, the US Airforce, Canadian Armed Forces and other defence agencies, Datametrex has been able to prove that its technology has the legs to stand on,
What’s more, Datametrex is tackling a problem that no other company is currently doing — revealing the ‘unknown unknowns’ — which means not only is the company ahead of the curve but has the skills to develop a solution that hasn’t been done before.
Additionally, as the company continues to sign new ,
notably two major AI government contracts totalling over $42 million CAD — and as AI and solutions become more pressing — companies like Datametrex are solid investment opportunities now, and in the long haul.
For more information, visit
Datametrex.
FULL DISCLOSURE: This is a paid article produced by Stockhouse Publishing.