Hi there,

There’s been a slew of hacking-related headlines lately:

• Twitter got swept up in a massive crypto scam

• Garmin and Canon got hit by ransomware attacks

• Reddit was defaced by hackers who flooded it with pro-Trump messages

• Fintech startup Dave admitted a security breach

It’s not just tech cos. Governments are feeling the pressure as well:

• Chinese hackers have infiltrated Taiwan’s semiconductor industry

• The FBI warned about Iranian hackers attacking US cos and gov’t networks

• North Korean hackers have targeted the Israeli defense industry

Hackers are taking advantage of the vulnerabilities in companies’ cyber defenses and human error, especially as Covid-19 forces corporations to go remote, presenting vulnerabilities in less-secure home networks. 

Dave’s hack was due to a breach at one of its former third-party service providers, while Reddit’s takeover was a result of credential stuffing, where hackers “stuff” passwords leaked from previous breaches across multiple websites to access accounts. 

Companies and governments hoping to stay ahead should check out our new Cyber Defenders report. From credential stuffing defense to multi-cloud security to third-party risk management, we cover the tactics commonly used by hacking firms and the technologies and companies combating them.

Download it for free here.

Blame game

Covid-19 has been cited as a reason for the demise of numerous startups, but some have faced troubles — ranging from over-promised products to shady business practices — since long before the pandemic. 

We take a look at the post-mortems of 15 startups that have shut down this year — and more — here.

Looking for unicorns

The evolution of data nicely summarized.

What does it all mean

We'll be covering the latest fintech trends tomorrow at 2pm EDT. Chat with one of our fintech analysts about: 

• Q2's biggest fintech deals and notable investment trends
• What the flurry of fintech exits means in a maturing industry
• Why Asia was the only continent without a dollar funding rebound

Push me to the edge
 

Edge devices offer faster data processing, but could also represent another source of cybersecurity risk. 

We explain edge computing, the industries it could impact, and potential challenges in this report.

8 speakers for 8 minutes

We’ve rounded up several of the Digital Health 150 winners to give 8-minute presentations at the Future of Health (September 23-25). This is your chance to discover the most promising digital health companies all in 1 place.

Here are 8 more Digital Health 150 presenters:

• CEO & co-founder, BrightInsight

• Co-founder & CTO, Mammoth

• CEO, Paige

• CEO & co-founder, Current Health

• CEO & co-founder, Tyto Care

• President, Bind Benefits

• CEO & co-founder, Bright.md

• CEO & co-founder, Alpha Health

Check out the full list of speakers here. Save $300 on your ticket with code 8MORE.

Security, please!

Cybersecurity isn't just top of mind for corporate execs. VCs are taking note as well, and placing big bets. 

Clients can see which cybersecurity startups and sectors our Smart Money VCs are betting on in this brief.

TechCrunch. Alex Wilhelm (@alex) looks at e-commerce startup funding trends using the CB Insights State Of Retail Tech H1’20 report.

Glossy. Emma Sandler (@EmmaSandler) covers Sephora’s clean makeup launch and quotes CB Insights senior lead retail analyst Laura Kennedy.

Morning Brew. Halie LeSavage (@halie_lesavage) cites the CB Insights State Of Retail Tech H1’20 report in the Retail Brew newsletter.

P.S. What’s happening in retail? Our senior lead retail analyst will be walking through the highlights of Q2 for the retail industry in our upcoming webinar. Sign up for it here.

The Blurb
 

Pumping iron. Defying state orders, some gyms have continued to operate in secret, speakeasy-style. 

NPR

Swabbing it up. Party hosts in the Hamptons are paying to provide rapid Covid-19 testing for guests.  
NYT

Get ‘er done. As videoconferencing fatigue sets in, multitaskers are getting bolder — doing laundry, watching TV, and even cooking — on camera.

WSJ

WeGone. A WeChat ban could weaken or sever the millions of connections the app has enabled between China and the US.

MIT Technology Review