Solutions

Emerging Issues + Technology

Cutting-Edge Solutions to Navigate Unprecedented Challenges

Emerging issues and technology have created a new paradigm of risk involving intellectual property, social media, digital assets, cryptocurrency, non-fungible tokens (NFTs), blockchain, cybersecurity and asset custody options, financial technology, reputation and brand management, artificial intelligence, algorithmic design and validation, and virtual healthcare. Each of these require a unique expertise to manage, whether it is an investigation, asset recovery, or risk mitigation compliance or security program. Our skilled team provides innovative solutions for complex investigations, tracing the blockchain and recovering digital assets, reputation and brand management challenges, and helping establish rigorous programs to achieve secure digital environments and compliance with existing and emerging regulations and vulnerabilities.

We provide innovative solutions to complex and cross border investigations involving digital and virtual challenges and environments and on the blockchains with digital assets leveraging artificial, open source and human intelligence tools and techniques. We also apply creative control design to emerging issues and technologies to help clients stand up cybersecurity, privacy, and ethics + compliance programs.

A wide range of Guidepost services support our solutions, including:

  • Complex + cross-border investigations
  • Social media investigations + unmasking of anonymous social media handles
  • Asset tracing + recovery (digital assets)
  • Forensic accounting
  • Valuations (digital assets including non-fungible tokens (nfts))
  • Data collection, forensics, + governance
  • Reconstruction + analysis involving digital assets
  • Digital vulnerability assessments
  • Due diligence + background investigations
  • Risk mitigation related to cyber + privacy breaches and financial crimes
  • Cybersecurity + privacy programs
  • Ethics + compliance programs

The group also advises clients on crisis response and management, and reputational and identity management issues. We help to identify both trends and emerging issues to enable decision-makers to deal with them before they become fully mature problems or lost opportunities. Our approach will help clients better respond to and understand emerging issues and adapt to the exciting future that data and technology offers.

SERVICES INCLUDE:

We uncover facts in complex, often multi-national, investigations utilizing artificial, open source and human intelligence tools and techniques. We specialize in conducting investigations involving social media, digital, and virtual environments and on the blockchains with digital assets. We have unique expertise in unmasking anonymous individuals and organizations on social media and the blockchain.

Guidepost’s forensic accounting and digital asset tracing and recovery team has successfully traced and recovered millions of dollars’ worth of stolen digital assets involving cryptocurrency (e.g., Bitcoin, Ethereum, ATOM, and others) and valuable NFTs on the blockchain, including matters related to cryptocurrency scams or thefts involving social engineering and phishing.

Guidepost is a trusted leader in designing, reviewing, implementing, and testing compliance programs. We engage in regulatory audits; conduct complex and cross-border investigations; perform fraud and forensic accounting examinations, and conduct due diligence investigations. We also support law firms and individual clients by providing subject matter experts, project management, and investigative/compliance assistance.

We help clients navigate the labyrinth of government regulation and enforcement. We also advise on issues related to blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies and help clients safeguard their data and the consumers who use it. Privacy and data security is crucial for those who deal with emerging technologies. Our cybersecurity and privacy team advises digital healthcare, web3 and DeFi companies on the development of information security and privacy programs, vendor assessment and management, security disclosures, employee training, and cyber incident planning and response.

Ensuring that your organization is aligned with industry standards and compliant with regulatory requirements for information security and privacy is essential. Increasingly, customers, investors, regulators, auditors, and others require assurance that information security, and data privacy are of paramount importance to you including with evidence of a third-party assessment, audit, or certification.

Developing an information security and privacy program or completing a third-party assessment is a daunting and complex endeavor. Our team understands how to navigate NIST Cybersecurity Framework compliance, Service Organization Control 2 (SOC 2) audits, HISTRUST assessments and other evaluations against established frameworks and standards that are critical to an organization’s success.

We have helped guide many companies through the process of developing programs or prepare for and complete a successful review. By conducting a preparedness assessment, we examine potential points of failure, remediate any control gaps, and anticipate potential problems. For example, our thorough readiness assessments will reduce the risk of wasting valuable resources on a NIST CSF, CIS v8, SOC2, or a PCI QSA audit before control gaps are remediated, costing you additional time and money.

  • From large global organizations to startups to virtual healthcare providers, our insight into regulations and depth of compliance experience leads to successful first-time certification submissions and audits, which ultimately produces a more secure organization.
  • Compliance must be a process where everyone is on the same page. Our team works closely with you, your executive level teams, and IT professionals seamlessly to communicate and stay focused.
  • While regulations and standards are a one-size-fits-all, your business is unique. We will customize the security and privacy control baselines through a variety of factors including organization type, size, systems, and regulatory requirements for achieving enhanced security and compliance.

RELATED EXPERIENCE:

  • Recovered tens of millions in digital assets stolen from a web3 whale. Investigation included tracing over one million transactions made over a 6-month period on four foreign exchanges involving spot and futures trading (e.g., perpetuities and inverse perpetuities), involving 11 physical ledgers, and three digital ledgers. We were then asked to produce a forensic accounting report documenting the theft and its losses including the valuation of approximately three dozen unique cryptocoins and hundreds of unique NFTs.
  • A high-profile celebrity who fell victim to a social engineering phishing attack engaged Guidepost to recover the stolen NFTs. We were able to trace the stolen NFTs to two anonymous social media profiles. Using OSINT tools, we were able to unmask the owners of the anonymous social media profiles as individuals in Australia and India. Our client was able to negotiate a mutually beneficial agreement for the NFTs’ return.
  • Guidepost was engaged to conduct an investigation of unfair competition and anticompetitive practices for a social media marketing company after it was suspended from a social media platform for alleged violations of its Terms of Service. Our investigation found that the alleged Terms of Service violations were unfounded and that the social media company’s actions were pretextual as they viewed our client as a direct competitor in the emerging web3/metaverse market. Our investigation through various OSINT and HUMINT methods found that the alleged Terms of Service violations were attributable to corrupt activities and information security vulnerabilities with the social media company. The results of our investigation led to our client recovering its digital assets and a confidential settlement with the social media company.
  • Guidepost was engaged to investigate a wide waging conspiracy against a prominent company involving anonymous actors on social media. Using OSINT and AI tools, we were able to unmask, locate, and conduct background diligence on all the key players in the conspiracy.
  • A high-net worth individual fell victim to a phishing scam that resulted in a loss of digital assets. Guidepost was able to trace the proceeds of the theft and the digital assets to their current holders, unmask them, and engage in recovery negotiations on behalf of our client.
  • A celebrity fell victim to a phishing attack. Guidepost using OSINT tools and working with law enforcement was able to trace the stolen digital assets to an individual in Thailand.
  • Development of AI solutions to support real time business intelligence efforts and litigation support investigations.
  • Digital vulnerability assessments for board members, executives, and high-profile hires to understand exposure to reputational risk and cyber and privacy incidents.
  • Cryptocurrency and NFT security and custody solutions to prevent social engineering or phishing attack thefts.
  • Compliance review of services for Paxos Trust, a blockchain technology company, which is regulated by the New York Department of Financial Services and provides business lines including a cryptocurrency exchange and custody digital assets
  • Developed a compliance program that included implementing Board of Director charters, drafting policies related to Bank Secrecy Act/anti-money laundering regulations, identifying key performance indicators and key risk indicators, and developing an internal monitoring program for a de novo bank.
  • Created the foundational documents for Vori Health, a pioneering healthcare startup providing all-inclusive medical and healthcare services for physical medicine and rehabilitation care in a virtual setting, that set out its commitment to a culture of compliance and ethics and then assisted the company as its business scaled — to better ensure it mitigated risk and complimented its business development strategies. Guidepost also assisted Vori Health with SOC2, HITRUST, and HIPAA readiness in addition to performing Vori Health’s HIPAA security rule risk assessment, internal audit, business impact assessment, and privacy program review.