It's often been said (http://techcrunch.com/2012/08/06/keen-on-david-cho-why-privacy-is-the-valleys-next-big-thing-tctv/) that we, as users, are "the product" of networks like Google or Facebook. But there is now a new wave of privacy centric start-ups seeking to give us back control of our personal data. One of these is Abine (http://www.crunchbase.com/company/abine), the venture-backed Cambridge, Mass. based company which boasts a suite of products that protect our online privacy. Data protection is the "new frontier", Abine's CEO Bill Kerrigan (http://www.crunchbase.com/person/william-kerrigan), who describes his startup as "the online privacy company", told me.
Indeed, re-empowering us with control of our own online data, Kerrigan insists, represents the next multi-billion dollar opportunity. And while he is hopeful that some of today's major Internet players – such as Twitter, Mozilla and Microsoft – do respect our online information, Kerrigan – who used to run sales at McAfee – nonetheless warns that we are "one massive data breach away from Armageddon." That's scary for consumers, of course; but might actually be rather good news for entrepreneurs like Kerrigan who are betting that privacy really is the next Big Thing.
Via: TechCrunch