LONDON, UK: BrandShield Systems (AIM: BRSD), a leading provider of cybersecurity solutions for brand oriented digital risk protection, announced the results of a strategic partnership with The Sandbox.

The Sandbox is a leading decentralised gaming virtual world and a subsidiary of Animoca Brands, which was formed to ensure the safety and security of crypto wallets and NFT assets bought and sold over the marketplace.

Over a two-month period, from March to April of 2022, BrandShield successfully neutralised 120 phishing sites and 58 fake social media accounts impersonating the metaverse platform, allowing The Sandbox’s economy to operate securely whilst safeguarding metaverse players from critical online threats.

With more than three million registered users trading with 500,000 crypto wallets, The Sandbox allows users to monetise their activity on blockchain, enabling them to create immersive 3D worlds in a prime metaverse location. However, the macro-vulnerability in NFT and crypto markets has prompted the need for more vigilance. To increase player safety and security, The Sandbox turned to BrandShield and its holistic approach to external cybersecurity, marking a significant move towards protecting metaverse players worldwide.

To deal with the different methods scammers use to target players, BrandShield comprehensively mapped, analysed, and classified the threats, first addressing eliminating attacks on digital wallets. BrandShield then evaluated the threat level on various digital entities and platforms, including websites, social media platforms, and NFT trading sites, to ensure The Sandbox users could safely trade in the metaverse, leveraging its clustering technology to nullify hundreds of ongoing threats that went undetected by traditional cybersecurity tech.

The takedowns reported are the first data to emerge from the partnership. The Sandbox continues to employ BrandShield’s cybersecurity technology as a client in its fight against scams, phishing attacks, and other online threats.

Yoav Keren, Chief Executive Officer of BrandShield, commented: “Millions of players are looking to grow their metaverse holdings and increase the value of digital assets whilst gaming. However, the entire metaverse/NFT/crypto world is at risk from security issues.

For this nascent space to realise its full potential, it’s paramount that crypto and NFT holders can trust the security of their digital wallets and assets. Our work with The Sandbox is another major step for the industry to take down cybercriminals and create an environment where everyone can safely and confidently transact without fear of being defrauded.”

Sebastien Borget, Chief Operating Officer and Co-Founder of The Sandbox, added: “In the open metaverse, users should be able to enjoy their true digital ownership rights and have new ways to create, store, and trade value whilst having fun, rather than having to worry about online threats.

We are pushing our efforts for better prevention through education and by partnering with best-in class industry actors to maintain the most enjoyable user experience. With its ability to monitor and protect against these attacks, BrandShield is a strategic partner to help identify faster and take down phishing attacks and various online threats from brand impersonators and bad actors.”