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Multi-Factor Authentication – Benefits, Risks, And How You Can Get The Most From It To Ensure Your Organization's Data Is Secure

BIO-key International, Inc.

By Gita Karunakaran, Benzinga Cyberattacks are on the rise everywhere today, with organizations and individual account passwords routinely targeted by hackers – especially where accounts are vulnerable due to a lack of additional layers of protection beyond the traditional password itself to help keep them secure. According to Microsoft's Digital Defense Report 2022, the volume of password-based attacks has risen to an estimated 921 attacks every second – representing a 74% increase in just one year. This is why companies in the cybersecurity space like BIO-key International Inc. ( NASDAQ: BKYI) that provide Identity and Access Management (IAM) solutions to enterprises look to Multi-factor Authentication (MFA) as a mandatory minimum standard when designing solutions to prevent unauthorized access to company systems. The increasing widespread awareness of cybersecurity risks has propelled many companies to embark on their IAM journey by implementing a strategy that includes a variety of authentication methods that meet necessary requirements in security, usability, and flexibility. What Is Multi-factor Authentication? Multi-factor Authentication (MFA) is a core component of a strong IAM strategy. It’s an authentication method that requires the user to provide two or more verification factors to gain access to an online system or account, which helps decrease the likelihood of a successful cyber attack. The main benefit of MFA is that it would enhance an organization's security by requiring users to identify themselves using more than just a username and password. Passwords continue to be the weakest link in the chain and remain vulnerable to brute force attacks or theft by third parties. Having an MFA solution is therefore able to reduce the probability of hackers gaining access to company systems and accounts. MFA may be based on a combination of two of three different types of authentication factors, including: Things you know, such as a password or PIN; Things you have in your possession, such as a token or smartphone; Things you are, such as biometrics like fingerprints, palm, face, or voice recognition. The options chosen by each organization may depend on their risk appetites and budgets – but what is certain is that the cybersecurity and MFA market is poised for appreciable growth. The global MFA market was valued at US $10.3 billion in 2020. The market is estimated to expand at an impressive CAGR of 16.08% from 2021 to 2031 and is expected to exceed $51.37 billion by the end of 2031. Some of the key players in the Multi-factor Authentication market include Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ: AVGO), Duo Security Inc. (private), Cisco Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO), ForgeRock Inc. (NYSE: FORG) and Entrust Inc. (TYO: 7191) MFA Is Great, But What About MFA Fatigue? As MFA continues to gain prominence across the business landscape, it is seemingly becoming increasingly vulnerable to exploitation by cybercriminals. While there is no doubting the merits of MFA over mere password protection, MFA needs to be managed properly in order to avoid a phenomenon known as“MFA fatigue”. Even though having an MFA in place is a step in the right direction to stronger security, the process can become tiring and tedious on account of the multiple additional PINs, codes, and push notifications, instead of only a username and password that users needed to recall previously. This could result in MFA fatigue among users. Cybercriminals who manage to hack into passwords are able to generate repeated push notifications in what is known as a brute force attack. While some users will be diligent all the time, MFA fatigue can result in some users inadvertently approving a push notification and granting full access to the hacker. BIO-key May Have A Highly Secure And Nearly Fail-Safe Solution According to BIO-key, although most organizations have begun to implement a variety of MFA methods as part of their IAM strategy, the best outcomes can only be achieved by deploying a cohesive solution across the entire organization. Deploying disparate solutions would make the proposition unnecessarily expensive and difficult for IT teams to manage. BIO-key boasts flexible Identity and Access Management solutions that are integrated with their unique biometric authentication option – Identity-Bound Biometrics – making it easy for organizations to secure access using fingerprint, palm, and facial scanning. BIO-key’s single, unified IAM platform, PortalGuard, provides security solutions for a wide range of use cases and business initiatives, with Multi-factor Authentication, Single Sign-on, and Self-service Password Reset abilities. MFA with PortalGuard could be the most efficient and secure solution, says BIO-key – allowing organizations to consolidate and aggregate existing methods under a single, unified IAM platform, with the ability to add more powerful authentication methods like Identity-Bound Biometrics to further strengthen their cybersecurity as necessary. To learn more about BIO-key’s MFA solutions, visit the company webpage. This article originally appeared on Benzinga here. BIO-key is revolutionizing authentication and cybersecurity with biometric-centric, multi-factor identity and access management (IAM) software managing millions of users. Its cloud-based PortalGuard IAM solution provides cost-effective, easy to deploy, convenient and secure access to devices, information, applications, and high-value transactions. BIO-key's patented software and hardware solutions, with industry-leading Identity-Bound Biometric (IBB) capabilities, enable large-scale Identity-as-a-Service (IDaaS) solutions, as well as customized on premises solutions. This post contains sponsored advertising content. This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be investing advice. Contact Details Catalyst IR- William Jones, David Collins +1 212-924-9800 BKYI@catalyst-ir.com Company Website https://www.bio-key.com/

February 10, 2023 08:45 AM Eastern Standard Time

PTOP Announces Engagement With a Crowd Funding Portal Group, and Plans To File a Form C with the SEC for Reg CF

Peer to Peer Network

McapMediaWire -- Peer To Peer Network a.k.a MobiCard Inc. (OTC: PTOP ) (“PTOP”) - It came to PTOP’s attention that the financials slipped out of “Pink Current Status” and PTOP confirmed with the OTC Markets that the company was missing an attorney letter necessary to cover the Annual financial reports ending 9-30-22 and all subsequent quarters for that year. That attorney letter was submitted to OTC Markets on 2-8-2022 at 5:30 pm Eastern Time. OTC Markets confirmed once it is submitted PTOP should be updated to “Pink Current Status” within 3-5 business days. Assuming it has been done correctly. Regulation CF, also known as Regulation Crowdfunding or Reg CF is a section of the United States Code, in particular 17 U.S.C. § 227 (2021) dealing with equity crowdfunding. This section of the law originated with Title III of the 2012 JOBS Act which went into effect on May 16, 2016. Several U.S. platforms, called funding portals, currently facilitate Reg CF investments, including www.Trucrowd.com in which PTOP has entered into a relationship with. PTOP has paid associated fees and an escrow account has been set up for the proceeds of the endeavor. Equity crowdfunding is a mechanism that enables broad groups of investors to fund startup companies and small businesses in return for equity. “This will be a GAME CHANGER for PTOP & the value of the company overall in my opinion. As of now, we rely on a direct purchase program where we sell shares directly from the company to people who identify themselves as accredited investors at a discount-to-market, that either call into our investor relations line, or are already existing shareholders. Reg CF will allow us to raise up to $ 5 million dollars though an unlimited number of unaccredited investors. It will allow us to advertise our direct purchase program of our company shares on social media, our website, our equity funding portal partners' website, and anywhere online as long as we go through our crowdfunding partners' equity portal. Trucrowd is a funding portal that will enable their investor lists to pour money into the company as well. We can set the minimum investment much lower than the standard is now. For instance, we can allow shareholders to pay as little as $500 directly to our company to buy shares, at any price we set. This will broaden our shareholder base and bring new shareholders to the company. These shares will be of course restricted for a period of time applicable to the rules. Therefore, the new investors that put money into the company at a discounted price will not be able to sell these shares immediately into the market… But they will be able to provide the much-needed funding we require in order to complete strategic objectives like a proper launch of MOBICArd™2.0 and by definition increase the value of the company. However, we will still need to clear a few hurdles before it is completely set up.” explained Chairman & CEO Joshua Sodaitis. One requirement of Regulation CF is that the issuer cannot conduct the offering itself. The offering must only be conducted through a crowdfunding intermediary commonly referred to as a “funding portal.” Crowdfunding intermediaries must be registered with the SEC as a broker-dealer or as a funding portal and become a member of FINRA. An issuer is required to use only one intermediary to conduct an offering in reliance on Section 4(a)(6). The SEC has stated that it believes this helps foster the creation of a “crowd” and better serves the purpose of the statute. On the Form C, an issuer is required to disclose detailed information including background checks, about its officers and directors. Instead of requiring issuers to disclose the name of each 20 percent beneficial owner as of the most recent practicable date calculated based on voting power, such disclosure is required as of the most recent practicable date but no earlier than 120 days prior to the date the offering statement or report is filed. Rule 201(d) requires the issuer to disclose information about its business and anticipated business plan. Rule 201(i) requires an issuer to provide a reasonably detailed description of the purpose of the offering so that investors understand how the offering proceeds will be spent. The SEC provides several examples of the disclosure’s issuers should consider making about the uses of the offering proceeds. For example, an issuer may plan to use the proceeds of an offering to acquire assets or businesses, compensate an intermediary or its own employees, or repurchase outstanding securities of the issuer. In providing its description, an issuer should consider the appropriate level of detail to provide investors about the assets or businesses it anticipates acquiring, based on its particular facts and circumstances, so that the investors could make informed decisions. PTOP is exploring potentially acquiring some of the smaller competitors in this space, and absorbing their operations, PTOP will make any necessary disclosures at the proper time. If the proceeds will be used to compensate existing employees or to hire new employees, the issuer should consider disclosing whether the proceeds will be used for salaries or bonuses and how many employees it plans to hire, as applicable. If the issuer will repurchase outstanding issuer securities, it should consider disclosing its plans, terms, and purpose for repurchasing the securities. PTOP recognizes that any form of a stock buyback plan could stabilize the price and potentially establish a floor. At this time, however, that is not in the plans but can be revisited after a restructuring. An issuer also should consider disclosing how long the proceeds will satisfy the operational needs of the business. If it does not have definitive plans for the proceeds but instead has identified a range of possible uses, then it should identify and describe each probable use and the factors it may consider in allocating proceeds among the potential uses. Additional Disclosure Requirements on Form C include; the identity of the Intermediary, Compensation Paid to the Intermediary, Legends, Current Number of Employees, Risk Factors, Indebtedness, Prior Exempt Offerings, Related-Party Transactions, Financial Disclosures, Financial Condition Discussion, an issuer must disclose on its website the location where investors will be able to find its annual report and more. It is a LENGTHY legal disclosure process. PTOP has chosen to conduct a PCAOB AUDIT of its 2022 & 2021 financial statements to comply with the requirements needed for Form C, Reg CF. No matter what, the issuer must disclose any material information. “It’s a lot of work. The crowdfunding company TruCrowd told me that it has taken some companies an entire year to get everything done. I worked diligently to get everything except the PCAOB audit completed. We also need our Edgarization codes, which we are trying to locate from previous management, otherwise I will have to pay for new ones. I am proud to say that I am one of the fastest they have ever seen to get stuff completed. PTOP has already paid to have the escrow account set up. I signed multiple agreements and worked diligently with multiple parties to get the entire form C ready. We are 99% completed and need to pay our securities attorney to review Form C that I have completed. We need to also pay for the audit, and maybe new Edgar codes. I am trying to move lighting fast, but as I stated in my Annual Shareholders Letter these things cost money. PTOP will need to rely on shareholders to get these specific action items paid for. Once I have the funding to complete the Form C we can submit it to the SEC & I can continue to work hard delivering on the strategic objectives I have laid out in the Annual Shareholder Letter,” exclaimed CEO Joshua Sodaitis. PTOP believes that with $1 million set aside for the MOBICARD™2.0 marketing budget, we could afford a $1 per customer acquisition cost. Meaning that we should be able to catapult MOBICARD™2.0 to a million users even before we fulfill the crowdfunding limits. “This is an exciting time to be a shareholder of PTOP, we are getting ready to make a huge impact on the market. There has probably never been a better time to become a shareholder. Granted there are a few challenges that lay ahead but imagine investing in Uber right before their apps dropped, and they were aligning funding for the launch of their app. I believe we have the same potential if not greater. We don’t have to scale by hiring more drivers or having the headache of car inventory, or service providers. As our company grows, we can scale it simply by increasing our server space. Our costs are really all on the front end, and once we kick MOBICARD™2.0 off with a BANG, not even the sky is the limit. I am confident that we will get the support of the shareholders to complete the payments for these KEY strategic objectives so that I can knock off the entire 10-point action item list I described in my Annual Letter To Shareholders, there are never any guarantee but I believe it’s a lot more probable than not. I think 2023 is PTOP’s year to break out in a major way,” concluded CEO Mr. Sodaitis. PTOP’s CEO plans to answer a bunch of shareholder questions on the PTOP message boards on Thursday evening so I encourage anyone with any comments questions, or concerns to reach out on the message boards at www.ptopnetwork.com Like us @MobiCard on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter @freemobicard. PTOP a new phase is coming soon! Contact Info: Joshua Sodaitis, Chairman & CEO MobiCard, Inc. 45 Prospect Street Cambridge, MA 02139 Investor Relations Phone#: 1-617-481-1971 Email: info@freemobicard.com Investor Website: www.ptopnetwork.com Safe Harbor Statement: This release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The Company invokes the protections of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements regarding our expected future financial position, results of operations, cash flows, financing plans, business strategies, products and services, competitive positions, growth opportunities, plans and objectives of management for future operations, as well as statements that include words such as "anticipate," "if," "believe," "plan," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "could," "should," "will," and other similar expressions are forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are beyond our control, which may cause actual results, performance, or achievements to differ materially from anticipated results, performance, or achievements. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include those set forth in our filings at www.sec.gov. The company is no longer a fully reporting SEC filing company. We are under no obligation to (and expressly disclaim any such obligation to) update or alter our forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Contact Details Joshua Sodaitis +1 617-481-1971 info@freemobicard.com Company Website http://www.ptopnetwork.com/

February 09, 2023 10:30 AM Eastern Standard Time

Since Elon Musk’s Takeover, Twitter Has Seen a Rapid Rise in Gen-Z, Neo-Nazi Antisemitism, New Study Shows

Combat Hate Foundation

A study by the Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM) and the Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI) has demonstrated that extremist elements have viewed Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter as an opportunity to rejoin the social media platform en masse. The study also indicates that a sea change is taking place on Twitter with respect to the proliferation of extremist antisemitic content. Much attention has been paid to Kanye “Ye” West’s antisemitic tirade, and indeed NCRI/CAM’s data finds his remarks triggered a significant increase of 136% in toxic comments, threats, and identity attacks in tweets pertaining to Jews on the platform. Furthermore, the data suggests that the influx of extremist activity onto Twitter began far before West’s statements, with an organized effort of extremist communities like the Gen Z, neo-Nazi “Groypers,” led by white supremacist Nick Fuentes. The report finds they acted as a vanguard: anticipating, planning for, and capitalizing on Musk’s acquisition of Twitter to popularize and disseminate hateful content. They did so with the expectation that Musk would provide a more hospitable platform for their brand of extremist content, joining Twitter at a rapid rate. This report comes on the heels of Twitter briefly reinstating Fuentes’s account in late January, the only mainstream social media platform that has allowed his activity. Within hours of being reinstated, Fuentes’ second tweet was a video showcasing “ye24” and “Death Con 3,” a nod to West’s October tweet where he said he was going to go “death con 3 on the Jewish people.” Using machine learning, natural language processing, open-source investigation of social media content, graph and time series analysis, and econometric techniques, NCRI examined how an antisemitic transformation has taken shape on Twitter and how these changes might relate to physical-world, antisemitic incidents. Combining CAM's expertise in identifying emerging antisemitic trends with NCRI's proprietary technology, insights are drawn from vast amounts of data across social media platforms in near-real time to uncover contemporary antisemitism on social media, and its real-life consequences. Neo-Nazi Groyper accounts joined the platform first in response to Musk joining the board of the company, then surged to their highest levels (~2,000% growth) on April 15th, with the announcement of his purchase offer. Notable spikes also accompanied Musk’s formal acquisition of the platform (~1,000%) and the reinstatement on Twitter of former U.S. President Donald Trump. Baseline levels of new Groyper accounts continuing to join the platform have also surged and remained elevated by over 200%, suggesting sustained growth in Gen-Z neo-Nazi Groyper activity on Twitter. “Since Elon Musk acquired Twitter, it has become not only a safe space for hate, especially antisemitism, but also a vector for its spread,” said Sacha Roytman Dratwa, CEO of CAM. “Many white supremacists and other extremists have perceived it as a place where there is permission to incite, and even a single tweet from someone like Nick Fuentes or Ye has to the power to sow seeds of hate for years to come. It is a very real and tangible threat.” Since Twitter accepted Musk’s offer in April, monthly references to tropes about “Soros” and “Globalists,” which are often antisemitic, have nearly doubled. This is of great concern, as the NCRI/CAM now characterizes online antisemitism as an upstream predictor of real-world incidents. In fact, these impacts have emerged in tandem with a surge in real-world antisemitic activity, and the data suggests key antisemitic conspiracy terms on Twitter both correlated with and were useful for forecasting these activities. “There is almost a horseshoe effect mobilizing against the Jewish people, with white supremacists, Black Hebrew Israelites, Islamists, and others working together on the only cause that unites them -- a hatred of Jews,” said Joel Finkelstein, Chief Science Officer and Director at NCRI. One example was from November last year when Christopher Brown (@vrilgod) replied to a heated argument on Twitter about the history of the transatlantic slave trade with the claim “Jews owned the ships.” Later that same day, Brown was arrested at New York City’s Penn Station carrying a “large 8-inch military-style knife, a blade longer than 4 inches, a Swastika arm patch, and a ski mask,” in connection to threats against a synagogue in the city. The tweet was subsequently uncovered, after being deleted, on the NCRI’s platform. Brown -- a white male linked to online neo-Nazi groups -- had used a trope common to the Black Hebrew Israelites. His quip on Twitter and subsequent planned terror attack shows the convergence of different racial hatreds in new, unexpected ways that appear to be growing in popularity and attention, with a rash against Jews taking place in the physical world. To view the full CAM/NCRI report on Twitter and its responsibility for a rise in antisemitism, click here. The Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM) is a global coalition engaging more than 650 partner organizations and two million people from a diverse array of religious, political, and cultural backgrounds in the common mission of fighting the world’s oldest hatred. CAM acts collaboratively to build a better future, free of bigotry, for Jews and all humanity. Contact Details JDA Worldwide +1 615-473-0794 Press@jdaworldwide.com Company Website https://combatantisemitism.org/

February 08, 2023 01:32 PM Eastern Standard Time

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Chairman & CEO Joshua Sodaitis Announces Annual Letter to Shareholders

Peer to Peer Network

McapMediaWire -- Peer To Peer Network a.k.a MobiCard Inc. (OTC: PTOP ) today released the following annual letter to shareholders: Dear Fellow Shareholders: Each year, I make it a priority to write to you on behalf of PTOP. I believe that a clear and concise strategy outlined at the beginning of the year helps keep the company focused on the strategic objectives that we aim to achieve. Although I know that each of you has different priorities, we all want the same thing, the value of growth and the company to succeed in our goals. In the year 2022, we faced challenges at every turn: a lingering pandemic, unprecedented government actions, a highly polarized congressional U.S. election, mounting inflation, a war in Ukraine, and a dramatic economic funding shortage that short-changed PTOP. We lost a member of our advisory board who decided to be involved in negotiating the MOBICARD™ 2.0 tech contract and then disappeared after having promised to pay for the contract. We hope he is okay and will return for the new year. Adding to the disruption, these events were unfolding while we learned that DWAC eligibility would not automatically make PTOP shares accepted for transfers to existing brokerage firms. Ultimately, we could only afford half of the strategic objectives we had laid out for the year 2022. Since I have been CEO dating back to 2018… 2022 was the 1 st year in which I was not able to knock down all of the strategic objectives I had laid out in my annual letter at the beginning of that year. But during this difficult time, we have a moment to put aside our differences, offer solutions and work with shareholders who may not have been as active previously. In the year 2023, we have an opportunity to come together in defense of PTOP & MOBICARD™ 2.0’s future. We have seen in many years prior that the shareholders of PTOP have come together previously during instances of conflict and crisis. I am optimistic that we can reengage with previously disgruntled shareholders, & long-lost advisors, for all of our interests collectively. This juncture is also a moment when our company needs to work together to achieve the mutually beneficial strategic objectives, I laid out ahead for the year 2023. Although I began this annual letter to shareholders in reflection of 2022’s challenging landscape, I remain proud of what our company, our employees, & 1099 independent contractors have achieved, collectively and individually. As you know, I have long championed the essential role of transparency, and honesty in our community — MOBICARD™ 2.0 has the potential for bringing people together, enabling companies and individuals to reach for their dreams, and being a source of strength in entrepreneurism. Throughout this past challenging year, we never stopped doing all the things we should be doing to serve our shareholders and remain true to our transparent financial reporting requirements. Looking back on the last year and the past 4 years — starting from my time as CEO in late 2018 — it is clear that my financial discipline, constant investment in innovation, and ongoing development to better the company, is what enabled us to persevere in our steadfast dedication to help shareholders and maintain our financial reporting requirements. I’d like to note some steadfast principles that are worth repeating. The first is that our management team goes to work every day recognizing the enormous responsibility that we have to our shareholders. Maintaining our ability to be listed on the OTC Markets Pink Sheets is the top priority. Second, while I don’t run the company worrying about the stock price in the short run, in the long run, our stock price is a measure of the progress we have made over the years. This progress is a function of continual investments in our people, systems, and product, in good and bad times, to build our capabilities. Whether looking back to 2017 when I first got on the board and the stock was at $0.0001 per share, or in the years since, Peer To Peer Network’s shareholders' investments have resulted in our stock’s significant improvement. These important investments that many of you will make directly into PTOP in the weeks and months to come will also drive our company’s future prospects and position it to grow and prosper. I have no doubt in my mind that 2023 will see the release of MOBICARD™ 2.0 and its debut will lead to significant improvement in the appreciation of our stock price, and of the value of the company overall. In 2022 we announced the Kick-off of a complete front-end overhaul. We completed that goal. We also announced a complete redesign that would include improvements to our web apps, and mobile apps, and make MOBICARD™ easier to understand, faster to use, and add additional functionality. We were calling it MOBICARD™2.0. We are $30,000 short of having MOBICARD™ 2.0 completed. That is why I am discussing with our tech team the idea of perhaps releasing MOBICARD™2.0 in stages. This will allow the app to be out and gathering users while we push out updates to add the other additional functionality and features. This will be a big decision for 2023 that will greatly depend on the capital available to the company come to the end of February. We have consistently described to you, our shareholders, the basic principles, and strategies we use to build this company — from maintaining a fortress balance sheet, constantly satisfying regulators, continually improving risk governance and controls, and serving shareholders. We are proud to announce that our Q1 financials will be completed soon, and we will continue to clear debt off of our books, while not accepting any form whatsoever of any toxic debt. In 2022 we applied and were approved for DWAC eligibility. In 2023 we plan to hold a majority vote to effectuate key corporate actions with FINRA that will better suit the company and enable further investment from existing shareholders. Namely a restructure. I hope to conclude this vote in the next week and will make an announcement accordingly. In 2023 we plan to file a form C with the SEC. This will enable Reg CF or Crowd Funding. This will enable PTOP to seek the much-needed funding to achieve strategic objectives. Crowd Funding allows for an unlimited number of unaccredited investors and also allows for PTOP to advertise and promote the purchase of our stock directly through the company on social media and online. We plan to work with a specialty company that will host it on their site as well as promotes us to a list of their investors. In 2023 we need to complete a PCAOB compliant audit in order to clear both the Reg CF and in our opinion the corporate actions/ restructure. If PTOP is able to obtain the funding necessary to complete these objectives, our stock should be well over a penny and there most likely will be an entirely new shareholder base interested in our company right in time for our MOBICARD™2.0 apps to drop. We also plan to file an entirely new patent based on our MOBICARD™2.0 solutions. This should build momentum. The plan is for 2023 is simple. Make a press release after the following completed strategic objectives: Complete a Majority Vote Engage a Crowd Funding Company Engage & Fund an Auditor Pay our Tech Team to get out Mobicard™2.0 into the stores Complete the PCAOB audit File with FINRA for a stock re-structure File form C with the S.E.C. for a Reg CF = Crowd Funding / Get approved Engage with Investors Hub (Home Take over Page placed adds) Release Mobicard™ 2.0 Promote User Growth through a well-funded PR & Marketing campaign. If you look deeper, you will find that PTOP’s success and accomplishments are founded on our commitment to EACH-OTHER. Shareholder value can be built only if you maintain a healthy and vibrant company, which means doing a good job taking care of funding requirements, employees, and shareholder interests. Conversely, how can you have a healthy company if you neglect any of these stakeholders? As we have learned in 2022, there are myriad of ways that each stakeholder is dependent on the other. Adhering to our basic principles and strategies allows us to drive forward, and properly manage our capital, as we have consistently demonstrated over the past year. Finally, the basis of our success is our people. Our shareholders and new prospective shareholders that pay to build the company and maintain the regulatory requirements, PTOP’s CEO who makes the strategic decisions, manages the risks, determines our spending priorities. Whatever your view is of PTOP’s complexity and the risks and opportunities ahead, having a great team of people — with guts, brains, integrity, and an enormous capability to navigate personally challenging circumstances while maintaining high standards of professional excellence — is what ensures our prosperity, now and in the future. If I can round up the $150,000 necessary to move the company forward in the next two months we will clear more than half the list within 6 months. We will all be able to experience the BEST year PTOP has ever had! I plan to answer a bunch of shareholder questions on the PTOP message boards on Thursday so I encourage anyone with any comments questions, or concerns to reach out at www.ptopnetwork.com Just think about where the stock can go if we knock down the objectives I have outlined. It will come down to funding to get those initiatives accomplished. together we can make this by far the best year ever. I look forward to talking with all of you on our shareholder message boards at www.ptopnetwork.com. Like us @MobiCard on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter @freemobicard. MobiCard A new phase is coming soon! Contact Info: Joshua Sodaitis, Chairman & CEO MobiCard, Inc. 45 Prospect Street Cambridge, MA 02139 Phone: 1-617-651-2460 Email: info@freemobicard.com App Website: www.freemobicard.com Investor Website: www.ptopnetwork.com ABOUT: Peer to Peer Network aka MobiCard is the 1st of its kind digital contact/business card. It will greatly facilitate the ability of individuals and businesses to share information and more effectively expand their visibility and brand awareness. Mobicard is a combination of powerful mobile apps and desktop apps with wide-ranging capabilities, including linking videos, user websites, all forms of contact information, and all of each user's social media links into one consolidated source. It is more than just a digital business card; it's a "dynamic digital footprint." A subscriber can custom create their business card to include a company logo, profile photo, contact details, website, audio messaging, social media links, and multi-media content. The platform sharing and alert system enable users to share their card via text/SMS, e-mail, and global social media sites including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. The system provides the user instant text alerts when their card is opened or shared with third-party referrals all while building an invaluable database of contact leads. Safe Harbor Statement: This release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The Company invokes the protections of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements regarding our expected future financial position, results of operations, cash flows, financing plans, business strategies, products and services, competitive positions, growth opportunities, plans and objectives of management for future operations, as well as statements that include words such as "anticipate," "if," "believe," "plan," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "could," "should," "will," and other similar expressions are forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties, and contingencies, many of which are beyond our control, which may cause actual results, performance, or achievements to differ materially from anticipated results, performance, or achievements. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include those set forth in our filings at www.sec.gov. The company is no longer a fully reporting SEC filing company. We are under no obligation to (and expressly disclaim any such obligation to) update or alter our forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Contact Details MobiCard, Inc Joshua Sodaitis +1 617-651-2460 info@freemobicard.com Company Website https://www.freemobicard.com/

February 07, 2023 10:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

Preya Co Investor Relations and Corporate Advisory Firm Announces Launch of New Website and Expansion of Services

Preya Co

McapMediaWire -- Preya Co, a boutique investor relations firm based out of New York, is pleased the announce the launch of its new innovative corporate website: www.preya.co The new website was created to better reflect our portfolio of services and strategies the firm has to offer. Preya Co provides individualized attention and customized plans to cater to each company’s specific needs toward ensuring a high value return service. “We spent much of 2022 exponentially growing our client base and partnerships toward additional capabilities and second-to-none service,” said Preya Narain, Director of IR Strategy and Operations. “Bolstering our clients communication is our specialty, as we know that maintaining a transparent avenue of contact with consumers and shareholders is essential in both the public and private sectors. Our firm works cohesively with management teams to tell each company’s unique story streamlined across multiple formats and channels of engagement.” Research shows that the USA has approximately 302.35 million social media users as of 2023. This translates to roughly 90% of the total U.S. population using social media. “Whether you have a small business, large public company or even a mid-sized private company, social media is the key to driving brand awareness and expanding your business’s base of clients,” adds Narain. The firm’s services include: IR Strategy Shareholder Meetings Presentations IR & Corporate Websites Private Company Advisory Corporate Governance Press Release Writing Social Media Management Crisis Communication Executive Search One key strategic partnership is with Mcap Mediawire ( www.McapMediaWire.com ) (“Mcap”), a cutting edge media, marketing, disclosure/news dissemination firm that services both private and public companies with offerings such as effective press release dissemination, journalist/blogger pickup of news and articles, news videos, marketing programs, CEO Interviews, and more. Mcap Founder, Mark B. Newbauer states, “We have had the immense pleasure of working with Preya for nearly 5 years now and I’ve yet to find a professional with her specialty that delivers their work with more care for the client. Preya truly goes above and beyond for those she serves and works with and is a trusted name among CEOs and Shareholders/Investors alike. We are thrilled to be expanding our capabilities through her service, alongside special offers on our services to her client base toward a win-win.” Multimedia Presentation: Preya Co Investor Relations and Corporate Advisory Firm Announces Launch of New Website and Expansion of Services Video: https://youtu.be/iWYFsbTkCB8 For more information and updates, please visit www.preya.co Contact Mcap Mediawire: cs@mcapmedia.com 707-682-9473 Contact Details Preya Co Preya Narain info@preya.co Mcap Mediawire Mark B. Newbauer +1 707-682-9473 cs@mcapmedia.com Company Website https://www.preya.co/

February 07, 2023 09:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

Alan Schneider Celebrates 15 Years as Owner of Minuteman Press Franchise in Northvale, NJ

Minuteman Press International Inc

The Minuteman Press franchise in Northvale, NJ has been operating for over 40 years. Alan Schneider and his wife Nadine are celebrating 15 years as owners and share their insights and reflections. Minuteman Press in Northvale, NJ is located at 202 Livingston Street, Northvale, NJ 07647. Congrats on 15 years! What does this milestone mean to you and what are the keys to your success and longevity? Nadine and Alan: “This is a tremendous milestone for us. Although we have hit this milestone in our tenure, the shop has been in business for over 40 years in this community. We are well known and very involved in the town. For years, people were saying the printing industry was dying. Then the pandemic hit and I think everyone feared a little bit for the future. However, I have to say that I never expected the bounce back from the pandemic to be such a boon for business. I think people realized that community is important, supporting local business is important, and although online marketing has a place, it’s not the only game in town. Print is still king. The keys to our success and longevity are: providing a warm and friendly place to do business; being knowledgeable about our products and services; letting our clients know that their success is important to us and we are here to help them; caring about our clients as people—not just as customers; and, most importantly, reliability and integrity.” What are some of the key ways you’ve grown your business? Nadine and Alan: “Believe it or not, the pandemic was a blessing for our business. It forced us to take critical look at how we were operating. We took a hard look at our numbers, and strategized on what we could do better in both operations and marketing. On the operational side, we cut out some of the fat and streamlined things where needed.” Alan: “My wife, Nadine, has an MBA in marketing and has owned a marketing and graphic design business for 15+ years. She joined me in our Northvale, NJ location and is providing all the graphic design services. Not only was this a strategic financial/operational move, it was the best marketing move we could have made. We are now truly a marketing, design and printing company – a one-stop shop!” Nadine and Alan: “Our clients are provided with a free consultation on the best ways to market their business. We do the strategy, design and printing. When the clients see the results, they come back for additional products and services—and they tell their friends! The savings we realized from our reduction in payroll was also reinvested in the business by increasing our participation in the SEO/Internet marketing program. We are starting to see an uptick in our internet leads! A couple of other cool things… Last year, we expanded our marketing strategy by promoting ourselves as a local family business. Our holiday cards now feature our family photo – myself, Nadine, and our 4 grown children. The theme is, Family is everything. We appreciate you being part of ours. I can’t tell you how many compliments we received on that card. People feel like they know our family, and always ask how our kids are doing. This year, we will be planning a marketing program to celebrate my birthday on October 26 th. Why? Because we found out that it’s also National Printing Day! We are going to have a lot of fun with that. We also do a lot of in-person networking by being active in our home and business communities. We are BNI members and directors, are involved with many not-for-profits, serve on the boards of the local Chambers of Commerce, and are Auxiliary Police Officers in our hometown. We are always visible helping the community in whatever way we can.” What are your high-demand products and services? Nadine and Alan: “We do a ton of direct mail, particularly EDDM. Although the program has been around for years, it’s really been gaining traction since the pandemic. Once our clients see how well direct mail works for them, they either expand their reach or frequency…or both. We help them build their customer lists as a result of their EDDM efforts, then assist them with targeted direct mail programs to these new customers. We are proud to say that many of our clients credit us with helping them build their businesses through direct mail. They refer to us as the direct mail experts! We also began heavily promoting branded apparel. It’s featured in the front of our store, and we make a point of mentioning it to our clients when they come into the shop. Once we learn about their business, we suggest what types of apparel and promotional items they may want to consider to boost their brand awareness.” What are your key growth areas? Nadine and Alan: “Again, direct mail and apparel are huge for us. Design as well. Our previous graphic designer was more of a layout/production person. Nadine is a true creative. Everything we do for a client now has a marketing strategy behind it, and a creative, eye-catching design. Clients who come in with their ideas are truly blown away by how we bring their visions to life. One successful campaign for a client usually snowballs into more business—and more referrals! But our true measure of success is knowing how we are helping our clients grow their businesses.” How would you best describe your community? Nadine and Alan: “Northvale, NJ is one square mile in area, right on the New York State border. The community is comprised of mostly residential homes, a small downtown with shopping and a handful of light industrial/manufacturing. Since it’s a small-town area, we focus on serving the local trades, retail stores, restaurants, professional services and industrial businesses. We have also built a client list outside of our small regional area by creating relationships with professionals that can provide us with ongoing business.” Why do you think printing remains so vital to businesses today? What are the benefits of print? Nadine and Alan: “Several years ago, email marketing became extremely popular because it was free. Today, in-boxes are flooded with messages that are deleted before they are even opened. A wasted marketing effort, even though it is ‘free.’ With print, your message is tangible. A direct mail piece in someone’s mailbox is handled – even if it is eventually discarded. Someone saw it, and handled it. Print is the ultimate conversation-starter. Hand someone a brochure, mail them a postcard, or even embroider your company name on your polo – and you are now visible to them. The most successful businesses rely on print for the majority of their marketing, so it is definitely here to stay.” What was your background before franchising? Alan: “I owned a food distribution company prior to owning a Minuteman Press. I wanted something new, but I still wanted to be a business owner. I chose Minuteman Press because of the company’s reputation for training and support of its franchisees. Also, printing is a consumable business which means repeat business.” What has the support from Minuteman Press International been like for you? Nadine and Alan: “Pick up the phone, send an email, and someone is there to help. The conventions are invaluable. We always come back learning something new, whether it’s from corporate or fellow owners. We look forward to seeing everyone, and meeting new people. It’s like a family reunion! We’ve also come back with new vendors to try which really had an impact on our business.” What are the biggest rewards of owning your business? Nadine and Alan: “Being an integral part of other people’s businesses and helping them achieve their goals. Also, being part of the community.” What advice would you give to others? Nadine and Alan: “Be professional and be persistent!” Minuteman Press in Northvale, NJ is located at 202 Livingston Street, Northvale, NJ 07647. For more information, visit their website: https://minuteman.com/us/locations/nj/northvale/ Learn more about #1 rated Minuteman Press franchise opportunities and read Minuteman Press franchise reviews at https://minutemanpressfranchise.com. Contact Details Minuteman Press International Chris Biscuiti +1 631-249-1370 cbiscuiti@mpihq.com Company Website https://minutemanpressfranchise.com

February 06, 2023 11:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

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Hypemachine launches a PR subscription platform with a powerhouse network of top PR executives from bluechip agencies such as Edelman, FleishmanHillard, and Ogilvy

Hypemachine

New York-based company Hypemachine today announced the launch of their platform and bluechip PR network ( www.hypemachine.io ). The company has attracted early-stage to publicly traded firms globally as clients and replaced what mid-sized PR agencies used to do with its technology and business model. Hypemachine offers à la carte PR subscriptions that can be scaled up or down quickly based on client needs. The company provides bluechip PR agency quality results at a fraction of "big agency” fees. How Hypemachine is different: Hypemachine Match – Hypemachine identifies what media relationships PR executives have, the sectors they worked in, and what they enjoy doing most in PR and matches senior PR teams to clients in tech, consumer, venture capital, and other sectors. Hypemachine Intuitive Dashboard – Hypemachine’s intuitive dashboard provides PR data and recommendations from Hypemachine's executives. The next stage of the dashboard will use artificial intelligence combined with executives' personalized insights. Hypemachine’s dashboard also streamlines the administrative and account management work that junior staffers typically do. Hypemachine Story Strength Score – The company has also created a ‘Hypemachine story strength score’, which assesses clients' announcements and story assets and offers recommendations on how to make them more compelling for reporters. “As a two-time startup founder and former agency SVP at a leading PR agency in New York City, I saw that the agency model was broken for most brands and founders,” says Hypemachine Founder and CEO Olga Orda. "A big part of why we’ve attracted so much incredible A-list, senior talent at Hypemachine is that they feel their work and senior counsel is valued, both in our network and by our clients," Orda said. “Contrary to what many may assume about public relations, we get paid to think, and public relations is more than just who you know. Even if I’m best friends with a reporter at the Wall Street Journal, no reporter will put their career on the line for a terrible or boring story. That’s why we hire the best talent in the industry from leading brands and agencies. We're passionate about helping clients strengthen their storylines and get media coverage.” “Adapting to the changing public relations industry, Hypemachine has created a powerful model for clients to capture tomorrow's audiences," says Andrew Graham, Founder and Head of Strategy at Bread & Law and 2021 PRSA-NY president. About Hypemachine Launched in 2023, Hypemachine ( www.hypemachine.io ) offers a PR subscription platform and powerhouse network of former PR executives from bluechip firms such as Edelman, FleishmanHillard, Ogilvy, and other leading agencies. Hypemachine’s senior associates have advised brands and organizations such as Google, GE, Samsung, Unilever, Netflix, Salesforce, and Amazon. The company offers bluechip PR agency capabilities at a fraction of “big agency” fees and an intuitive Hypemachine PR dashboard for clients. Based in New York City, Hypemachine’s clients include early-stage to publicly traded companies globally. Contact Details Hypemachine Media Relations info@hypemachine.io Company Website https://www.hypemachine.io

February 06, 2023 10:30 AM Eastern Standard Time

AI-Generated Cover Art and Article Surprise Readers of NCMA’s Contract Management Magazine

National Contract Management Association

Only by reading to the end of “AI Is Coming for Contracting,” the February cover story, did Contract Management Magazine readers learn the truth about author Annaliese Trenchfield. “She” was an amalgam of generative artificial intelligences. In a first-ever test, the editors of the National Contract Management Association’s (NCMA) flagship magazine used Open AI’s DALL-E2 to create the cover image and the same company’s Generative Pre-trained Transformer 3 (GPT3) model to write the cover story. “What better way to bring home to government and industry contracting professionals AI’s growing potential to alter their work and careers than by showing them what it can do?” said NCMA CEO Kraig Conrad. “The slightly ominous nature of the cover art was intentional,” he added. “All of us quickly must adjust to AI augmenting our work. But as “Ms. Trenchfield” made clear, rumors of human replacement are greatly exaggerated... for now.” The cover package details current AI applications in government contracting. It was brought to life by Contract Management Editor in Chief Anne Laurent with the support of John Ferry, CEO of Trenchant Analytics, (TAC), which is prototyping an AI-powered contract writing application, AcqBot, for the Department of Defense. “I had seen Cosmopolitan magazine’s DALL-E2-generated astronaut cover, and I thought, why not go all the way, and have AI generate a cover image and story about AI in contracting,” Laurent said. “Almost immediately after ChatGPT went public last November, contracting folks began musing on social media about using at work. So, I knew there was an appetite for exploring AI.” Just a day after Laurent posted it on LinkedIn, the cover package had attracted thousand of impressions, the equivalent of going viral for an article about contracting. “It was averaging 100 hits an hour for the first day or so,” she said. “My post didn’t give away the surprise, but I did advise people to read all the way to the end of the story where Trenchfield’s “bio” appeared.” Ferry, who prompted DALL-E2 to produce the cover illustration and article, generated 1,580 images to find the cover image. “Each prompt produces four images, so that comes to 395 individual prompts,” he said. Like many ChatGPT users, Ferry quickly discovered the limits of AI language models. Asked to write about the use of robotic process automation in government and provide web links and citations, “GPT-3 gave me 50 or more very official-sounding system names complete with acronyms, military service sponsors, and website links. All were completely fictitious,” he said. View the full February issue. For more on the story behind the February cover, look for the March issue of Contract Management, coming soon. # # # The National Contract Management Association (NCMA), founded in 1959, is the world's leading association in the contract management field. With more than 18,000 members, NCMA is dedicated to the professional growth and educational advancement of procurement and acquisition personnel worldwide. NCMA strives to serve and inform the profession in government and industry by offering opportunities for open exchange of ideas in neutral forums. NCMA's Contract Management Standard is the foundation of foundation contracting training for the entire U.S. government. To learn more, please visit www.ncmahq.org. Contact Details Dominick Belfiore, Director of Operations and Special Projects +1 571-207-5151 dominick.belfiore@ncmahq.org Company Website https://www.ncmahq.org/

February 06, 2023 10:30 AM Eastern Standard Time

NASDAQ-Listed HeartCore Inc. Looks Back On The Past Year With Pride

HeartCore Enterprises

By David Willey, Benzinga As the market settles into its new year, companies are gearing up for the fresh challenge of a new quarter and are looking to build on the successes of the past twelve months. Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) company HeartCore Enterprises Inc. (NASDAQ: HTCR) may have every reason to look back with pride as it takes stock of a previous year filled with exciting developments that could point to a promising 2023. The looming recession has given the 2022 market its share of difficulties, but Japan-based HeartCore has had some wins throughout the year. A digital transformation, customer experience management and IPO consulting company, HeartCore has established itself in a software business and services market worth over $121 billion. Other companies in the space include Infobird Co. (NASDAQ: IFBD), Zendesk (NYSE: ZEN) and HubSpot (NYSE: HUBS). The first half of the year saw exciting developments for the company as HeartCore became only the third Japanese company to list on the NASDAQ market. It has since launched “ Go IPO ” - a consulting service to help other Japanese companies navigate the complex processes of making an initial public offering (IPO). As part of its consultancy expertise, HeartCore signed a consulting and services agreement with SBC Medical Group, Inc. (SBC) to aid in SBC’s uplisting process. The company expects to generate $900,000 in sales fees through this and several similar service agreements. Looking Back On 2022 - And Forward To 2023 As per the company’s Q1 report for 2022, the company saw a gross profit increase of 74%, gross proceeds from the IPO totaling $15 million, and a global enterprise customer base increase to 858 over the first quarter. Confident in the trajectory of the company’s growth, the board then authorized a share buyback of $3.5 million. The company launched a couple of major products and services over the year, including its e-commerce Robot Store which provides Robot Automation Processes (RPA) services. These RPA bots are part of HeartCore’s digital transformative services to help clients automate and integrate key tasks, such as invoice processing, employee onboarding, ERP data entry, and more. It also launched its truRes-12K. The company says this product is the first 360° real-time virtual reality (VR) camera that is compatible with 12k resolution. Compared with alternative cameras that capture in 4 or 8k, the product offers a high-resolution VR experience which the company especially markets to the medical, manufacturing, aerospace, e-commerce and travel sectors. HeartCore also recently acquired the American information technology (IT) company Sigmaways. This important acquisition represents a vertical integration for the company, providing HeartCore with in-house solutions it previously outsourced. It extends the company’s digital solutions, and both companies profit from cross-selling and upselling to their respective client bases. At the end of October, the company licensed its product Apromore to Japanese tech company Transcosmos Digital Technology Inc. (TCDT). This advanced process mining tool will provide TCDT with increased business visualization and is part of HeartCore’s commitment to providing businesses with cutting-edge digital transformations. The company has plans to build on this past year of development and growth as it advances into 2023. To learn more about HeartCore, visit its website. This article was originally published on Benzinga here. Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, HeartCore Enterprises, Inc. is a leading software development company offering Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions to enterprise customers in Japan and worldwide. The Company also provides data analytics to create tailored web experiences for their enterprise clients. HeartCore’s customer experience management platform (CXM Platform) includes marketing, sales, service, and content management systems, as well as other tools and integrations, which enable companies to enhance the customer experience and drive engagement. HeartCore also operates a digital transformation business that provides customers with robotics process automation, process mining, and task mining to accelerate the digital transformation of enterprises. This post contains sponsored advertising content. This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be investing advice. Contact Details TraDigital IR - Malaika Temu malaika@tradigitalir.com Company Website https://heartcore-enterprises.com/

February 06, 2023 09:45 AM Eastern Standard Time

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Preya Co Investor Relations and Corporate Advisory Firm Announces Launch of New Website and Expansion of Services

Alan Schneider Celebrates 15 Years as Owner of Minuteman Press Franchise in Northvale, NJ

Hypemachine launches a PR subscription platform with a powerhouse network of top PR executives from bluechip agencies such as Edelman, FleishmanHillard, and Ogilvy

AI-Generated Cover Art and Article Surprise Readers of NCMA’s Contract Management Magazine

NASDAQ-Listed HeartCore Inc. Looks Back On The Past Year With Pride