News from the Wire

EZSHIELD® AND IDENTITYFORCE® COMBINE UNDER NEW PARENT COMPANY: SONTIQ™

Wednesday, June 26, 2019 — 14:23:48 (EDT)

Nottingham, MD — June 26th, 2019 — EZShield, the best-in-class digital Identity Theft Protection and Mobile Cybersecurity provider that pioneered fraud restoration, and IdentityForce, the #1 consumer-rated service that pioneered personal information security, today announced that their brands have aligned under a new company: Sontiq.

Sontiq will unite both companies into one industry leader that can meet the evolving identity security needs of all of the audiences both companies serve – from consumers and partners to businesses of all sizes. Both EZShield’s and IdentityForce’s best-in-class products will continue to evolve with up-to-the-minute capabilities for a world that is increasingly connected and vulnerable to fraud.

The new parent company name, Sontiq, is derived from the Latin word “sonticus” meaning serious or critical. Sontiq’s Intelligent Identity Security solutions focus on protecting every aspect of an identity in today’s fast-paced digital world where security incidents, cyber threats, and data breaches are the norm. Protecting what matters most – identity – through award-winning customer service and ironclad protection is at the core of what Sontiq will deliver to its customers.

“Sontiq is a natural evolution for our two companies, EZShield and IdentityForce,” said Dale Dabbs, President and CEO of Sontiq. “Today, we are excited to launch as Sontiq and we are committed to defending consumers and businesses against cyber threats and identity thieves by providing the latest in product innovation and service excellence. Our smarter, stronger, and more integrated approach is built for the speed and volume of modern information sharing an approach we call Sontiq’s Intelligent Identity Security.”

Learn more about Sontiq’s story:

Sontiq.com | Learn more about the audiences and markets Sontiq serves, and how its brands, EZShield andSontiq VIdeo.jpg IdentityForce, will continue to deliver best-in-class products and world-class services. Visit Sontiq.com . Understand more of Sontiq’s disruptive brand story and the strength in partnership between EZShield and IdentityForce. View now. About Sontiq Datasheet | Get a snapshot of the new company and how EZShield and IdentityForce will continue to deliver innovation across multiple markets. Read now. General FAQ | Additional answers to frequent questions around Sontiq, EZShield, and IdentityForce. Read now.

“Uniting our brands under Sontiq speaks to the evolution of the company and the breadth of the markets we are able to serve,” said Daniel L. Black, Managing Partner at Wicks, majority owner of Sontiq. “We have successfully introduced a number of new products and services during the past two years to outpace the rapidly changing ID theft environment. The Sontiq name acknowledges the transformation in the business that we envisioned when we initially invested in EZShield, and then expanded further with the IdentityForce acquisition. Sontiq preserves two great and trusted brands that are highly recognized and respected by millions of consumers, financial institutions, small and large enterprises and federal, state and local governments. We are excited to continue on the path of growing our business, innovating ahead of the market, and serving our clients with passion.”

The Sontiq brand icon is indicative of a thumbprint — the ultimate symbolism of a physical and digital identity. The icon represents the coming together of EZShield and IdentityForce through the two lines that form the "S" — showing the unification of two identity security powerhouses.

Learn more in Sontiq’s Press Room.

Intelligent Identity Security

Sontiq’s Intelligent Identity Security solutions focus on protecting every component of an identity in today’s highly volatile digital world where security incidents, cyber threats, and data breaches are the norm. This is at the core of what Sontiq delivers. Owning an identity is a serious responsibility, and through Sontiq’s intelligent and proactive identity protection and mobile cybersecurity product offering, we’re all less vulnerable.

Learn more about Sontiq’s products and solutions.

About Sontiq Sontiq, headquartered in Nottingham, Maryland, is a high-tech security and identity protection company arming businesses and consumers with award-winning products built to protect what matters most. Sontiq’s brands, EZShield and IdentityForce, provide a full range of identity monitoring, restoration, and response products and services that empower customers to be less vulnerable to the financial and emotional consequences of identity theft and cybercrimes. Learn more at www.sontiq.com or engage with us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or YouTube.

About EZShield and IdentityForce In August 2018, EZShield, a portfolio company of The Wicks Group (“Wicks”), merged with IdentityForce, and became known as EZShield + IdentityForce.. For a combined 60 years, EZShield and IdentityForce have helped individuals, enterprises of all sizes, and trusted partners protect what matters most — through secure, digital identity protection and resolution services that enhance customer relationships, while adding value to existing products. Together, they have trailblazed the identity theft protection space, receiving consistent recognition by Javelin Strategy & Research as a leader in Identity Protection, most recently as the 2018 Identity Protection Service Provider Best-in-Class award winner. Today, thousands of financial institutions rely on EZShield and IdentityForce’s award-winning solutions, all delivered on a secure, flexible platform backed by best-in-class customer support. Additionally, EZShield and IdentityForce provide identity theft, privacy, and credit protection solutions to consumers, businesses, and government agencies. With EZShield and IdentityForce, individuals and companies benefit from the most robust and award-winning identity protection to keep personal and business information safe. In June 2019, EZShield and IdentityForce unified as two distinct brands that sit under their parent company, Sontiq.

Follow EZShield on Twitter, become a fan on Facebook, and engage with us on LinkedIn. Learn more at www.ezshield.com. Follow IdentityForce on Twitter, become a fan on Facebook, and engage with us on LinkedIn. Learn more at www.identityforce.com .

About Wicks The Wicks Group is a private investment firm based in New York City that invests in lower middle market information businesses that create and deliver niche content and services to the business, consumer and education markets. Since its founding in 1989, Wicks has invested over $1 billion of capital in more than 30 platform companies and approximately 100 add-on acquisitions. The firm has applied a consistent investment strategy since its founding, partnering with high-quality, experienced management teams to build businesses organically and through acquisitions. Learn more at www.wicksgroup.com .

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Source: Company press release.