Sean Nam Crowned Champion in the Prestigious TideInside Development Competition

Sydney, Australia, May 26, 2023 - In a revolutionary step forward for user privacy in the world of social media, Sean Nam, a Canada-based tech enthusiast, has emerged as the winner in the highly competitive TideInside Development Competition, held by Tide, the leading company in decentralized security technology. Sean's innovative project, SecretAlbum, was recognized amongst thousands of participants and hundreds of finalists, for its remarkable application of Tide's decentralised security and commitment to user privacy.

A competition known to bring the most creative and tech-savvy minds under one umbrella, TideInside is a hotbed for innovation. Entrants are tasked with applying Tide's experimental “Heimdall SDK” to a project of their choice, pushing the boundaries of conventional data security. Sean's project stood out among the crowd with its unique combination of innovation, technical prowess, and user-centric design.

SecretAlbum is an image-sharing social media application aimed at enhancing user privacy in an increasingly interconnected digital age. The application's key feature lies in its use of advanced encryption to protect user data. Images uploaded by users are encrypted with a secure key prior to being sent to the server. This advanced encryption process ensures that the user's data remains inaccessible to unauthorized parties, including hackers, the server itself, and even intrusive government entities.

The power behind SecretAlbum's security measures lies in its innovative integration of the Heimdall SDK. Through this, SecretAlbum offloads authentication to Tide's decentralized authentication protocol, thereby ensuring that user passwords are never stored on the app's servers. This two-fold security measure ensures that user data remains in the user's control, bolstering confidence in the protection of sensitive information in an era where data sovereignty is paramount.

“Sean's entry exemplifies the spirit of innovation that the TideInside competition stands for,” said Domonique Valladolid, Co-Founder of Tide. “His commitment to integrating the Heimdall SDK into a user-friendly social media application displays an understanding of the privacy concerns of modern internet users and presents a viable solution that addresses these concerns head-on.”

Sean, an introverted tech enthusiast and Junior Cybersecurity Researcher, is passionate about using technology to solve complex problems. His victory in the TideInside competition underscores the impressive skill set he brings to his work and the cybersecurity industry at large. Born in Seoul, South Korea, and raised in Canada, Sean demonstrates the best in global talent in the blended field of cybersecurity and cryptography.

In an era where personal data has become a hot commodity, Sean's work highlights a path forward for the industry, one where the user's privacy is paramount and tech innovators play a critical role in preserving that privacy. His victory sends a strong signal to the cybersecurity community: there are exciting, creative solutions to be found in the quest for breach-proof development.

Sean's success in the TideInside competition will undoubtedly serve as an inspiration to many. His dedication to finding a way to merge social media with user data ownership through Tide’s Heimdall SDK is a testament to the incredible potential in the cybersecurity industry.