When AI Experts Face AI Scams

Knexus specializes in applying mission-focused AI innovation that supports critical government and enterprise operations while maximizing efficiency. As a premier Google Partner and the 2025 Google Partner of the Year for Business Applications, Knexus holds expertise badges in AI/ML and Data Analytics. They have the proven capability to deliver explainable, secure, and scalable AI solutions to the public sector.

With two decades of experience, 4 patents, and over 100 peer-reviewed publications, Knexus has proven they can transition cutting-edge AI research into deployed systems that handle sensitive data at scale. Knexus came to Kanary because they had dealt with increasing spam and social engineering attempts personally targeting their team. While their organizational security was stellar, they saw an opportunity to strengthen their personal security.

Problem: The wake-up call (or text)

When Knexus brought on new executive leadership, they immediately got hit with a barrage of spam. But that was just the beginning. Within days, employees across the company started receiving highly targeted text messages and emails claiming to be from the new CEO. The messages looked legitimate enough to fool busy engineers and researchers. Some asked employees to click on phishing links. Others requested gift cards for "urgent" matters. Attackers had scraped information from LinkedIn and other publicly available sources about the leadership change and exploited it.

For a company building AI systems, it was a vulnerability to address as quickly as possible. The irony wasn't lost on the team; they were experiencing the same AI-powered threats they helped their clients defend against. "We see how fast AI can fuel impersonation and scams" says Adam Lurie, CEO of Knexus. "Kanary is a no brainer for us to offer as a benefit to our entire team of researchers, engineers, technologists and executives." In addition to the automated service, Kanary also shares helpful tips and trick for businesses looking to network, but limit data leaks on platforms like LinkedIn.

Solution: Personal data security as an employee benefit

For tech companies, especially those working on sensitive AI projects, traditional benefits like healthcare and 401(k)s are table stakes. But what about digital safety? Knexus decided to treat personal data security with the same importance. In 2023, Knexus began offering Kanary as part of their employee benefits package. Just like selecting health insurance during open enrollment, employees could opt into Kanary protection every year when they picked their benefits.

For technical employees who understand threat models and attack vectors, this wasn't a hard sell. Many had first-hand experience manually opting out of data brokers or sending suppression requests to Google. They've actually been on the other side, training AI to synthesize public records, social media, and leaked databases.

Impact: Faster onboarding and a cleaner profile

The adoption numbers speak for themselves, 40 employees opted in to Kanary protection. As Adam notes, "Almost the entire team opted in. They were excited to try out Kanary's mobile app, the first of its kind on-device privacy automation framework." Knexus incorporated Kanary into new employee onboarding and notice fewer security complaints about targeted scams.

While the team was hard at work, Kanary scanned over 300 harmful search engine results, data brokers, and social media platforms every 30 days. When results matched employee data, the system automatically removed them, suppressed them, or escalated them. The transparent web dashboard, monthly status update emails, and mobile app alerts made checking in easy despite it not being necessary.

The results were immediate. In the first quarter after implementation, Kanary removed 275 data broker records exposing Knexus employees' personal information. In subsequent quarters, ongoing monitoring removed between 35 and 150 records each quarter as new exposures appeared and employees continued to onboard.

The Knexus team became active participants in tailoring the service for their top priorities. "We've been sharing feedback directly with Kanary engineers through the Discord beta," Adam says. This active feedback has helped Kanary clean up the online footprints of anyone associated with Knexus. Keeping a clean and professional profile for the team and its leadership contributes to Knexus' strong reputation as a leader in AI innovation. When a potential client searches for the best scientists and technologists at Knexus, they don't see noisy data broker results that erode trust and slow down deals, they see the cutting-edge research and awards the team has won.

Measuring what matters

For Knexus, success is measured in both security posture and team adoption:

• 40 employees protected across engineering, research, and leadership teams

• 1,000+ data broker records removed since 2023

• Near-complete adoption among eligible employees

• Active engagement with Kanary Discord

• Continuous protection that scales with the team

How you can get Kanary for your team

If your organization deals with sensitive technical work, AI development, government contracts, or simply has employees who are visible targets for social engineering, you can set up Kanary for your entire team in less than 5 minutes.

Visit kanary.com/enterprise to learn more about our premium and executive tiers. Offer it as an employee benefit during open enrollment or roll it out immediately for high-risk roles. We'll handle the data removal, the monitoring, and the ongoing protection. You handle building cutting-edge technology.