Smartphones hold vast amounts of personal and financial data, so the threat of theft can have devastating consequences. James O’Sullivan, founder and CEO of Nuke from Orbit, experienced this firsthand and turned his misfortune into an innovative solution aimed at protecting users from the fallout of stolen devices.
On this episode of Grit Daily’s Startup Show, host John Biggs sat down with O’Sullivan and discussed the night his phone was stolen in Dublin, which sparked the idea for his startup. The theft quickly escalated from an inconvenience to a costly affair as thieves used his Apple Pay wallet to drain tens of thousands of pounds.
Despite his best efforts to secure his accounts the next day, the reality of canceling cards and securing personal data without access to his phone proved challenging. This experience illuminated a gap in the market: a simple, centralized way to secure all personal and financial data after a phone theft.
The Birth of Nuke from Orbit
The idea behind Nuke from Orbit is straightforward yet groundbreaking: create a service that allows users to lock down all their sensitive data and accounts with the push of a button, even if they no longer have access to their phones. The platform works by enabling users to register financial accounts, SIM cards, and social media profiles with Nuke from Orbit during “peacetime.” The system uses tokenized references of the data rather than storing sensitive information directly, reducing the risk of further exposure.
A key feature is the integration of trusted contacts — family, friends, or colleagues — who can help initiate the lockdown process if someone’s phone is stolen. Anyone in the trusted group can access the account through the Nuke from Orbit app and, with a simple PIN, lock down everything. This includes canceling cards, blocking SIMs, and changing passwords. The system renders the stolen device’s data useless to criminals, making it impossible for them to exploit it further.
Overcoming Two-Factor Authentication Obstacles
One of the hurdles faced by many when securing accounts is the dependency on two-factor authentication (2FA) codes, often sent via SMS to the very device that has been stolen. O’Sullivan’s solution sidesteps this issue by leveraging pre-verified credentials stored securely in Nuke from Orbit’s system. Rather than needing the 2FA code to cancel a card, the platform sends a tokenized request directly to the financial institution, rendering the stored card useless to thieves without any need for SMS verification.
Gaining Traction and the Road Ahead
Although Nuke from Orbit is still in the pre-launch phase, O’Sullivan has made significant progress in developing the platform. After conceptualizing the idea, he spent several months validating it with friends and potential investors, leading to a rapid fundraising round. The startup raised £500,000 from a pool of acquaintances and industry contacts, highlighting the recognition of the problem Nuke from Orbit aims to solve.
Most of the application’s development is complete, but the startup is currently finalizing partnerships with major financial institutions and card providers. As O’Sullivan noted, large companies tend to move slowly, particularly when dealing with a new service that operates in the financial sector but isn’t a financially regulated product. However, he remains optimistic, and the company has already attracted a waiting list of interested users.
A New Frontier in Smartphone Security
Nuke from Orbit offers a centralized and immediate solution to the growing problem of phone theft. By allowing users to secure all their sensitive data with a single action, it addresses a critical gap in the market. With its combination of ease of use, trusted contacts, and the ability to quickly secure multiple types of accounts, the platform is poised to make a significant impact in the smartphone security space.
