Hi, I’m Nick Braak

Where should I begin?

I first went online in 1983. Been hooked ever since. I’ve lived in New York for most of the last 32 years. I’m from South Africa originally. I’m altruistic, a fan of privacy, simplicity, fewer interruptions and less email.

Work. Career. Business.

I love working at the risk/reward intersection of the social online world – social media, cybercrime, privacy, fraud, identity, Internet law, reputation, risk, threats and future unknowns.

I am fascinated by scams, fakes, cybercriminals, Internet fraud, Social Media risks and rewards, online identity and related dark yet fun topics. Along with modern business, communication, entrepreneurial topics and things and people who are trying to improve our world in small and big ways.

I am the founder of Highwick Associates, a provider of custom-tailored investigative services for Brand Protection, Cybercrime, Online Reputation, Fraud and Data Privacy. I’m not a licensed Private Eye, but I am sometimes called a cyber or Internet sleuth.

Find me online

Nick Braak’s business website Highwick Associates

Nick Braak (@highwick) on Twitter

Nick Braak on LinkedIn

Nick Braak on Google+

I am not active on Facebook. Privacy is not dead. Don’t believe the hype.

Want to get in touch? Use this contact form and it’ll reach me quickly.

Fun Facts

  • Strangers ask me for directions wherever I go, even when I’m lost too. Must be the eyeglasses and that I seem approachable.
  • People seem to confide in me easily. Must be the eyeglasses and that I seem trustworthy.
  • I sometimes see things that others overlook. That comes in handy in my chosen line of work.
  • I am and always have been a fast reader and a bit a sponge for info. That too comes in handy in my chosen line of work.

What I’m watching

Sons of Anarchy, Southland, Parks and Rec, Shark Tank, Kitchen Nightmares, Cops, This is Jinsy (UK), Louis C.K., Hardcore Pawn, Dragons Den UK & Canada, Family Guy, Lewis (UK), Derek (UK), Breaking Bad, The Office.

One from my bucket list

In 2007 I acquired an unmarked shiny black Ford Crown Victoria V8 Police Interceptor from a suburban Kansas City Police Dept. Then drove it back cross-country to New York – much to the chagrin of speeding motorists in six states. Less than a year later the car was stolen in Manhattan, much to my chagrin and the disbelief of the NYPD.

A few of my favorite things

Identity, Internet, Big Ideas, Broadband, Upstarts, Macro Economics, Psychology, Road Trips, Flow, Cycling, Quiet Spaces, Roadside Architecture, Country & Western, House Music, Post Punk, Reading, Regional Cuisine, Backroads, Design, Mountains, The Great American West And The Southwest, Humor, Americana, Gardening, Slowing Down, New England, New Mexico, Off Roading, Umami.