‘GoPhish’ competes in UNC contest

What started out as a trick on Facebook friends by sophomore Winston Howes has turned into a promising business plan.

Howes, a computer science major, first came up with his idea for developing anti-phishing software while still in high school.

Phishing is when false websites and emails attempt to convince Internet users to reveal personal information such as Social Security and bank account numbers.

Howes made a fake Facebook website to redirect his friends from the real Facebook to show how easy it is to steal someone’s information.

“I ended up getting banned from Facebook,” he said. “I thought maybe if I could solve this problem of phishing for Facebook, then they would let me back on. ‘GoPhish’ was born through that.”

GoPhish serves as a browser extension that identifies misleading websites and emails.

When Howes collaborated with seniors — and brothers— Jackson and Jordan Reeves, the trio decided to expand further than just Facebook. They decided to start a business.

They submitted their project to Carolina Challenge, a competition hosted by the Kenan-Flagler Business School that helps students pursue their business projects. The deadline to sign up is Feb. 3.

The GoPhish team won the pre-round of the Carolina Challenge, known as the ‘pitch party,’ in November.

Competitors were given the opportunity to pitch their ideas in hopes of winning money to put toward their project. The GoPhish team was awarded $1,000.

“Last year, when Winston approached us about the Carolina Challenge, we were very excited and saw the potential through the business,” Jackson Reeves said.

CEO of the Carolina Challenge Wilson Orr said the goal of the competition is to encourage entrepreneurship among students.

“It is a competition and a learning process as well,” he said.

The team members said they felt more confident this year that they can make it to the final round.

“I think we definitely have an upper hand going through it again and having the feedback,” Jackson Reeves said.

Howes and Jackson Reeves both agreed that the biggest benefit of the competition wasn’t the prize money but the contacts they are building.

Once GoPhish is complete, the UNC School of Medicine and Greenway Solutions, a company in Charlotte, have offered to beta test the software.

Howes said the team also owes a lot of its success to the Triangle Technology Executives Council.

“That community has been really helpful in continuing the development of this product,” he said, “and that has just really helped take GoPhish to the next level.”

Contact the desk editor at university@dailytarheel.com.