NOTE 2: SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of Presentation and Principles of Consolidation

The accompanying consolidated financial statements as of December 31, 2024 and 2023 include the accounts of the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Data443 Risk Mitigation, Inc., a North Carolina operating company. All intercompany accounts and activities have been eliminated upon consolidation. These consolidated financial statements have been prepared on the accrual basis of accounting in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”).

Use of Estimates

The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities as of the date of the consolidated financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Revenue Recognition

The Company derives revenue primarily from contracts for subscription to access our SaaS platforms and, to a much lesser degree, ancillary services provided in connection with subscription services. The Company’s contracts include the performance obligations that require us to provide access to the platforms, usually on an annual subscription. The Company’s contracts are for subscriptions to our data classification, movement, governance, encryption, access control and distribution software and related services. We also perform professional services consulting with specific deliverables managed primarily by statements of work. Customers typically enter into our services subscription and various statements of work concurrently. Most of the Company’s performance obligations are not considered to be distinct from the subscriptions to our software or hosting platforms and related services and are combined into a single performance obligation. New statements of work and modifications of contracts are reviewed each reporting period and to assess the nature and characteristics of the new or modified performance obligations on a contract by contract basis.

Revenue related to contracts with customers is evaluated utilizing the following steps: (i) Identify the contract, or contracts, with a customer; (ii) Identify the performance obligations in the contract; (iii) Determine the transaction price; (iv) Allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract; (v) Recognize revenue when the Company satisfies a performance obligation.

Revenues from professional services consist mostly of time and material services. The performance obligations are satisfied, and revenues are recognized, when the services are provided or over the time of the service term until it expires.

Subscription software that is sold on-premises is recognized at the point of time when the software license has been delivered and the benefit of the asset has transferred. Maintenance associated with subscription licenses is recognized ratably over the term of the agreement. Our SaaS offerings allow customers to use hosted software, and our revenue is recognized ratably over the associated contract time period.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

For purposes of balance sheet presentation and reporting of cash flows, the Company considers all unrestricted demand deposits, money market funds and highly liquid debt instruments with an original maturity of less than 90 days to be cash and cash equivalents. The Company had no cash equivalents at December 31, 2024 and 2023.

Accounts Receivable

Accounts receivable are recorded in accordance with ASC 310, “Receivables.” Accounts receivable are recorded at the invoiced amount and do not bear interest. The allowance for doubtful accounts is the Company’s best estimate of the amount of probable credit losses in its existing accounts receivable.

Deferred Revenue

Deferred revenue mostly consists of service subscriptions received from users in advance of revenue recognition. The increase in the deferred revenue balance for the year ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 was driven by cash payments from customers in advance of satisfying our performance obligations, offset by revenue recognized that was included in the deferred revenue balance at the beginning of the period.

Convertible Financial Instruments

The Company account for our convertible financial instruments in accordance with ASC 470-20 “Debt with Conversion and Other Options.” Prior to the adoption of ASU 2020-06 on January 1, 2022, we separated the convertible notes into liability and equity components. The carrying amounts of the liability component of the convertible notes were calculated by measuring the fair value of similar debt instruments that do not have an associated convertible feature. The carrying amounts of the equity components, representing the conversion option, were determined by deducting the fair value of the liability components from the par value of the convertible notes. This difference represents the debt discount that is amortized to interest expense over the terms of the convertible notes using the effective interest rate method.

Following the adoption of ASU 2020-06 on January 1, 2022, which we elected to adopt using a modified retrospective approach, we no longer separate the convertible notes into liability and equity components. Now convertible notes are recorded and disclosed as convertible notes payable, net of unamortized discount.

Share-Based Compensation

Employees - The Company accounts for share-based compensation under the fair value method which requires all such compensation to employees, including the grant of employee stock options, to be calculated based on its fair value at the measurement date (generally the grant date), and recognized in the consolidated statement of operations over the requisite service period.

Nonemployees - During June 2018, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2018-07, Compensation-Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Nonemployee Share-Based Payment Accounting (“ASU 2018-07”) to simplify the accounting for share-based payments to nonemployees by aligning it with the accounting for share-based payments to employees. The Company elected to adopt ASU 2018-07 early. Under the requirements of ASU 2018-07, the Company accounts for share-based compensation to non-employees under the fair value method which requires all such compensation to be calculated based on the fair value at the measurement date (generally the grant date), and recognized in the statement of operations over the requisite service period.

The Company recorded approximately $924,894 in share-based compensation expense for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to approximately $974,602 in share-based compensation expense for the year ended December 31, 2023.

Determining the appropriate fair value model and the related assumptions requires judgment. During the year ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, the fair value of each option grant was estimated using a Black-Scholes option-pricing model.

The expected volatility represents the historical volatility of the Company’s publicly traded common stock. Due to limited historical data, the Company calculates the expected life based on the mid-point between the vesting date and the contractual term which is in accordance with the simplified method. The expected term for options granted to nonemployees is the contractual life. The risk-free interest rate is based on a treasury instrument whose term is consistent with the expected life of stock options. The Company has not paid and does not anticipate paying cash dividends on its shares of common stock; therefore, the expected dividend yield is assumed to be zero.

Income Taxes

The asset and liability method is used in the Company’s accounting for income taxes. Under this method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined based on differences between financial reporting and tax bases of assets and liabilities and are measured using the enacted tax rates and laws that are expected to be in effect when the differences are expected to reverse.

Deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined based on the temporary differences between the financial statement carrying amounts and the tax bases of assets and liabilities using the enacted tax rates in effect in the years in which the differences are expected to reverse. In estimating future tax consequences, all expected future events are considered other than enactment of changes in the tax law or rates.

The Company adopted ASC 740 “Income Taxes,” which addresses the determination of whether tax benefits claimed or expected to be claimed on a tax return should be recorded in the financial statements. Under ASC 740, the Company may recognize the tax benefit from an uncertain tax position only if it is more likely than not that the tax position will be sustained on examination by the taxing authorities, based on the technical merits of the position. The tax benefits recognized in the financial statements from such a position should be measured based on the largest benefit that has a greater than fifty percent (50%) likelihood of being realized upon ultimate settlement. ASC 740 also provides guidance on de-recognition, classification, interest and penalties on income taxes, accounting in interim periods and requires increased disclosures. The Company had no material adjustments to its liabilities for unrecognized income tax benefits.

The determination of recording or releasing tax valuation allowance is made, in part, pursuant to an assessment performed by management regarding the likelihood that the Company will generate future taxable income against which benefits of its deferred tax assets may or may not be realized.

Intellectual Property

The cost of intangible assets with determinable useful lives is amortized to reflect the pattern of economic benefits consumed on a straight-line basis over the estimated periods benefited. Patents, technology and other intangibles with contractual terms are generally amortized over their respective legal or contractual lives. When certain events or changes in operating conditions occur, an impairment assessment is performed and lives of intangible assets with determinable lives may be adjusted.

Long-Lived Assets

Long-lived assets are evaluated for impairment whenever events or changes in business circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of the assets may not be fully recoverable or that the useful lives of these assets are no longer appropriate. Each impairment test is based on a comparison of the undiscounted future cash flows to the recorded value of the asset. If impairment is indicated, the asset is written down to its estimated fair value.

Property and Equipment

Property and equipment, consisting mostly of computer equipment, is recorded at cost reduced by accumulated depreciation and impairment, if any. Depreciation expense is recognized over the assets’ estimated useful lives of three 3- seven years using the straight-line method. Major additions and improvements are capitalized as additions to the property and equipment accounts, while replacements, maintenance and repairs that do not improve or extend the life of the respective assets, are expensed as incurred. Estimated useful lives are periodically reviewed and, when appropriate, changes are made prospectively. When certain events or changes in operating conditions occur, asset lives may be adjusted and an impairment assessment may be performed on the recoverability of the carrying amounts.

Fair Value Measurements

The Company uses a three-tier fair value hierarchy to classify and disclose all assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis, as well as assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a non-recurring basis, in periods subsequent to their initial measurement. The hierarchy requires the Company to use observable inputs when available, and to minimize the use of unobservable inputs, when determining fair value. The three tiers are defined as follows:

Fair value is an exit price, representing the amount that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants. As such, fair value is a market-based measurement that should be determined based on assumptions that market participants would use in pricing an asset or a liability. The carrying amounts of cash and cash equivalents, marketable securities, trade receivables, short-term deposits and trade payables approximate their fair value due to the short-term maturity of such instruments. This valuation technique involves management’s estimates and judgment based on unobservable inputs and is classified in level 3.

Basic and Diluted Net Loss Per Common Share

Basic earnings per share (“EPS”) is computed based on the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the period. Diluted EPS is computed based on the weighted average number of shares of common stock plus the effect of dilutive potential common shares outstanding during the period using the treasury stock method and as if converted method. Dilutive potential common shares include outstanding stock options, warrant and convertible notes.

For the year ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively, the following common stock equivalents were excluded from the computation of diluted net loss per share as the result of the computation was anti-dilutive.

SCHEDULE OF ANTI-DILUTIVE BASIC AND DILUTED EARNINGS PER SHARE  

Leases

We determine if an arrangement is a lease at inception. Operating leases are included in operating lease right-of-use (“ROU”) assets, operating lease liabilities - current, and operating lease liabilities - noncurrent on the balance sheets. Finance leases are included in property and equipment, other current liabilities, and other long-term liabilities in our balance sheets.

ROU assets represent our right to use an underlying asset for the lease term and lease liabilities represent our obligation to make lease payments arising from the lease. Operating lease ROU assets and liabilities are recognized at commencement date based on the present value of lease payments over the lease term. As most of our leases do not provide an implicit rate, we generally use our incremental borrowing rate based on the estimated rate of interest for collateralized borrowing over a similar term of the lease payments at commencement date. The operating lease ROU asset also includes any lease payments made and excludes lease incentives. Our lease terms may include options to extend or terminate the lease when it is reasonably certain that we will exercise that option. Lease expense for lease payments is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term.

Segments

Operating segments are defined as components of an enterprise engaging in business activities for which discrete financial information is available and regularly reviewed by the chief operating decision maker in deciding how to allocate resources and in assessing performance. The Company operates and manages its business as one operating segment and all of the Company’s revenues and operations are currently in the United States.

Recently Adopted Accounting Guidance

In March 2022, the FASB issued ASU 2022-02, ASC Subtopic 326 “Credit Losses”: Troubled Debt Restructurings and Vintage Disclosures. Since the issuance of Accounting Standards Update No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments—Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments, the Board has provided resources to monitor and assist stakeholders with the implementation of Topic 326 (“Update”). Post-Implementation Review (PIR) activities have included forming a Credit Losses Transition Resource Group, conducting outreach with stakeholders of all types, developing educational materials and staff question-and-answer guidance, conducting educational workshops, and performing an archival review of financial reports. ASU No. 2022-02 is effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2022. The adoption of this standard did not have a significant impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

In June 2022, the FASB issued ASU 2022-03, ASC Subtopic 820 “Fair Value Measurement of Equity Securities Subject to Contractual Sale Restrictions”. The FASB is issuing this Update (1) to clarify the guidance in Topic 820, Fair Value Measurement, when measuring the fair value of an equity security subject to contractual restrictions that prohibit the sale of an equity security, (2) to amend a related illustrative example, and (3) to introduce new disclosure requirements for equity securities subject to contractual sale restrictions that are measured at fair value in accordance with Topic 820.

Stakeholders asserted that the language in the illustrative example resulted in diversity in practice on whether the effects of a contractual restriction that prohibits the sale of an equity security should be considered in measuring that equity security’s fair value. Some stakeholders apply a discount to the price of an equity security subject to a contractual sale restriction, whereas other stakeholders consider the application of a discount to be inappropriate under the principles of Topic 820.

For public business entities, the amendments in this Update are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023, and interim periods within those fiscal years. The adoption of this standard did not have a significant impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

In November 2023, the FASB issued ASU No. 2023-07, Segment Reporting (Topic 280): Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures (“ASU 2023-07”), intended to improve reportable segments disclosure requirements primarily through enhanced disclosures about significant segment expenses.

ASU 2023-07 includes a requirement to disclose significant segment expenses that are regularly provided to the CODM and included within each reported measure of segment profit or loss, the title and position of the CODM, an explanation of how the CODM uses the reported measure(s) of segment profit or loss in assessing segment performance and deciding how to allocate resources, and all segments’ profit or loss and assets disclosures. ASU 2023-07 is effective for all public companies for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023, and interim periods for the interim period beginning on January 1, 2025. Adoption of ASU 2023-07 did not have a material impact on the Company’s financial statement.

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

The Company has considered all other recently issued accounting pronouncements and does not believe the adoption of such pronouncements will have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.