In a world where children navigate digital platforms with more ease than caution, threat actors have evolved to exploit the blind spots in parenting, policy, and digital oversight. This talk bridges the technical and the human, showcasing how open-source intelligence (OSINT) techniques can uncover hidden criminal activity targeting youth, and how the very adults responsible for safeguarding children often lack awareness of these risks.

Drawing from real-world investigations, I will walk through how publicly available data - domain records, licensing registers, social media metadata, and more - can be leveraged to trace predators who hide in plain sight. We’ll explore a case study involving rebranded businesses tied to known offenders, and walk through the digital footprint analysis that led to their exposure.

In parallel, I’ll present original research surveying parental understanding of online chat behaviours and cybersecurity risks faced by teens. The findings reveal a significant disconnect between perceived and actual online safety - one that the security community is uniquely positioned to help address.

By combining deep-dive investigations with social context, this talk empowers attendees to expand their operational scope, apply OSINT for community protection, and challenge assumptions about where the real threats lie.