What cyber and OSINT investigation covers
- Open-source intelligence (OSINT) — collation of publicly accessible information about a person, organisation, asset, or event from social media, public records, court records, news archives, registries, and similar sources;
- Digital footprint analysis — building a coherent picture of a subject’s online presence, account ecosystem, and behavioural patterns from public material alone;
- Attribution work — connecting an anonymous online identity (account, handle, alias) to a real person or organisation, where this is possible from lawful sources;
- Dark-web monitoring — passive observation of dark-web marketplaces and forums for material relating to your matter;
- Reporting that holds up — findings packaged for legal disclosure, with sources cited and methodology explained.
When clients engage us for online investigation
- A company has discovered intellectual property, customer data, or internal documents being shared online and needs to identify the source;
- A litigation team needs evidence of a counterparty’s online conduct, asset disclosures, or representations;
- An HR or compliance investigation needs a thorough, lawful background sweep of an individual;
- A private individual is being harassed online by an account whose real identity is unknown.
How we investigate online, lawfully
Our cyber work operates exclusively on open-source, passive, and lawfully-obtained information, in strict accordance with the Computer Misuse Act 1990. We do not access computer systems, accounts, or data without lawful authorisation. We do not employ pretext or impersonation to obtain account information. Where authorised access is part of an engagement (for example, an employer asking us to examine a company-owned device), we work to forensic standards.
Personal data gathered in the course of an investigation is handled in accordance with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. For our full process, see how we work.
Common questions
Do you access private accounts or devices?
No. Our cyber work uses only open-source, passive and lawfully obtained information, within the Computer Misuse Act 1990. We do not access systems, accounts or data without lawful authorisation, and we do not use pretext or impersonation to obtain account information.Can you identify who is behind an anonymous account?
Often, though not always. Attribution connects an anonymous handle to a real person or organisation using lawful sources such as public records, cross-platform patterns and archived material. We tell you at the scoping stage how likely a result is before you commit to anything.Can the findings be used in legal proceedings?
Yes. Findings are packaged for legal disclosure with sources cited and methodology explained, so an instructing solicitor can rely on them. Where needed we provide a witness statement to accompany the report.More general questions about cost, timescales and evidence are answered on our FAQs page.