3231: How Searchlight Cyber Tracks Threats Before They Strike

What does it really take to expose the criminal underworld operating in the hidden corners of the internet? In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Gareth Owenson, Co-Founder and CTO of Searchlight Cyber, to uncover what’s really happening on the dark web and how organizations can take action before threats escalate.

Gareth has spent more than a decade researching the Tor network and advising governments, law enforcement, and the military on how to track criminal activity online. His work has moved from academia into frontline cybersecurity operations, leading to major breakthroughs including the takedown of a hacker group targeting a national government.

We explore what makes the dark web attractive to criminal networks, how threat actors are evolving, and what defenders can do with early signals from hidden forums, marketplaces, and anonymized networks. Gareth explains how criminals are using Tor to traffic malware, trade stolen data, and build ransomware businesses, and why many organizations still overlook this part of the internet.

Gareth also shares how Searchlight Cyber uses proprietary tools and research to monitor the deep and dark web, turning obscure activity into actionable intelligence for security teams and law enforcement.

If you're responsible for protecting digital infrastructure and you're not factoring in the dark web, you're missing critical context. So how do you turn unseen risks into visible signals before they become full-blown attacks? Let’s find out.