FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 19, 2023
Contact:
Kathleen R. McMorrow
The Communications Optic, LLC.
Phone: 973.665.8167
Email: kmcmorrow@tco-pr.com
Hetherington Group Founder and CEO Joins Board of Directors for Counter Human Trafficking Foundation “Skull Games”
Cynthia Hetherington joins as open source intelligence expert and cyber investigation advisor to aid in combatting sex trafficking operations throughout the country
(Wanaque, New Jersey) July 2023 – Hetherington Group (Hg), a consulting, publishing, and training firm that leads in due diligence, corporate intelligence, and cyber investigations by keeping pace with the latest security threats and assessments, is proud to announce that founder and CEO Cynthia Hetherington has joined the Board of Directors for Skull Games, a counter human trafficking foundation. The Skull Games program crowdsources the collection of open-source intelligence (OSINT) to assist law enforcement by providing leads on trafficked victims and persons of interest.
“This is an issue that I am deeply concerned with,” said Hg Founder and CEO Cynthia Hetherington, who also serves on the Board of Advisors for online child security advocacy group, Raven. “It is my duty to apply my knowledge of open source intelligence to assist in locating victims and enabling them to break free of these horrific situations and integrate back into society as restored individuals. I firmly believe in utilizing OSINT for good and this is just one critical example of how we can.”
For more than 25 years, Cynthia Hetherington, MLS, MSM, CFE, CII has led national and international cyber investigations. She is the author of four reference books regarding best practices for conducting investigations and was awarded Women in IT New York’s Security Leader of the Year last fall. Hg has trained more than 180,000 investigators and intelligence professionals including those employed by the military, law enforcement, government agencies and the private sector.
Hg will host the next counter human trafficking Skull Games event on July 22-23, 2023. The two-day event brings together vetted volunteers, mainly comprised of law enforcement officers, intelligence analysts, and tech specialists who have experience in OSINT, to aid in the identification of victims and persons of interest to combat sex trafficking. The volunteers work together, both in person and online across the country, to provide information and support to law enforcement with the goal of locating victims and providing a compelling story for reasonable suspicion. At the conclusion of the weekend, detailed reports will be sent to local and national law enforcement with a path of discovery for them to obtain warrants or probable cause to find victims or criminals. Previous Skull Games events identified over 50 victims and 20 persons of interest in ten states. Hg has also integrated Skull Games into their annual OSMOSIS Conference, an open-source intelligence skills building conference attended by industry experts from around the world.
Jeff Tiegs, who served as a U.S. Army Ranger and Delta Force Operator, is the founder of Skull Games. Tiegs uses his expertise and experience to counter human trafficking with the help of groups like Hg and other intelligence analysts. Skull Games then partners with a variety of different entities to restore the victims after they are offered a new path to freedom. “Partnering with Cynthia and Hg was a natural collaboration,” Tiegs said. “They are the leaders in OSINT training and already have established connections with local and national law enforcement, such as the New Jersey State Police, FBI and Homeland Security. With the constantly evolving cyber landscape, Hg applies OSINT tactics to the trafficking realm to bring these victims to freedom.”
Joining Cynthia Hetherington on the Board for Skull Games is Joseph Scaramucci, a human trafficking detective based out of Texas; Kelly Rose, lead analyst, who is also planning a Skull Games Hawaii event; and Buddy Jericho, Founder and CEO of Indago Technologies, who recently hosted a Skull Games event in Tampa.
“Human trafficking is a mass market, underground sex economy,” Tiegs said. “It’s far more common than you’d think. These are people in your neighborhood.” Hetherington added, “Cybersecurity has never been more important. At Hg, our vision has always been to create a smarter and safer world, disrupting, curtailing and identifying bad actors with predatory, fraudulent, and exploitative intentions. This collaboration will help save lives and thwart human trafficking.”
Cynthia Hetherington is available for interview to discuss her role on the Skull Games Board of Directors. Media interested in attending and witnessing Skull Games in action should contact Kathleen McMorrow at (973) 665-8167 for more information and interview opportunities.
About Skull Games
Skull Games operates on a global scale to identify and restore victims of sexual exploitation and deliver justice to traffickers and sex predators. We work to free people from their suffering and interrupt the cycle of abuse for future generations.
The Skull Games Task Force uses Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) to identify victims of sexual exploitation, the predators abusing them, and other Persons of Interest by creating leads that enable law enforcement to interrupt the cycle of abuse and restore survivors of trauma to a life of hope, healing, and freedom.
To learn more about the Skull Games Task Force, access https://skullgames.io/.
About Hg
With over two decades of expertise, Hg is a leader in investigative due diligence, corporate intelligence, and cyber investigations. The company identifies and exposes vital data across national and international investigations; it trains thousands of investigators in the public and private sectors annually; and shares expertise in an increasingly data-intensive, cyber focused-world through the publication of industry newsletters, white papers and recognized investigative reference books. Current clients and alliances include Unilever, SC Johnson, Merck, Ben & Jerry’s, Bell Canada, Healthcare Distribution Alliance, the U.S. Department Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC); U.S. Department of Defense (DOD); U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE); U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI); U.S. Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF); U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA); NY Mass Transit Authority, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey; and The Ministry of Justice of The Hague, Netherlands. For more information, access https://www.hetheringtongroup.com/.
