What really happens in the shadows of the internet? From the sale of guns, drugs, and human trafficking to ransomware gangs and nation-state hackers, over 95% of activity on the Dark web is criminal in nature.

In this episode, host John Randles speaks with Mark Turnage, CEO and Founder of DarkOwl, to uncover the hidden world of the dark web. Mark shares unique insights from building one of the world’s largest archives of dark net data, working with law enforcement, intelligence agencies, and corporates worldwide.

💻🧅 You’ll learn: 🕸️🌒 What the dark web really is and how it works?

💸 Why cryptocurrencies fuel illegal trade online?

🕵️‍♂️🕶️🔒 How criminals operate with “ransomware-as-a-service”?

🌍 The role of dark web intelligence in national security and active conflicts

👤 Why ordinary people should care about leaked credentials and data breaches?

From Silk Road to ransomware gangs, from global cyber warfare to protecting enterprises, this episode shines a light into one of the most dangerous but least understood corners of the digital world. 🕸️🌒

🎧 Subscribe to Siren Investigates to explore the technology and intelligence shaping how we keep people, assets, and networks safe.

👉 Learn more about Siren: https://siren.io

#DarkWeb #Cybersecurity #OSINT

🛰️ In this special episode of Siren Investigates, Siren CEO John Randles sits down with Fintan Buckley, CEO and co-founder of Ubotica, a pioneering company bringing AI to space. From launching satellites to defending critical infrastructure, they explore how AI-powered Earth observation is transforming national security, maritime protection, and European defense strategy. 🌍

🎙️ Hear how a Galway-based journey evolved into launching a satellite, surviving the South Atlantic Anomaly, and becoming a key player in safeguarding Europe’s future—above and below sea level.

Topics covered include:

🪐 The role of AI in real-time satellite imaging

🪐 Detecting threats from seabed to space

🪐 The changing geopolitics of European Defence

🪐 Data centres in orbit and space tugs

🪐 Advice for engineers and entrepreneurs in space tech

#AI #Satellites #NationalSecurity #MaritimeSecurity #SpaceTech #InOrbitIntelligence #SirenInvestigates #Ubotica #sirenpoweringinvestigations

Chapters

00:00 - Intro: Fintan Buckley joins Siren Investigates

01:04 - What is Ubotica and how did it begin?

03:00 - Galway’s tech roots and Movidius legacy

05:20 - Bringing AI to space, origins with the ESA

07:00 - Disrupting satellite development with AI

09:10 - Real-time Earth observation and its impact

11:00 - Maritime domain awareness: the use case

13:00 - Protecting infrastructure from seabed to space

15:00 - Geopolitics, Russian threats and critical infrastructure

17:30 - Launching their own satellite and ESA partnership

20:00 - The South Atlantic Anomaly a near-disaster recovery

23:30 - AI-led decision-making and autonomy in orbit

27:00 - Virtual constellations and multi-sensor fusion

30:00 - Trusting AI to manage satellites in real-time

33:00 - Space industry trends: tugs, debris, and orbital refuelling

36:00 - Europe’s place in the space race

38:30 - The push for a sovereign European satellite network

40:00 - Advice for engineers and entrepreneurs

42:00 - Radiation, AI resilience, and real world testing

44:00 - Final thoughts, the future of AI in space

⬇️ The Surprising Link 🔗 Between Decreasing Crime Rates and 💊 Health Access

In this powerful episode of Siren Investigates, John Randles sits down with Dr. Ikpeme Neto, CEO and founder of Wellahealth, and Anita Wadja, CFO, to explore the high-stakes intersection of public health, poverty and crime in Nigeria and across sub-Saharan Africa.

💊 What happens when a mother can’t afford malaria medication for her child?

💵 How does a €1/month micro-health insurance plan transform lives and reduce crime?

☠️ Can better healthcare access disrupt terrorist recruitment pipelines?

Dr. Neto shares his journey from medical school in Ireland to building one of Nigeria’s most socially impactful health tech companies. Anita recounts a personal story of loss that changed the course of her career, and reveals the economics behind Wellahealth's low-cost, high-impact insurance model.

Topics include:

🌍 The realities of Nigeria’s 90% informal economy

🌍 How micro-insurance prevents social breakdown

🌍 The critical role of pharmacies in African healthcare

🌍 The broader impact of healthcare on crime prevention and stability

This episode is more than a startup story, it's a look at how reimagining healthcare systems can save lives, stop crime, and increase community security

🌍 Learn how Wellahealth is expanding across Africa, from Nigeria to the Congo and why innovation, not charity, is the real engine of change.

🔔 Subscribe to Siren Investigates for more stories at the intersection of technology, security, and social impact.

#SirenInvestigates #Wellahealth #HealthcareInnovation #Africa #CrimePrevention #Malaria #MicroInsurance #SocialImpact #JohnRandles #HealthTech #Nigeria #Congo #Podcast

🌍 As Europe navigates a rapidly shifting security landscape, nations are facing critical challenges—ranging from defense spending gaps to cyber threats, intelligence blind spots, and economic vulnerabilities. In this episode of Siren Investigates, host John Randles speaks with national security expert Andrew Borene to break down the key risks facing European countries and how they are adapting to an uncertain future.

⭐ Andrew Borene is a recognized leader in national security, intelligence, and cybersecurity, with a distinguished career spanning government, defense, and the private sector. He is the Executive Director and Global Security Leader at Flashpoint, a leading threat intelligence firm, and serves on the boards of the Special Operations Association of America and the European Marshall Center’s Partnership for Peace initiative.

⭐ Andrew has held key positions in U.S. intelligence and defense, including roles in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, as Deputy General Counsel at the Pentagon, and as a U.S. Marine Corps Military Intelligence Officer. His expertise extends to the corporate sector, where he has served in senior roles at IBM, Symantec, and LexisNexis, and was formerly the CEO of a publicly listed cybersecurity company.

⭐ A frequent commentator on global security issues, Andrew has been featured on CNN, CNBC, NBC, CBS, Fox Business, and in major publications such as The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, The New York Times, BBC, and USA Today. His deep understanding of cybersecurity, hybrid warfare, and geopolitical risk makes him a sought-after expert in the fields of defense and intelligence.

With experience in cyber threat intelligence, counterterrorism, and international security cooperation, Andrew Borene provides critical insights into the challenges shaping the future of global security.

Key Topics Covered:

🪖⚔️🛡️ Defense readiness and budget struggles – Can European nations sustain military preparedness amid constrained resources?

🥷☠️💥 Cyber and hybrid threats – The increasing risk of cyberattacks targeting critical infrastructure and financial systems

👩‍💻🌍👨‍✈️ Intelligence and information sharing gaps – The challenge of unifying intelligence efforts across agencies and allies

💰💼📈 Economic and energy security – The impact of shifting global policies on Europe’s financial and energy stability

⚓☠️🌍 Evolving threat landscapes – How emerging technologies and changing alliances are reshaping European security

With threats ranging from cyber warfare to intelligence fragmentation and military funding concerns, this discussion provides a deep dive into how security and defense professionals are responding. Andrew Borene shares expert insights on what’s at stake for European nations and the strategies they are deploying to protect their interests.

🎧 Don’t miss this expert analysis—Subscribe now for more insights from Siren Investigates!

Join our webinar Europe Security at a Crossroads with Andrew Borene on 9th April 2025 here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/7417435821659/WN_3jbiZGmBT2OxaLFMXBnJWw

🔎 In this episode of Siren Investigates, we dive deep into online child protection and the technology that can help safeguard children from cyberbullying, grooming and harmful content. This episode of Siren Investigates focuses on online child protection and safety. Our goal is to educate and inform parents, educators, and professionals about the risks and solutions related to child exploitation online. We do not promote or condone any harmful behaviour discussed. If you or someone you know needs help, please seek professional support. 🔎 Our guest, Rena Maycock, CEO & Founder of CHIRP, shares her journey in developing AI-powered solutions to combat online child exploitation. We discuss the alarming rise of cyberbullying (40% of 12–16-year-olds encounter it), the challenges parents face, and how AI-driven intervention can protect kids in real-time. 💡 What you'll learn in this episode:

• The level of online risks: grooming, cyberbullying and self-harm content
• How CHIRP’s patented AI technology intercepts harmful messages and images
• The role of legislation in forcing Big Tech to take action
• How law enforcement can leverage real-time reporting tools to speed up investigations
• Practical tips for parents to protect their children online

🔗 More resources & links:

• Learn more about CHIRP: https://chirpfamily.com/
• Bookmark the Siren Investigates playlist: • Siren Investigates Podcast
• Cyberbullying & Child Safety Support: http://stopthebully.ie/

👍 If you found this discussion valuable, like, comment, and subscribe for more deep dives into investigative technology and safety. #ChildSafety #Cyberbullying #AI #SirenInvestigates #ParentalControls #OnlineSafety #childprotection

From Rugby Champion to Global Adventurer: Damian Browne with John Randles

In this episode, John Randles, CEO of Siren, sits down with Damian Browne, former professional rugby player and the first man to row across the Atlantic from New York to Galway. Browne shares his remarkable journey from team sports to extreme solo adventures, revealing how the values of trust and leadership he learned on the rugby field translated into conquering some of the world's most daunting challenges.

Damian opens up about his methodical approach to goal-setting and the power of keeping ambitions private until you're ready to pursue them. Rather than broadcasting his plans, he quietly prepared for years, saving money and researching his future adventures while still focused on his rugby career.

Listen as Damian discusses with John:

• How senior players embodied team values and created a championship culture

• His seven step guide to overcoming fear and goal setting
• Tackling the Atlantic Ocean despite minimal rowing experience and an inability to swim
• His interrupted Everest expedition during COVID-19 and plans to return
• Why he deliberately seeks out challenges that frighten him

Whether you're an athlete, entrepreneur, or adventure enthusiast, this conversation between John and Damian offers valuable insights.

In this episode of Siren Investigates, John Randles sits down with Jeff Jonas (CEO of Senzing) to explore how their recent technology partnership (https://siren.io/siren-and-senzing-pa...) is revolutionizing law enforcement. They delve into the crucial role of AI, automation and entity resolution in helping law enforcement agencies identify hidden connections, build a complete view of individuals, and speed up investigations.

You'll discover how entity resolution acts as a powerful tool at two critical stages of investigations:

1. It identifies key individuals within collected data, surfacing previously untapped links and connections that may have been missed. This reshapes the entire investigation, enabling faster, more informed decisions.
2. When starting an investigation, it prompts users to discover new insights, helping them to identify the "needle" to search for in the proverbial "haystack" before they begin, focusing resources on a narrower and more informed search.

Siren and Senzing are building a single, consistent view of a suspect across an organization, allowing investigators to cut through fragmented data and reduce false positives like matching Juniors and Seniors. With explainable AI, they empower law enforcement to trust the process and see exactly how AI arrives at its conclusion, critical for reducing misidentifications and enhancing public trust.

The discussion also dives into real-world applications, from tackling supply chain crime (affecting 30% of all Senzing users) to solving complex Fentanyl trafficking cases. By connecting disparate datasets, such as phone data at crime scenes or vendor records in supply chain crimes, investigators can build holistic networks and uncover hidden connections faster than ever before.

This episode also explores the future of investigative technology, moving from manual investigations to AI-assisted, NORA (Non-Obvious Relationship Awareness) systems that deliver better insights dramatically faster. By integrating entity-centric learning, Siren and Senzing are trail-blazing the way for proactive, real-time intelligence gathering, leading to more accurate, efficient, and targeted investigations.

Tune in to hear how AI is providing law enforcement with better tools, more accurate intelligence, and a smarter approach to fighting crime.