Child Protection in the Digital Age: From Cyber Threats to Human Impact

💻 Beyond Digital firewalls: Protecting the Most Vulnerable

Last night at The Platform, we confronted a truth too urgent to ignore.

CyberWest Hub had the privilege of hosting a powerful conversation on the intersection of cybersecurity and child exploitation, featuring the frontline expertise of Matthew Valentine and the courageous Destiny Rescue counter-OSEC (Online Sexual Exploitation of Children) team.

We’re especially grateful to Julia Yeow for setting the tone with empathy and clarity, and to Nancy Mah and The Platform team for so generously hosting us in a space that encourages bold, necessary dialogue.

Some confronting truths that were shared in the session:
🌍 Over 300 million children (1 in 8 globally) were victims of OSEC in a single year (Childlight, 2024).
🇦🇺 Australia ranks 3rd globally in paying for Child Sexual Abuse Material from the Philippines.
🟢 We hold the 3rd-highest number of INTERPOL Green Notices, with 94% linked to child sex offenders.

Many in the room shared they had no idea of the scale of this crisis — a sobering reminder of how far we still have to go.

🧠 As Prashant Singh (CISO) highlighted during the Q&A session: “Technology alone won’t solve this. We must cut the oxygen off at every stage of this crime.”

This is just the beginning. By raising awareness, building coalitions, and acting with urgency, we can protect every child’s right to freedom and safety.