About Me

Hello,

My name is William Downing, and I founded Blue Shield after nearly a decade of experience in law enforcement and the justice system.

Throughout my career, I observed that crime was evolving in two significant ways: it was spreading from urban centers to rural areas, and shifting from physical to cybercrime. While the former was beyond my direct influence, the latter presented an opportunity for action. Despite the presence of world-class security systems, high-profile data breaches became alarmingly common. These breaches often exploited human vulnerabilities that I witnessed criminals manipulate daily.

Human tendencies such as the instinct to help others, trust in familiar entities, and deference to authority figures are frequently targeted in social engineering attacks. Social engineering, essentially the art of manipulating people, is a critical component of nearly all successful cybersecurity breaches. These tactics, timeless and predating the digital era, remain a potent threat. To effectively protect against them, one must understand the anatomy of a social engineering attack.

This realization inspired me to establish Blue Shield. My goal was to leverage my law enforcement experience to raise awareness and prevent social engineering attacks. Having faced malicious actors and their tactics firsthand, I identified common patterns and strategies used in these attacks.

Blue Shield's foundation is built on the categorization and communication of these patterns. Over time, we have developed comprehensive training programs, workshops, and resources designed to empower individuals and organizations to defend against social engineering attacks.

Thank you for taking the time to learn about Blue Shield and the mission that drives us. We look forward to assisting you with training your staff on the latest social engineering techniques and fortifying your network against attacks.

All the Best,

William Downing