In episode 51 of CyberVersed, Mandy Haeburn-Little is joined by Michelle Ohren, T/Detective Chief Inspector and Director at the Cyber Resilience Centre for the West Midlands, and Wayne Horkan, Founder and Project Lead at the West Midlands Cyber Hub.

The podcast focuses on the work and the purpose of the recently founded West Midlands Cyber Hub. Mandy begins by asking about the concept of the Cyber Hub and why it is an important addition to the West Midlands' cyber ecosystem. She explains how and why Wayne came to her with the inspiration and how it is now establishing itself as a place for collaboration and innovation across the region.

Wayne then explains how Hub8 in Cheltenham and DISH Manchester (Digital Innovation Security Hub) inspired him to create something in the region where SMEs could work with Enterprise businesses and students to create a friendly, innovative space that provides a real sense of community.

Wayne and Michelle discuss how the Hub's location at Millennium Point is ideal, from the space and facilities available to the location's accessibility for visitors.

Michelle explains the importance of policing's involvement in the Hub and how it complements the ongoing work being done with SMEs through the Cyber Resilience Centre. She explains how this collaboration provides a much broader view of the cyber landscape than policing alone could ever achieve. Wayne expands on this by pointing out the region's heavy reliance on manufacturing and the specific threats these companies face as part of the supply chains of large-scale enterprises in the future.

Mandy then explores the structure of the Hub and how it is run and governed, to which Wayne outlines the current Steering Group and his longer-term plan to turn the Hub into a C.I.C. (Community Interest Company)

The attention is then turned to how the Hub will also benefit Cyber PATH students, offering them much greater opportunities for engagement and skills development. She cites an example of a student who is thriving through working with Michelle, the CRC, and the Hub, who was offered a week's work experience, which led to a year-long placement with one of the Hub partners.

Michelle also touches on her plans to introduce clinics at the Hub and how they will be an important part of what's available there for SMEs and students.

Wayne rounds up the discussion by outlining what he wants to see regarding the development of the Hub for the rest of this year and beyond. The primary goals are to champion women and neurodiversity in cyber. However, this year the focus will be on how they engage more young people at the Hub and in cyber in general.

In this episode, not only do Mandy and Nik reflect on some of the great work that has been done since the podcast was introduced, but they also look to the future, with Nik outlining plans already under discussion and development, as well as his ambitions for the future of the CRC Network.

Mandy begins asking Nik, who is the first Deputy Commissioner to have cyber and fraud within his remit, what his role feels like, to which Nik responds by outlining some of the challenges he faces daily. However, he is quick to point out the significant contribution made by partner organisations and the immense commitment and passion shown by all in working together to keep the public safe. He expands on this by explaining the impact of private sector partners and how they are making a vital contribution to the growing 'family' that now extends beyond law enforcement.

Nik kindly discusses the value of the CyberVersed podcast and explains how humbled he is by the transparency, humility, and time the National Ambassador representatives have given, demonstrating their commitment to the podcast and engaging with and sharing valuable insights and intelligence to help listeners make better decisions in their businesses. Indeed, Nik goes on to discuss the wider commitment shown by the National Ambassadors daily and the significant role they play in achieving the long-term goal of making the UK a safer place to work and live.

Mandy then turns the conversation to the recent Annual CRC Network Summit in London. Nik expresses his delight with the day's outcomes and highlights the enormous value of bringing so many relevant people into one room. Singling out the keynote speaker, Rob Elsey Chief Digital Information Officer at the Co-op, Nik enthuses about his candour and the reflections he shared not only about the company's resilience but also about his awareness of his team's emotional state during an intensely demanding period.

Nik goes on to offer some thoughts on wider policing issues, in particular Police Reform, and why he believes it would be a good step forward; however, he also shares his concerns and reservations and expresses the need to retain and expand on what is working well as we move forward.

To finish, Mandy asks Nik to talk about the vision for the future. Nik provides fantastic insight into the new police headquarters and how they aim to integrate policing with the private sector. He shares his vision of a 'campus' comprising a state-of-the-art police headquarters, a court building and a Public/Private sector collaboration and learning centre. His explanation of the value to be derived from such a campus highlights Nik's passion and clarity of thought in how we tackle cybercrime and fraud going forward.

Finally, we would like to thank everyone who has taken part in previous podcasts. We greatly appreciate your contribution to the cyber conversation and look forward to working with you again to continue creating helpful and insightful content.

In CyberVersed episode 49, Mandy Haeburn-Little is joined by Logan Sealey, Regional Director, Chainalysis, and Salih Altuntas, Director, Investigations, NEMEA, Chainalysis.

In this episode, we focus on the work of Chainalysis, looking at threats and opportunities and the broader topic of cryptoanalysis.

Mandy begins by asking Logan about the current threats in Cyber and Fraud, and how the two are converging. Logan highlights the massive increase in illicit crypto transactions, moving from £59 billion in 2024 to £154 billion, making 2025 a record year for crypto activity. Logan also asks and answers whether the fact that almost all cybercrime transactions move through crypto is good or bad news.

Logan also highlights how they are using blockchain intelligence to move from a reactive to a more proactive approach, enabling them to identify illegal activity and shut it down, reducing losses and the duration of attacks.

Logan also explains how blockchain data is helping increase connectivity among partners worldwide; this collaboration is assisting law enforcement in identifying attacks and even contacting people before they become victims.

Salih Altuntas joins the conversation with a very helpful explanation of what blockchain is and how it operates. He also provides some insight into how the data is used and what they can see and interpret through careful analysis. Silah also explains how his background in law enforcement is helping his communication with their partners, and he highlights the primary changes he is witnessing now compared to when we worked in policing.

Salih also provides a helpful update on popular cryptocurrencies and how they have changed in recent times. He also includes information on what they can see about how cybercriminals are moving cryptocurrency, helping them gain a greater understanding of the entire cybercriminal ecosystem. This includes fascinating insights into money laundering techniques and how blockchain analysis is helping them understand how criminals are converting cryptocurrency back into traditional cash. Ultimately, this can enable law enforcement to intervene and recover the proceeds of crime.

Mandy rounds out the podcast by asking Silah how regulators and governments are responding to the activity Chainalysis is seeing, to which he offers his opinion on the increasing sophistication of law enforcement and the courts. Logan finishes by encouraging all organisations to consider adding blockchain intelligence to their cyber resilience armoury.

In Mandy's words, it is an 'absorbing discussion' and a valuable insight into blockchain intelligence and the cybercriminal ecosystem.

Logan was also kind enough to share a link to their newly published report, which is the latest data insights on illicit crypto trends for 2025. You can access it HERE.