Shielded Online: How Managed Attribution Empowers Trust & Safety Teams

Online threats advance by the minute, and trust and safety teams must identify and investigate suspicious activity, cyberattacks, and digital scams without placing themselves or their teams at risk. The key to efficiently conducting secure, digital investigations is a managed attribution solution.

Managed attribution refers to the strategic control of how an individual or organization appears online and protects their identity throughout an investigation. Unlike basic tools, such as VPNs or incognito browsers, a managed attribution solution offers a multi-pronged approach that masks IP addresses, geolocation, browser fingerprints, device types, and more to help trust and safety teams operate anonymously and safely. For trust and safety teams, this level of control is not simply convenient — it is foundational to the integrity and security of their work.

Why do trust and safety teams need managed attribution?

Trust and safety professionals are responsible for maintaining the integrity and well-being of online communities and platforms, often addressing issues such as abuse, misinformation, scams, and manipulation that occur within user-generated environments.

Unlike traditional OSINT analysts, who gather open-source intelligence from a distance, trust and safety professionals must interact with the very platforms they protect, sometimes blending in with user-generated content or entering high-risk online spaces. This direct contact with potentially harmful individuals and environments requires robust managed attribution so investigators can observe genuine behaviors, access geoblocked or restricted content, and gather critical evidence without tipping off threat actors. Specifically, a managed attribution solution allows trust and safety teams to:

Protect Organizational Assets — Digital criminals and hackers operate in clandestine forums and in the hidden recesses of the dark web. Cybercriminals and malicious users are skilled at identifying and responding to unwanted attention. They can immediately spot an unwelcome visitor, trace digital footprints, and launch a crippling attack on an organizational network.

When an analyst enters a forum or digital atmosphere without adequate protection, they risk exposing their organization to retaliation, surveillance, or direct attack. With a managed attribution solution, trust and safety analysts can operate in an isolated virtual environment without exposing their equipment to threats.

Disguise Individual Identity — If their identities are exposed, analysts could become the target of harassment, doxxing, or retribution. With complete identity protection, an analyst will appear like a typical user exhibiting expected behavior — enabling the investigation to continue undetected, unnoticed, and securely.

Ensure Investigation Integrity — Avoiding detection helps ensure the investigation isn’t purposely sidetracked. Threat actors who are discovered will often take defensive action to mislead investigators, manipulate information, and cover their tracks. They may alter content, erase evidence, or initiate countermeasures that derail the investigation. Moreover, some platforms have internal mechanisms that detect unusual activity or non-native behaviors, which can alert the individuals being investigated.

The data collected following detection may therefore be falsified or incomplete — jeopardizing the validity of any discoveries. A managed attribution solution minimizes the chances that an analyst will be exposed and safeguards the integrity of the investigation.

Access Geoblocked Content — Many forums and websites present data differently to users based on their location. Content that is easily viewed in one country may be restricted in another.

Managed attribution allows trust and safety analysts to simulate various digital conditions — including geographic origin and device profile — to access region-specific or role-based content that would otherwise be out of reach. This ability is vital for global investigations and for maintaining a clear, unfiltered understanding of what users in different contexts are experiencing or sharing online.

A managed attribution solution from Babel Street

Babel Street Secure Access is a sophisticated managed attribution solution designed to provide secure, anonymous, and unrestricted online research. It allows operators, such as analysts, investigators, and intelligence professionals, the ability to access global information while protecting their identity, devices, and networks from both known and unknown threats.

Secure Access goes beyond traditional privacy tools because it offers advanced anonymization, controlled attribution, and an isolated research environment. This means that users can appear to originate from virtually any location, avoid geo-restrictions, and customize their digital footprint to fit specific investigative requirements.

A key feature is the ability to support persistent sessions, allowing users to maintain a consistent online persona, which is crucial for overcoming behavioral detection systems. It also permits secure collaboration, allowing teams to integrate findings, manage documents, and share insights safely. Whether conducting a thorough investigation in high-risk regions or gathering open-source intelligence (OSINT), Babel Street Secure Access ensures that operations remain confidential, secure, and effective.

Constant and sophisticated threats mean that managed attribution is no longer optional — it is a prerequisite for any organization that takes trust and safety seriously. At Babel Street, we understand the unique challenges that trust and safety specialists face. Secure Access is designed to meet those needs by offering the infrastructure for secure, reliable, and high-impact digital investigations.

Explore our solutions today, contact us for more information, or request a demo to see how we can support your trust and safety mission.