The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) and UK technology firm Cyacomb has announced a new partnership that will allow commercial organisations to detect Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) on digital devices, helping them safeguard children, protect employees and reduce serious legal and reputational risks.
The move comes amid growing concern about the presence of illegal content on workplace devices. In recent years, there have been several high-profile cases globally of organisations across multiple sectors, including education, entertainment venues, travel and public services, having faced criminal investigations and legal action after employees were discovered in possession of CSAM on work-issued equipment.
By being proactive and actively monitoring for these crimes, Cyacomb and the IWF believe organisations have the power to fight back against these dreadful crimes.
Dan Sexton, Chief Technology Officer at the Internet Watch Foundation, said: “Preventing the spread of images and videos of child sexual abuse is absolutely key to protecting victims and survivors from repeated victimisation.
“But it is something no single organisation can do on its own. This new partnership will allow powerful protections to protect employee devices from being abused to spread child sexual abuse material. The IWF is dealing with record numbers of reports of child sexual abuse imagery. Cyacomb will help us make sure there is no safe space where this dangerous material can be shared and distributed.”
Cyacomb’s technology allows organisations to rapidly scan devices for known CSAM using databases maintained by the IWF and other global partners. The scan takes minutes and returns a simple Red, Amber, Green (RAG) assessment, indicating whether known illegal material may be present on a device. Most importantly, organisations never see any images or sensitive files during the process.
Instead, the technology identifies known criminal material through secure matching techniques, ensuring privacy is preserved while enabling organisations to act quickly if a risk is identified. If a device is flagged as Red, Cyacomb will work with the organisation to support escalation, including engagement with law enforcement.
“Most organisations don’t realise the risk that can exist on corporate devices until it becomes a crisis,” said Chris Johnson, CEO of Cyacomb. “In recent years we’ve seen cases where illegal material has been discovered on workplace devices in environments where trust and safeguarding are critical.
“Our technology gives organisations a responsible way to identify those risks early, without compromising privacy. By working with the IWF, we’re helping organisations take proactive steps to protect children, protect their employees and protect their reputations.”
The partnership launches at a time when the scale of online child sexual abuse continues to grow.
According to the IWF, in 2025 the charity took action on 312,030 reports containing confirmed child sexual abuse material, a 7% increase from 2024. Analysts also reported a sharp rise in AI-generated child sexual abuse content, identifying 3,440 AI-generated abuse videos in 2025 compared with just 13 the previous year.
This rapid increase highlights how technology is changing the threat landscape and why organisations need stronger safeguards around workplace devices.
By enabling organisations to proactively check devices for known criminal child sexual abuse material, the partnership aims to help prevent offences, support law enforcement investigations and demonstrate that businesses are taking meaningful steps to protect children.
Cyacomb’s privacy-first approach ensures organisations can implement targeted device scans without exposing personal data or unrelated content. Devices are checked securely against the IWF dataset of known child sexual abuse imagery, allowing organisations to identify risks while maintaining employee privacy and compliance with data protection requirements.
The presence of CSAM on corporate devices can expose businesses to regulatory scrutiny, criminal investigations and severe reputational damage. By providing organisations with a responsible and privacy-preserving way to detect and escalate risks, Cyacomb and the IWF believe this helps protect both children and brands.
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