Due Diligence
Trust is expensive. Bad trust is catastrophic. Know who you're dealing with before you sign.
The problem
Google searches don't surface what matters. Investigations do.
You're about to acquire a company, bring on a new partner, hire a C-suite executive, or invite someone into your family office. A clean LinkedIn profile and a firm handshake aren't enough — the risks that matter are the ones you can't see from the surface.
HAWK due diligence combines cyber investigation, financial and legal analysis, OSINT, and discreet human intelligence into a single, defensible report — whether the target is a corporation, an executive, or a personal relationship that's moved faster than the facts.
Every investigation is tailored to the decision you're making. An M&A target gets a different lens than a prospective nanny or a new business partner claiming connections they may not have. We scope precisely, investigate discreetly, and deliver findings that hold up under scrutiny.
Our investigators blend cyber exposure assessments with traditional records research, open-source intelligence, and — where appropriate — discreet interviews and source development. The result is a picture that no single-discipline firm can produce alone.
Findings arrive with clear risk ratings, evidence packs, remediation steps, and optional ongoing watchlists — so your legal, executive, and security teams stay aligned long after the initial report.
Launch a diligence review →Corporate targets
Cyber posture, financial and legal exposure, leadership integrity, and operational risk analysis for acquisitions, vendors, and strategic partners.
Executive & key hires
Deep background checks, credential verification, media sentiment, and conflict-of-interest analysis for C-suite, board, and trusted advisor appointments.
Personal & lifestyle
Discreet investigation of individuals entering your personal orbit — romantic interests, household staff, tutors, or anyone with proximity to your family.
Defensible reporting
Evidence-backed findings, risk ratings, and remediation steps that satisfy legal counsel, insurance underwriters, and board governance requirements.
What we investigate
Corporate, executive, or personal — every angle covered, every source cross-referenced.
Corporate & organisational
Cyber exposure
External attack surface mapping, breach history, dark-web credential leaks, and control maturity scoring — revealing the cyber risk you'd inherit.
Legal & financial integrity
Regulatory exposure, litigation history, sanctions screening, beneficial ownership analysis, and credit signals that impact the deal.
Leadership & culture
Executive background checks, media sentiment, insider risk indicators, and organisational culture signals that predict post-deal friction.
Individual & personal
Identity & credentials
Identity validation, education and employment verification, professional licences, and criminal and civil records across jurisdictions.
Digital footprint & reputation
Social media deep-dive, media sentiment analysis, online alias mapping, and digital exposure assessment — the picture that public profiles don't show.
Lifestyle & associations
Financial indicators, property and asset analysis, known associations, and behavioural patterns — for when proximity to your family or business demands certainty.
What you get back
Not a data dump — actionable intelligence that supports a decision.
- Defensible diligence report — evidence-backed findings structured for legal counsel, board governance, and insurance underwriters.
- Risk ratings by domain — cyber, financial, legal, reputational, and personal risk scored independently so you see exactly where the exposure sits.
- Remediation roadmap — specific mitigations, contract conditions, or deal-breakers mapped to responsible owners.
- Ongoing watchlists — adverse media monitoring, sanctions updates, and dark-web alerts on subjects of interest — so the picture stays current.
- Full confidentiality — all investigations are conducted discreetly. Subjects are never alerted. Reports are encrypted and access-controlled.
Multi-jurisdiction capability
Our investigator network covers corporate registries, court records, and human sources across multiple jurisdictions — not just domestic databases.
Cyber + human intelligence
We combine technical investigation (attack surface, breach data, dark web) with traditional HUMINT — a converged approach most diligence firms can't offer.
Feeds into your security programme
For clients on HAWK Managed Security or Outsourced CSO retainers, diligence findings integrate directly into your ongoing risk posture and vendor management.
Engagement scopes
From a rapid pre-deal check to ongoing portfolio monitoring — scoped to the decision you're making.
Snapshot
Rapid review
- 10-day diligence sprint
- Public records + cyber surface assessment
- Executive summary with risk rating
- Go/no-go recommendation
Comprehensive
Full diligence
- Deep OSINT, legal, financial, and cyber analysis
- Discreet interviews and source development
- Defensible report for counsel and board
- Remediation plan with accountable owners
Embedded
Ongoing monitoring
- Recurring diligence across portfolios or key roles
- Watchlists, adverse media alerts, and quarterly refresh
- Dark-web monitoring on subjects of interest
- Integrated with Outsourced CSO/CISO leadership
