September 18, 2025

Award-Winning Interns Strengthen Dark Web Data Collection at DarkBlue

Each summer, DarkBlue welcomes a group of bright interns who dive into real-world intelligence problems, contribute to meaningful projects, and bring fresh energy to our mission. This year, Ashley Lauw, Jiyoon Paik, and Ben Ha did all of that—and more.

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Their outstanding teamwork and impact were recognized with the 2025 Synergy Stars Intern Team Award, presented by CACI President of US Operations DeEtte Gray in honor of National Intern Day. The award celebrates intern teams who demonstrate exceptional collaboration and produce tangible results. This summer’s cohort embodied both.

Working closely with our engineering and analyst teams, the interns helped improve DarkBlue’s data collection capabilities, focusing on expanding and refining how we gather intelligence from challenging sources like Telegram channels and darknet marketplaces. Their efforts improved the volume, quality, and reliability of data that powers DarkBlue’s OSINT investigations.

From testing new scraping methods to refining collection logic and improving data health metrics, they tackled complex technical challenges with focus and creativity. Their ability to collaborate across teams—and with each other—made them standout contributors from day one.

We're immensely proud of the work our interns have done and the professionalism they brought to every task. As they return to school and take on new opportunities, we know they’ll continue making a difference in the intelligence community and beyond.

We’re excited by what Ashley, Jiyoon, and Ben accomplished—and excited to see what they do next.

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