William Downing helps schools, daycares, and parents keep kids safe online with clear, step by step actions.
Certified Ethical Hacker. Former Edmonton Police Service Officer. BX Consultant of the Year Nominee.
Location: Edmonton, AB
Business: Blue Shield Cyber Protection
Website: blueshieldsec.com
Will the speaker travel: Yes, Internationally
Area(s) of Expertise:
– Technology
– Science & Research
– Social Justice & Activism
– Leadership & Personal Development
– Safety and Protection
Speaker Bio
William Downing is a former law enforcement professional and founder of Blue Shield Cyber Protection in Edmonton. He helps child centered organizations keep kids safe online and at school, translating real world threats into clear, budget friendly actions. William works with schools, daycares, libraries, youth clubs, and family clinics on phishing and social engineering defense, privacy compliance under PIPA and PIPEDA, and incident response. His sessions are story driven and hands on. They pair live demos with simple checklists, parent take home guides, and a 90 day plan for staff and volunteers.
Popular talks include Protecting Kids in the Digital World: A Parent’s Guide to Online Safety , Sextortion and Social Media Scams, Phishing for Front Desk Teams, and OSINT for Educators. He has trained administrators, teachers, and support staff across Alberta and supports organizations during real incidents with calm, step by step guidance.
Book William if you want less jargon, more safety, and measurable changes like stronger policies, safer devices, and staff who spot red flags before harm occurs.
Speaking Topics
Protecting Kids in the Digital World: A Parent’s Guide to Online Safety
A four part keynote that maps the real online playgrounds kids use and the red flags to watch. Parents leave with step by step device settings for Discord, Roblox, and social media, a family tech contract, scripts for hard talks, and a 90 day plan built on Monitor, Communicate, Educate, and Evolve.
Sextortion and Social Media Scams
What sextortion looks like today, how criminals target teens, and the first 24 hours response that limits harm. Includes live walk throughs of reporting flows, evidence collection basics, and a school and parent checklist.
OSINT for Educators
Practical open source techniques to verify accounts, spot fake profiles, and surface safety risks without crossing legal or ethical lines. Learn search operators, reverse image checks, and a simple workflow for escalation and documentation.
Ideal Audience
- Parents
- Educators
- Caregivers
Speaking format availability
- Virtual
- In-person
- Hybrid
Engagement Types
- Keynote
- Workshop
- Panel
- Podcast
Past speaking experience
Premier Speaker at Messed Up Mondays
Keynote Speaker for the City of Spruce Grove
Professional Speaker for Edmonton Public Library
Professional Speaker for ATB
William’s session modeled real vulnerability. He shared wins and failures, then gave our the audience clear next steps. The room felt safe, honest, and focused on action.
A business first security talk that cut the jargon and showed measurable impact. Our Business Smart Start audience will often ask me about the workshop.
Our small business clients now finally understand phishing risk and how to cut it down fast. William make technical topics easy to understand for everyone!.”
Consistently one of our most trusted experts. Credible, prepared, and outcome driven.
