At Unphish, threats can be quite complex.
A suspicious domain, fake social media account or impersonation page might look simple on the surface, but once an analyst starts digging, the picture can change quickly. What first appears to be just a basic brand infringement might turn out to be part of a phishing campaign, scam operation or wider pattern of online abuse.
That is where the Threat Operations team comes in.
Every day, the team investigates suspicious activity targeting clients’ brands, customers and reputation.
One of the people doing that work is Sena Sogutcu, Digital Threat Analyst at Unphish.
As a Digital Threat Analyst, Sena investigates online threats, pieces together information and works out the best course of action for each case. Her role sits in the space between curiosity, analysis and enforcement, where the answer is not always obvious at first.
For Sena, one of the best parts of the job is that no two days feel exactly the same.
“I really like that every day can bring something different. One day I might be looking into a phishing website, another day a fake social media account, or something completely different.”
She especially enjoys the cases that are not obvious straight away.
“I especially enjoy cases where there isn’t much information to begin with and I have to investigate and piece things together to understand what’s actually going on. It feels a bit like solving a puzzle, so the work never feels completely routine.”
That curiosity has also been shaped by working closely with Brendan Emmott and Dejan Baker-Petkovich in the Threat Operations team.
“One of the biggest things I’ve learned from them is not to stop at what you see at first and to always look a little deeper. A website or account might initially look like a simple brand infringement, but once you investigate further, you might find phishing, scams or other types of abuse behind it.”
Consistency has been another important lesson.
“I’ve also learned how important consistency is when assessing cases. Applying the same standards to similar threats and being consistent with the actions we take is really important, especially when you’re dealing with so many different cases.”
As Sena has grown in the role, her research skills have become a big part of how she approaches investigations.
“I think my research skills have developed a lot, especially when I only have limited information to start with and need to piece things together from different sources.”
“Over time, I’ve become much better at knowing where to look, which details matter and when I need to dig a little deeper. That’s also made me much more confident in my own assessments and decisions.”
One thing that surprised Sena when she first started was how complex online enforcement can be.
“Probably how complicated it can be to get something removed from the internet, even when it seems obviously harmful.”
Before joining Unphish, she assumed harmful content could be reported and removed fairly quickly. In reality, every platform, registrar and hosting provider has its own policies, evidence requirements and reporting process.
“Sometimes figuring out the right enforcement path takes just as much investigation as identifying the threat itself.”
That is also why she relies heavily on the Enforcement Centre in Unphish.
“Definitely the Enforcement Centre. Identifying a threat is only the first part of the process, and for me, the interesting part is figuring out what we can actually do about it.”
Having enforcement options and case progress in one place makes the process easier to manage day to day.
“Being able to assess different enforcement options and keep track of the process in one place makes my day-to-day work much easier.”
Outside of work, Sena brings the same curiosity into how she experiences the world around her.
Originally from Turkey, she now lives in Melbourne, a city she has grown to love for its mix of energy and ease.
“I think what I love most about Melbourne is that it feels like a big city but still has a really relaxed lifestyle. Every neighbourhood has its own feel, and there are always new cafés, restaurants and places to discover.”
She also loves that there is always something happening.
“There seems to be a festival, event, concert or something else happening almost all the time. The city never really feels boring.”
A spontaneous plan is one of the small things that instantly puts her in a good mood.
“When I have nothing planned and a friend suddenly suggests doing something, it instantly puts me in a good mood. For some reason, spontaneous plans always excite me more than the ones made well in advance.”
Travel is another big part of her life, and one place that stands out is Edinburgh.
“Edinburgh is probably my favourite place I’ve visited so far. I went during the Fringe Festival, which I think played a big part in why I loved it so much.”
The mix of history and energy made the city feel different from anywhere else she had visited.
“I loved the historic architecture and the slightly mysterious feel of the city, but at the same time, the festival made it incredibly lively.”
Outside of work, dancing is one of the things Sena can get completely absorbed in.
“Dancing, especially when I’m learning a new choreography. I get so focused on getting the movements right and putting them together with the music that I completely forget about everything else around me and just focus on the moment.”
And when it comes to feeling at home, it is often something small that brings that feeling back.
“A familiar smell. It could be food, perfume or just any familiar scent that unexpectedly takes me back to a particular place or memory.”
In many ways, Sena’s role reflects what digital threat analysis often requires. It is curious, detailed and sometimes uncertain at the beginning.
For Sena, the work comes back to looking deeper, staying consistent and piecing together the details behind each threat.
At the end of the day, digital investigations at Unphish are about turning that understanding into action.