About Dawn McCarty

My Story, My Mission

I am the survivor of a 44-year crime.

In 1973, at four years old, I was abducted by my mother and systematically alienated from my father. This act of pathogenic parenting culminated in a fraudulent 1976 adoption that illegally severed my father's rights and a 1977 Mormon temple ceremony that "sealed" me to my abductor.

I spent my childhood in a "cult of two," experiencing rejection, psychological abuse, and a complete erasure of my identity. This is not just a family dispute; the U.S. Department of Justice defines family abduction as a serious crime, yet it remains a silent epidemic.

My story is not just about what was done to me; it's about how I fought back with the only tools I had: truth, tenacity, and a forensic mindset. My mission is to unseal the truth of my past by reversing my adoption and to use my unique expertise to protect children from the same hidden abuse I endured.

A Unique Forensic Perspective

A childhood spent in survival mode develops a certain hyper-vigilance. This instinct, born from trauma, became a professional asset over my 25-year career in cybersecurity, vulnerability management, and Enterprise Security Governance. My formal forensic training—in areas like digital imaging, document examination, and with organizations like SANS (GIAC)—gave me the methodology. Together, this dual lens of survivor and analyst trained me to see what others miss: how to identify threats, profile predators, analyze patterns of deception, and dismantle systems of control.

I apply the principles of threat detection to decode the tactics of deception and undue influence. I use frameworks like Dr. Steven Hassan's BITE model to dissect how high-demand groups, from cults to toxic families, and even predators manipulate and isolate their victims. My work is not based on feeling alone; it is a rigorous, analytical examination of the mechanics of psychological abuse, informed by decades of professional experience.

When I began to heal, I turned that forensic lens on what the U.S. Department of Justice confirms is a crime, not a private family dispute . My mission became applying all of my expertise to unseal and patch a childhood that had been left vulnerable for decades.

Professional Credentials & Experience

Award-Winning Cyber and Online security expert with over 25 years of experience

#1 International Best-Selling Publishing and Contributing Author

Founder of Thrivers Speak® and the Safe At Home Foundation

CEO Securing Everything LLC

Forensic Documentation Expert*

Forensic Handwriting Expert and Trainer*

Academic Credentials:

MBA in Cybersecurity (MBA Cy)

M.S. in Crime Scene and Evidence Management

B.S. in Criminal Justice, Psychology of Victimology

B.S. in Computer Science

Professional Training:

SANS GIAC: GCFA® (Forensic Analyst)

SANS GIAC: GNFA® (Network Forensic Analyst)

ISC2: CISSP® (Certified Information Systems Security Professional)

ISACA: CISM (Certified Information Security Manager)

Miami-Dade Metropolitan Police Institute: Forensic Digital Imaging & Fingerprint Enhancement

Forensic Document Examination: Kathy Koppenhaver, NADE, Self-study

Awards:

Catalyst for Change Award for contributions to SDG #10 (2025)

Visionary Security Awareness Program Leadership Award (2023)

Cybersecurity Woman of the Year (2021)

Advocacy in Action

The Unsealed Trilogy:A three-part series beginning with my memoir, Sealed to My Abductor, that documents my journey and provides a framework for understanding complex abuse.

Unsealed (Podcast) NEW!: Where I use the BITE model to analyze cult-like behaviors in real-time, from toxic family systems and social media trends to the tactics of abusers in the special "Unsealed: Predator Watch" series.

Unsealed Press (Blog): My primary platform for publishing articles and in-depth analysis on the intersection of trauma, forensics, and the ongoing fight for justice.

The Digital Defense Series: My ongoing work to equip families with the tools to protect themselves from online threats and manipulation.

Thrivers Speak®: Founder of the platform dedicated to amplifying the voices of survivors and helping them tell their stories.

Collaborative Initiatives

In partnership with Dr. Alyse Price-Tobler, I co-founded the Nothing About Us Without Us (NAUWOU™) conference, a Thrivers Speak® event. Our work is dedicated to ensuring survivor voices are at the center of all academic, legal, and therapeutic conversations about trauma and recovery. This includes our annual conference and our podcast, NAUWOU™, where if it is Humanly Possible, we may be talking about it. This is where we conduct deep dives into Child Psychological Abuse (CPA-PA) and feature powerful interviews with fellow survivors.

Speaking & Media Inquiries

As a global child safety advocate and forensic expert, I am passionate about sharing my story and expertise to educate and empower audiences. I speak on topics including parental abduction, coercive control, deculting trauma, and the forensic analysis of psychological abuse.

For all speaking engagements, media appearances, and conference inquiries, please contact my exclusive agent:

Speaking Success Secrets

To connect directly with my agent and ensure I know you came from my website, please use the link below.

Book Dawn for an Event

Explore My Work

Ready to dive deeper? Here is where you can find my primary projects and platforms dedicated to unsealing the truth and protecting children.

The Unsealed Trilogy: Learn more about my upcoming three-part book series that documents my story and provides a framework for understanding complex abuse.

Unsealed (Podcast): Listen and subscribe for deep dives into cult-like behaviors, predator tactics, and survivor stories.

Unsealed Press (Blog): Read my latest articles and in-depth analysis on the intersection of trauma, forensics, and the fight for justice.

Collaborative Initiatives: Learn more about my work with Dr. Alyse Price-Tobler, including the NAUWOU™ conference and Thrivers Speak®, and the Humanly Possible on Facebook.