Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) —
We, of course, need an entry for our eponymous hero. OSINT is an acronym for ‘open-source intelligence’ that means extracting, processing, and analyzing data from publicly accessible sources for a specific investigative goal.
At first glance, OSINT can be misleading since ‘open-source’ doesn’t denote software whose code can be freely modified; it actually means ‘derived from the public domain.’ And ‘intelligence’ isn’t limited to materials of secretive government bureaus but more generally refers to ‘applied information.’
So, OSINT (open-source intelligence) is the process of extracting and analyzing public information to generate actionable intelligence for various applications. While OSINT processes have raised questions about privacy, it is totally legal due to the nature of the information used, which is, by definition, in the public domain and legally accessible to all.
OSINT was born during WWII when the US government began amassing intelligence by closely studying public media in an attempt to discern enemy strategies and objectives. With the advent of the internet, the profusion of open data that became available for analysis transformed OSINT from a little-known reconnaissance method into a full-blown international industry with diverse uses across the public and private sectors.
It’s difficult to imagine a category of organization where OSINT frameworks couldn’t be put to some productive use. However some of the spheres where it has gained most traction include law enforcement, government, corporate and cyber security, as well as private investigation.
- Law enforcement agencies (LEAs). With people living out so many aspects of their lives online, we have seen a decline in HUMINT (Human Intelligence) – inspectors plodding the streets, knocking on doors etc. – and a vast increase in OSINT. This is especially the case with criminal investigations ranging from trafficking to money laundering cases.
- Governmental bodies. Military organizations use open data for conducting effective and reliable reconnaissance as well as counter espionage. Meanwhile, national security departments rely on open-source intelligence techniques to identify threat groups such as terror cells, maintain effective incident response to natural disasteres and riots, conduct sentiment analysis, combat misinformation, and other civil responsibilities.
- Corporate and cyber security. With businesses losing millions of dollars through single instances of ransomware attack or corporate data compromise, companies are paying greater attention to their information security. OSINT frameworks are a crucial part of threat intelligence including penetration testing and incident response, but can also be harnessed to mitigate perennial problems such as human error in social engineering scams or even sheer data carelessness.
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Featured terms
Blockchains —
In a nutshell, a blockchain is a shared, or distributed, ledger recording transactions and assets. The data is compiled through a continuous verification process that links all transactions into a large, decentralized "chain" of participants, who are linked across a network of peer-to-peer computers...
Data Breach —
Data breaches are the exposure of sensitive or classified information to unauthorized parties and can have disastrous consequences for an organization. When a breach occurs, a company often has to pay out huge sums of money to contain the leak and may also suffer costly reputational damage...
Link Analysis —
The process of link analysis involves examining data to uncover relationships or connections that might not be apparent in raw data sets. It is a powerful analytical tool that has a wide range of applications in various sectors, from law enforcement and national security to cyber and...
Operations Security (OPSEC) —
Operations Security, or OPSEC, involves identifying and consolidating critical information to gain a better understanding of a situation. Additionally, it refers to safeguarding data and ensuring a given mission against eavesdropping by unauthorized parties or accidental compromise...
Social Media Intelligence (SOCMINT) —
A close cousin of OSINT, SOCMINT is an acronym meaning ‘social media intelligence.’ SOCMINT is the collection and analysis of data from social media platforms. Such information might be used for various purposes, including digital footprinting, link analysis, etc.
Social Media Piggybacking (Piggyback Marketing) —
When a company’s social media post goes viral, it is only a matter of time before millions of people start talking about it. Seeing an opportunity to leverage the post's popularity, companies can join in to redirect some of the traffic toward their services...
Our OSINT Solutions
Un conjunto de métodos de extracción y análisis de datos que abarcan redes sociales, blockchain, messangers y la Dark Web, conectados directamente a tu plataforma interna a través de nuestra Open Data API.
Una herramienta OSINT para llevar a cabo investigaciones exhaustivas en redes sociales, blockchain, messangers y la Dark Web con las plataformas Maltego e i2.