The internet streamlines collecting and storing information. An estimated 402 million terabytes of data are created daily, much of it publicly accessible.
Companies and organizations leverage this data for a variety of reasons, like military surveillance, research, or data collection. For example, hedge funds routinely track executives’ jets to predict M&As, a form of OSINT. Open-source intelligence (OSINT) is a powerful research methodology with broad use cases in due diligence and mitigating risk.
In this deep dive, we’ll explore what OSINT is, how it works, its applications across various domains, and the tools and techniques that make it such an important asset in today’s data-driven world.
What is open-source intelligence (OSINT)?
OSINT is the practice of collecting, analyzing, and making decisions based on data from publicly available sources beyond Google or Bing. These sources include:
- Social media platforms
- Public government records
- Academic publications
- News media
- Deep web (which contains over 99% of online content not indexed by search engines)
- Dark web
- Public meetings or events
- Libraries
- Images and videos
- Any website or platform where information is observable by the public
OSINT gained prominence during World War II and the Cold War, when intelligence agencies relied heavily on public information to gather intelligence on adversaries. The introduction of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) in the U.S. in 1967 further increased public access to government records.
Modern OSINT relies heavily on specialized techniques to gather and analyze vast amounts of data efficiently. Some popular OSINT techniques include:
- Advanced search engine operators
- Social media monitoring and analysis
- Public records searches
- Web scraping
- Data analysis & aggregation tools
- Real-time web crawling
The explosion of online data, the rise of social media, and advancements in data processing capabilities have vastly expanded the scope and potential of OSINT in recent decades.
How is OSINT conducted in practice?
Modern OSINT relies heavily on specialized techniques to gather and analyze vast amounts of data efficiently. Some popular OSINT techniques include:
- Advanced search engine operators
- Social media monitoring and analysis
- Public records searches
- Web scraping
- Data analysis & aggregation tools
- Real-time web crawling
Emerging OSINT tools use real-time web crawling instead of scraping or manual research for fast, contextualized insights across news, sanctions & enforcements, and criminal records.
Real-time web crawling solutions, like Vcheck’s Continuous Monitoring platform, allow you to monitor individuals and entities and receive real-time alerts if new information is found on your subjects. Our platform is the first to leverage real-time web crawling, language filtering, and AI to quiet the noise of other monitoring solutions.
OSINT Challenges
OSINT offers several advantages over other forms of intelligence gathering:
- Provides highly drastic information, sometimes in real-time
- Cost-effective
- Because sources are public, there’s a level of transparency and verifiability that might lacking in other forms of intelligence
However, OSINT also comes with its challenges:
- Yields a large volume of results, which can be overwhelming for researchers or AI
- High chance of false positive results
- Data reliability, as not all information on the internet is accurate
Emerging, automated OSINT leverages source variety and comprehensive language processing avoid unnecessary search noise and frequent false positives, common problems for researchers.
What is the OSINT Research Process?
In practice, OSINT refers to the process of collecting information, as well as to the information itself.
On its own and without purpose, raw data from open sources isn’t ‘information.’ Data becomes information when aggregated and analyzed to support investigations or serve business goals.
OSINT’s goal is to turn raw, publicly available information into actionable intelligence. This process typically follows what’s known as the intelligence cycle:
- Preparation: Assessing needs and identifying the best sources.
- Collection: Gathering data from relevant sources.
- Processing: Organizing and collating the collected information.
- Analysis and Production: Interpreting the data, identifying patterns, and producing reports.
- Dissemination: Presenting findings to stakeholders.
The Intelligence Process
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1
Preparation
Assessing needs and identifying the best sources.
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2
Collection
Gathering data from relevant sources.
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3
Processing
Organizing and collating the collected information.
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4
Analysis & Production
Interpreting the data, identifying patterns, and producing reports.
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5
Dissemination
Presenting findings to stakeholders.
Applications of OSINT
OSINT is used by a wide range of professionals and organizations, including government agencies, law enforcement, military, investigative journalists, human rights investigators, law firms, and social engineers:
- Cybersecurity: OSINT is used for identifying vulnerabilities, gathering threat intelligence, and conducting attack surface analysis.
- Business intelligence: OSINT is used for competitive analysis, market research, and reputation monitoring.
- Law enforcement: OSINT techniques are used to collect evidence during criminal investigations and background checks.
- Media: OSINT is used for fact-checking and investigative reporting.
For due diligence, researchers conducting open-source investigations leverage news, public records, social media, and the deep web to deliver comprehensive intelligence on subjects and entities. Even in academia, OSINT is used for gathering data on social trends, public opinion, and economic indicators. It’s also becoming increasingly important in legal proceedings for gathering evidence and conducting due diligence.
The Future of OSINT
OSINT is reshaping how we understand and interact with the vast sea of public information available to us.
In the end, OSINT is a tool–its impact depends on how it’s used. By understanding its capabilities, its limitations, and its ethical implications, we can harness the power of OSINT to make better decisions, solve complex problems, and navigate the challenges and opportunities of the digital age.
To learn more about Vcheck’s OSINT and continuous monitoring, contact us.