What Is OSINT?

Key Takeaways

• Open-source intelligence (OSINT) began during WWII with early services like the BBC Monitoring Service and evolved with digital advancements.
• It collects and analyzes public data to help in security, business, and cybersecurity.
• The OSINT Framework organizes tools like Google Dorking and Shodan for efficient data gathering and analysis.
• Ethical use is vital, as OSINT can be used for security and malicious purposes, making privacy and responsible practices critical.

In the past, we stored letters, diaries, and documents in physical drawers. Today, that information lives online. Social media platforms, websites, and forums have become the modern vaults for our personal and professional data. Each day, billions of people share photos, life updates, and conversations online, creating vast information.

With over 5.45 billion internet users worldwide and platforms like Facebook hosting 3.065 billion monthly active users, the data generated is immense. This shift has given rise to a whole new discipline known as Open Source Intelligence (OSINT). OSINT allows analysts to harness the proliferation of information we voluntarily share online, allowing them to identify patterns, trends, and potential risks.

But what is OSINT? 

This article highlights OSINT’s history, use cases, techniques, and tools. Let’s dive in!

What is OSINT (Open-Source Intelligence)?

Open-source intelligence (OSINT) collects and analyzes publicly available information from the web, including social media platforms, public databases, job listings, news articles, forums, and even the dark web. OSINT is used in various fields, including business and marketing, national security, journalism and cybersecurity.

So where did it begin? The earliest known example of OSINT was by the British Broadcasting Corporation Monitoring Service and the Foreign Broadcast Monitoring Service during WW11. These operations gathered information from the open sources of the day, such as radio broadcasts. The practice continued and developed during the Cold War.

However, the utility of OSINT was dramatically elevated with the advent of the internet, and as vast amounts of data became readily available.

Today, businesses and individuals employ OSINT to track activities, assess threats, and inform decision-making. Security professionals can identify vulnerabilities in corporate IT systems, while malicious actors leverage OSINT to craft targeted phishing attacks.

Learn more about the history of OSINT in the article by Bellingcat.

Information vs Intelligence

Information is raw data collected from publicly available sources, such as LinkedIn profiles or news articles. Intelligence, however, is insight. It comes from analyzing this information to uncover patterns or connections that can be analyzed to inform decisions.

Below is a table summarizing their differences. 

OSINT operates on the principle that proper analysis can turn scattered information into actionable intelligence, whether for a company assessing security risks or for an individual researching public data. 

What’s the OSINT Framework?

The OSINT Framework is a standardized checklist used by OSINT professionals during their investigations. It’s a checklist of data that can commonly be found online about individuals. The framework helps analysts to structure their search, and ensures all potential data sources are exhausted. 

It includes specific details like usernames, emails, or domains, as well as more general prompts such as voter records and dating profiles

The framework is divided into four sections based on: 

• Data origin – Source
• Applicability – Relevance
• Format – Type
• Environment – Context

Its organizational framework simplifies the research process for those working in cybersecurity, strategic analysis, or public data collection. It relies on free resources, making it accessible to users from different fields.

For instance, tools like Shodan identify security risks and gather data on websites and devices. TheHarvester collects information from search engines and social media. These tools allow users to compile valuable, actionable data.

Intelligence Cycle

The Intelligence Cycle has five steps. It transforms raw information into finished intelligence for policymakers to use in decision-making and action.

Stages of the Intelligence Cycle

Here’s how information transforms into intelligence. 

#1 Planning and Direction

The first stage is to identify the needed intelligence and how to collect it. Planning and Direction oversee the entire process, from the need for data to the production and delivery of an intelligence product to a consumer.

It is the start and the end of the cycle—the start because it entails formulating specific collection requirements and the end because the finished intelligence that underpins policy decisions creates new requirements. 

In OSINT, this means determining which open sources, such as social media, news outlets, and databases, will provide the desired information. The planning phase sets the goals for the rest of the cycle, ensuring efforts remain focused.

#2 Collection

Analysts gather raw data from various sources, including web pages, forums, social media profiles, and public databases. Some information sources include foreign broadcasts, newspapers, periodicals, and books. Open-source reporting, for instance, is a critical component of the CIA’s analytical functions.   

#3 Processing

In the processing stage, analysts clean the data by removing irrelevant or redundant information, ensuring only valuable content remains. The data analysts may also translate, format, or enhance the raw data with metadata to prepare it for analysis. Streamlining large volumes of information allows analysts to extract meaningful insights efficiently and supports the next phase of the intelligence cycle – analysis. 

#4 All Source Analysis and Production

It involves the assimilation, assessment, and synthesis of all information—most of which is often partial and unpredictable—and the production of intelligence products. 

Experts and domain experts evaluate the information for its credibility, accuracy, and usefulness. They compile data into a whole, place the assessed information into perspective, and generate complete intelligence, including evaluating events and judging the consequences of the information.

#5 Dissemination

Finally, the intelligence moves to the decision-makers or relevant stakeholders. Dissemination may be in reports, alerts, or visual dashboards. In OSINT, security teams, policymakers, or other organizations often share intelligence to guide strategic decisions.

#6 Feedback and Review

After passing intelligence, security bodies record feedback to improve the process. Were the intelligence needs met? Could the process be improved in the future? Feedback makes the intelligence cycle flexible and capable of responding to users’ needs.

OSINT Techniques 

There are three types of data collection in OSINT, distinguished by their level of interaction with the target:

• Passive
• Semi-passive
• Active. 

Passive Collection

Observing publicly available data without directly interacting with the target is a passive OSINT technique. Monitoring social media profiles, reading news reports, analyzing geolocation data, or browsing public records are examples of passive collection. 

Avoiding detection is easier here, as there’s no direct contact with the target. However, this method may require more time to process and analyze the data afterward.

Cybersecurity professionals and businesses conducting competitor analysis use this approach. Individuals assessing their online footprint for privacy reasons also use it.

Semi-Passive Collection

Semi-passive collection combines passive and active methods. It involves using third-party tools or services to gather data while maintaining some anonymity.

These tools probe a target’s systems or networks for in-depth information without direct human interaction. 

For example,a researcher investigating a company’s online activities might use tools like a third-party web scraper to collect data from the company’s website. This method doesn’t require direct interaction, as the scraper does the work, but it could still leave traces on the company’s server, such as logs showing that data was accessed.

In this way, semi-passive collection balances collecting necessary information without fully engaging in active monitoring, though there is still some digital footprint. Semi-passive is often used in corporate security or intelligence gathering when investigators need deeper information but want to avoid direct contact with the target.

Active Collection

Active OSINT collection, by contrast, involves directly interacting with the target to gather intelligence. It could mean infiltrating online forums, conducting vulnerability scans on a network, or even physically visiting a target’s location. While this method can yield highly accurate and actionable intelligence, it also comes with the highest risk of detection. 

For example, if a hacker uses active methods to assess a target’s cybersecurity, they may be detected and retaliated against. Due to its intrusive nature, active OSINT is typically used in penetration testing or intelligence operations that require hands-on interaction with the target​.

Who Uses OSINT?

Open-source intelligence (OSINT) collection is not inherently a threat. Depending on who collects the information, people can use it for defensive or offensive purposes. 

Security Teams

Security operations widely use OSINT to detect threats and risks in an organization. By searching public data sources, including social media, business listings, press releases, and even employee information, security professionals can find information that was perhaps inadvertently disclosed by the organization. 

It allows them to cover up the gaps and enhance their security status, which reduces the likelihood of attacks on their systems. For instance, security teams may discover that managers and top officials leak sensitive information on social media platforms or that key personnel prey on phishing scams. 

Besides internal audits, OSINT assists these teams in tracking external threats, such as geopolitical changes or new trends in cybercriminal activity. A company in a politically sensitive area will use OSINT to assess the impact of increasing tensions on its business. In this way, security teams are always one step ahead of threats, preventing threats from penetrating the organization’s systems. 

Threat Actors

Threat actors use OSINT to gather information for cyber attacks and rely on it for surveillance. Before launching an attack, cybercriminals often collect detailed information about their target, such as organizational structures, employee names, email addresses, and even security loopholes. 

Threat actors can find such data through openly accessible sources like LinkedIn profiles, company websites, or even search engines with advanced queries. They can then use this information to craft targeted phishing campaigns or exploit exposed credentials.

OSINT Tools

The right tools can make a big difference when gathering OSINT. These tools help professionals uncover vital information while scouring the web, databases, social media, and even the deep web. OSINT tools also help prevent cyber attacks, which may cause considerable losses to companies worldwide

Below are some of the essential OSINT tools: 

• Google Dorking
• Spiderfoot
• Maltego
• Spyse
• Intelligence X
• BuiltWith
• Shodan
• HaveIbeenPwned

Here’s a detailed breakdown of each. 

Google Dorking

Google Dorking is a search technique that enables one to search for information that is not easily accessible through standard search methods. 

For example, using specific keywords to narrow the search results will reveal unsecured files, documents, or website vulnerabilities. With Google Dorks, little snippets of expertise can make all the difference to your search. It is popular among penetration testers and cybersecurity analysts to evaluate possible security threats from public exposure.  

Spiderfoot

Spiderfoot is an automated OSINT tool designed to collect data from hundreds of sources across the Internet. It helps identify vulnerabilities in networks, emails, domains, and more. It compiles data from social media, websites, and DNS records, giving investigators a detailed picture of a target’s digital footprint making it a powerful tool for cybersecurity professionals​.

Maltego

Maltego is a powerful data mining tool that visualizes relationships between people, companies, domains, and many other elements. Its graphical interface makes it easy to map connections and conduct network analysis. Investigators use Maltego to uncover hidden links between various data points, which can be crucial for criminal investigations and threat detection​.

Spyse

Spyse is a search engine specializing in Internet assets such as websites, IP addresses, and domains. It collects data from the Internet, including information on SSL certificates, open ports, and DNS records. Spyse is useful for cybersecurity researchers who must gather intelligence on network infrastructure vulnerabilities​.

Intelligence X

Intelligence X collects extensive historical data from various sources, including the dark web, social media, and even defunct databases. This tool is a valuable resource for finding old or removed content, particularly in law enforcement and data breach investigations.

BuiltWith

BuiltWith identifies the technology stacks used by websites, revealing their components. It detects CMS, JavaScript libraries, and security systems. Penetration testers and developers find BuiltWith helpful in understanding a target website’s structure before conducting further vulnerability testing.

Shodan

Shodan, a search engine for internet-connected devices, lets users discover servers, routers, webcams, and IoT devices worldwide. Cybersecurity professionals use it to find unsecured or vulnerable devices exposed to the Internet, which they can secure before exploitation.

HaveIbeenPwned

HaveIbeenPwned allows users to check data leaks during a breach. This tool is quite popular among consumers and businesses trying to protect their data because one can check if their data has been exposed to the violation by entering an email address.

Closing Thoughts

Open-source intelligence (OSINT) is a valuable tool for modern digital management. Organizations can enhance cybersecurity, inform business strategies, and assist law enforcement by gathering and analyzing publicly available information.

However, OSINT’s potential benefits also present risks. Malicious actors can exploit the same techniques used to identify network vulnerabilities. Ethical use and a clear understanding of OSINT are essential to mitigate these risks.

To maximize the positive impact of OSINT while minimizing negative consequences, cybersecurity, law enforcement, and intelligence professionals must stay informed about new tools and techniques. Public awareness of personal data available online is also crucial for prevention.

Ethical use and proper intelligence management are crucial for realizing OSINT’s promising future while safeguarding individual and organizational security.

FAQ

How Is Open Source Intelligence Used?

OSINT is used in many fields and by different organizations and companies. Cybersecurity is employed to identify weaknesses in the organization’s network, evaluate threats from the outside world, and conduct penetration testing.

Police departments use OSINT to collect information about criminal activities on social media and other open sources. OSINT also helps in the fight against national security by monitoring new threats and evaluating geopolitical threats. Businesses also use OSINT in market analysis and competitor research.​ 

How Does Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) Work?

OSINT collects and analyzes publicly available information from various sources such as websites, social media, databases, and news outlets. Tools like web crawlers, data aggregators, and advanced search algorithms help extract valuable insights from this vast amount of data. 

The collected data is then processed and correlated to transform into actionable intelligence. OSINT analysts often cross-check multiple sources to validate the accuracy of the information before drawing conclusions

Common OSINT Techniques

Standard OSINT techniques can be categorized into passive, semi-passive, and active approaches. Some passive OSINT techniques include web scraping, where automated tools extract data from websites, and social media monitoring, where analysts observe conversations, posts, and profiles to detect emerging trends or threats. 

Another passive method is geospatial analysis, which uses maps, satellite images, and geotagged posts to analyze physical locations. Active OSINT techniques include metadata analysis, where investigators examine the metadata of documents, photos, or videos. Semi-passive data collection leverages a blend of passive and active techniques. This approach utilizes third-party tools or services to gather information while preserving anonymity.