What Is Open Source Intelligence or OSINT?

With the onset of the World Wide Web era, a considerable number of opportunities for finding necessary information have appeared. The most important idea about them is the possibility of collecting data through open sources, which is the merit of Open Source Intelligence (OSINT).

Whether you are a security official or a private user, you can easily find out any information required. Intelligence systems are in the process of constant development and improvement, and Social Links will contribute to your profound understanding of the topic.

Definition and Figures

The term Open Source Intelligence was initially connected with military and security services. This practice was implemented for gathering important publicly available knowledge for protecting national security. With the emerging of large networks, it’s being utilized in all aspects of people’s lives and for various purposes.

In simple words, this is the methodology of selection, accumulation, and processing of information from free channels. According to statistics, approximately 80% of the data stored can be collected freely without any additional help.

Mind the Difference

It may seem from the description that every user is involved in OSINT without even realizing it, but it is not completely true. Surfing the net enables a person to monitor superficial information without deep further analysis. At the same time, the OSINT system requires paying attention to the tiniest details and particular features of the content to answer some definite questions.

For instance, when studying a publication in a social network, an OSINT professional looks into its date, content type, geolocation, watermarks, users’ interest, and target audience. This up-to-date methodology can reveal almost everything about a person. 

Types and Examples

Online and offline OSINT sources can be divided into several groups. The most popular are:

• the Internet (web-pages, blogs, forums, IP-addresses, sharing sites, social networking sites, and so on);
• conventional sources of news (television, radio, newspapers, brochures, and others);
• specialized literature, monographs, scientific notes, and speeches;
• media resources, namely, photos and videos;
• location tags.

How to Make Use of OSINT?

OSINT is a universal instrument that is advantageous in every sphere of modern life. Many corporations value it for delivering information about the growth of contemporary markets, assessing risks, researching a target audience, and monitoring user activity.

OSINT tools are especially beneficial for companies with low or limited budgets, as they utilize information from publicly available sources. Big companies also apply Open Source Intelligence to protect confidential data and avoid leakage.

Advantages of OSINT

While creating new ways of interpreting information, OSINT has numerous benefits:

• Minimal risk. Usage of publicly available data leads to reducing possible dangers associated with other forms of intelligence.
• Affordable cost. Open Source Intelligence is rather cheap, while alternative ways of acquiring information are more expensive.
• Up-to-dateness. Information from open sources is available at every minute and easy to access.
• Legality. There is no need to worry about copyright licenses, as the information is already available to the public.

As a result, Open Source Intelligence is cost-efficient and time-saving, providing valuable knowledge for professional development.       

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