OSINT Investigations: The Benefits and Risks

Open source internet data is readily available for the average online user to find and utilize. For law enforcement officials, the public web can provide invaluable information to help advance their investigations. Resources on the open internet contain data that could easily enhance current findings or assist in constructing an initial framework for understanding a case. But how exactly do users perform an OSINT investigation? At the same time, could there be any risks to obtaining information on the open web?  

What is an OSINT investigation?

Like traditional investigations, OSINT investigations involve finding and locating evidence to support your mission goals. During an OSINT investigation, analysts will search for crucial data related to their operation in open web spaces, such as online news outlets or social media platforms. After collecting this data, analysts can start the process of transforming this basic information into actionable intelligence. Thus, OSINT investigations are much like any other investigation, save that the collection of evidence occurs on the public web.

What are the benefits and risks to open source investigations?

Publicly available information can provide an incredibly vast amount of evidence for your current investigations. Without barriers to entry to find sources, investigators can quickly locate crucial pieces of data for their operations. Once investigative teams obtain data, they can follow the OSINT cycle to learn how to turn their data into useful intelligence, create OSINT reports, and share findings with the proper stakeholders.

Despite these benefits, there are some risks to performing OSINT. Third-party sites and threat actors can track users’ online activities. For instance, Twitter frequently uses tracking links—URLs with extra code that gather information on how users reach a website. If a user clicks on a link to a Twitter account, they could leave behind a digital trail, as the tracking link’s code allows other online users to see which accounts have shared that link. As such, users need to be aware of their research activities to keep their internet traffic hidden from others. Similarly, if a user has been discovered by the subjects of their investigation, they could face retribution: threat actors might attempt to hack a user’s organization or leave behind misinformation for them to collect. Accordingly, operators might want to learn how to manage their attribution online before embarking on an OSINT investigation.

To reiterate, here are the potential rewards and challenges of OSINT investigations:

Benefits:

• Wide array of information to collect
• No or low barriers to access
• Easy to locate publicly available data

Risks:

• Identity exposure
• Counterattacks from online adversaries
• Collection of misinformation

While the risks might seem off-putting, with the right OSINT training, you can avoid these challenges when performing your investigations and collect only the rewards of open source data research.

Investigate on the Open Web

Whether performed as your main mission or to gain information for a more complex operation, OSINT investigations can be extremely beneficial; you just need to accomplish them correctly. Once you’ve mastered the art of open source investigations, your teams can expand their research capabilities and progress their missions.

To learn more about how to perform OSINT investigations, register for a virtual OSINT training session with our esteemed cyber analysts.