Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) is the process of collecting information about a target or topic by using publicly available sources such as the internet, social media, news, blogs, forums, etc. OSINT is widely used in the fields of cybersecurity, intelligence gathering, law enforcement, cyber attacks, and other similar areas.
Unlike traditional intelligence gathering methods, OSINT relies on publicly available information and can often be obtained directly from the sources. OSINT is carried out by analyzing and interpreting both open sources and information gathered from open sources.
OSINT is a tool that can be used in many fields. For example, cybersecurity professionals can use OSINT to identify a company's network security vulnerabilities or determine the origin of a compromised computer. Law enforcement officials can use OSINT to locate a criminal or missing person. Journalists can use OSINT to conduct research for their stories.
What Can Be Done with OSINT?
- Cybersecurity: OSINT can be used to identify network security vulnerabilities, predict cyber attacks in advance, and monitor the activities of cybercriminals.
- Intelligence gathering: OSINT can be used to monitor a target's activities, gather information about security vulnerabilities, and collect information about the situation in a country or region.
- Law enforcement: OSINT can be used to identify criminals, find missing persons, and identify illegal activities.
- Journalism: OSINT can be used to conduct research for stories, gather more information about topics, and verify the credibility of sources.
- Business: OSINT can be used to conduct competitor analysis, review customer feedback, monitor brand image, and develop marketing strategies.
- Personal security: OSINT can be used to protect personal information and take measures against identity theft by using information gathered from social media and other public sources.
OSINT Example
An OSINT example can be conducted through research using a publicly available social media profile of a user.
For example, let's say an employer wants to check a candidate's social media profiles before making a hiring decision. Using OSINT, they can research the candidate's profiles on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn.
The posts shared by the candidate, their likes, and the people they follow can give the employer an idea about the candidate's personal interests, skills, experiences, and suitability.
Additionally, using OSINT, they can also research the candidate's online activities, interactions with others, blog posts, and other information obtained from public sources.
Such OSINT research is a common method to understand the background and online behavior of candidates before making hiring decisions.
What is the Best Event Conducted with OSINT?
OSINT can be utilized in many different fields and has played a significant role in many important events. However, it is difficult to say a specific "best" event because each event has its own unique context.
That being said, one of the events in which OSINT has played a significant role in recent years is related to Russia's interference in the 2016 United States presidential election. In this event, OSINT tools played a crucial role in uncovering how Russia used social media platforms and other digital sources to interfere in the elections.
OSINT tools were used to identify the individuals and organizations managing Russia's election campaigns, determine the real individuals behind social media accounts, reveal digital manipulation tactics, and understand Russia's influence on the elections.
This event demonstrated the power of OSINT and led to a number of countries and organizations around the world increasing their efforts to use OSINT tools to help identify similar digital interventions.
Source:https://www.turkhackteam.org/konular/osint-nedir.2036178/
