OSINT Introduction
Open Source Intelligence: The art of digital investigation
Discover how to collect, analyze and exploit publicly accessible information to conduct thorough investigations, identify threats and protect your systems.
What is OSINT?
Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) refers to the systematic collection and analysis of information from publicly accessible sources. Unlike invasive methods, OSINT exploits data that is legally available on the Internet and in public registries.
In cybersecurity, OSINT has become an essential pillar for:
- Identifying vulnerabilities before they are exploited
- Detecting data breaches and unauthorized exposures
- Analyzing attacker tactics, techniques and procedures
- Mapping an organization's attack surface
OSINT application domains
People Investigation
Search for information about individuals via social networks, public registries and digital traces
Infrastructure Analysis
Network mapping, DNS analysis, identification of exposed servers and services
Threat Intelligence
Underground forum monitoring, data breach detection, IOC analysis
Reputation Analysis
Evaluation of public image, detection of negative mentions, sentiment analysis
OSINT source categories
Internet Sources
- •Search engines (Google, Bing, DuckDuckGo)
- •Social networks (LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook)
- •Websites, blogs and specialized forums
- •Web archives (Wayback Machine)
- •Sharing platforms (GitHub, Pastebin)
Technical Sources
- •DNS and WHOIS (domain registries)
- •SSL/TLS certificates and transparency
- •Shodan and Censys (IoT search engines)
- •File metadata (EXIF, PDF)
- •Public APIs and databases
Institutional Sources
- •Commercial and legal registries
- •Government publications
- •Public databases
- •Financial reports and studies
- •Official documents and archives
OSINT Methodology in 5 Steps
Planning
Define your objectives, identify targets and relevant sources
Collection
Gather information in a methodical and organized manner
Analysis
Evaluate, correlate and validate collected data
Documentation
Record your findings with timestamps and traceability
Report
Present results in a clear, concise and actionable manner
Essential best practices
Respect Legality
Only access public sources. Never hack, never violate privacy.
Protect Your Anonymity
Use VPN, Tor, isolated VMs to avoid exposing your identity during sensitive investigations.
Document Everything
Capture timestamped evidence, note URLs, archive content before it disappears.
Ready to dive into OSINT?
Explore now the different sources and methodologies to master the art of open source investigation.