Exploring the Key Components of Open-Source Intelligence for Investigations

Open-source intelligence (OSINT) involves collecting and analyzing information from open, publicly available sources to produce actionable intelligence.  OSINT investigations are primarily used by practitioners in law enforcement, private security companies, national security, and business intelligence.  Regardless of the investigative context, whether you are in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia or Palu, open-source intelligence is always available. 

Information versus Intelligence

While these terms are related, they are often confused as they have distinct differences.  To put it simply, information is raw, unprocessed data that has been organized or structured in a meaningful way, while intelligence is the product of analyzing, evaluating, and synthesizing information to create actionable insights.  Now that we know the difference between the terms, we can now discuss the key components of what makes information open-source intelligence in an investigation.

Key Components of Open-source intelligence

There are five key components to OSINT: (1) Source Identification, (2) Data Collection, (3) Processing, (4) Analysis, and (5) Reporting.  Let us discuss the importance of each component while conducting an OSINT investigation:

• OSINT Source Identification – The first step is knowing where to look for the specific information you are seeking to find.  The internet is full of information so doing searches on Google, Yandex, or Bing is a good start.  You can then refine your searches by checking various free databases such as TruePeopleSearch or FastPeopleSearch; however bear in mind these are not always the most accurate source of information.  You can also search the popular social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter/X, as well as the alternative social media sites like Rumble, BlueSky, and Mastodon.  Organizations such as law firms and private security companies utilize paid databases as well such as LexusNexus, TLO, IRBsearch, Tracers, DelvePoint, or IdiCore. 

• OSINT Data Collection – Now we will gather all the relevant information from the sources that we utilized.  There are many ways to do this, depending on the depth and goal of your investigation, but tools that can aid this process are link analysis tools, data aggregators, and data scrapers.  Whatever your chosen techniques are at this stage, you must ensure that you are keeping proper documentation of all the relevant information as well as the source you used to obtain it. 

• OSINT Processing – At this stage the information you have is still raw data, and not yet intelligence.  You may be looking for links to certain individuals or organizations, places visited or past residences, past criminal or civil records, or other items that can provide you with more context in your investigation.  The focus of this stage depends on the investigation’s objectives. 

• OSINT Analysis – Now that we have gathered and processed all our information, we must now analyze it and turn it into actionable intelligence.  Analysts typically look for any patterns, connections, and other insights the information provides them.  Once these insights are identified, you can make your investigative conclusions based on the analyzed information.

• OSINT Reporting – The final step is to create reports that are applicable to your findings and support the goal of your investigation.  There are many ways to do this, and this all depends on the client you are working for, the type of investigation being conducted, and the investigative findings.  Remember to include only information that addresses the key questions or objectives of your investigation – the “so what,” as providing irrelevant intelligence or information will only confuse the decision makers you are doing the investigation for.

OSINT has become an indispensable tool for modern investigations across various sectors, including law enforcement, private security, and business intelligence.  OSINT’s importance in uncovering critical insights and supporting informed decision making will only grow as technology and society evolves.  The future lies in the effective use of OSINT.  At Convoy Group we leverage over 45 years of intelligence expertise to deliver tailored solutions for our clients. Our mastery of Open-Source Intelligence techniques allows us to uncover critical, often hidden information. We don’t just collect data; we analyze it meticulously to provide customized insights. Whether you need a concise due diligence report or an in-depth investigation, our team’s extensive experience ensures we deliver precise, actionable intelligence to meet your specific needs.  Contact us today for more information on how our OSINT capabilities can help your organization!