Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) is the collection and analysis of information from publicly available sources. As an essential method for gathering intelligence, OSINT plays a critical role in cyber threat intelligence, cybersecurity, penetration testing, national security, and law enforcement investigations.

With the massive growth in digitally available data and the tools to collect and process this information, OSINT presents invaluable insights and intelligence. However, for an OSINT beginner, knowing where to start can be daunting.

This blog serves as a step-by-step beginner's guide to building your first OSINT program. By the end, you will have a clear framework to gather, analyze, and operationalize open-source data to enhance security and decision making.

What is OSINT and Why is it Important?

OSINT or Open-Source Intelligence refers to publicly accessible information collected and used to derive actionable intelligence. Unlike classified sources of intelligence, OSINT is obtained through legal means from open sources, including:

And essentially any other publicly available online or offline source.

OSINT holds critical value for a wide range of use cases:

Clearly, OSINT presents invaluable intelligence. But like any capability, having an effective framework and methodology is vital to success, especially for beginners.

Step 1: Identify Your Intelligence Requirements

When building your first OSINT program, the first step is to clearly define your intelligence requirements -  the specific questions or unknowns you want OSINT to uncover. Much like gardening, you must start with the end in mind.

Some example intelligence requirements:

Outline 4-5 key intelligence requirements that map to your highest priority objectives for the OSINT program, whether it be security analysis, competitive intelligence, investigations, or otherwise. These requirements will drive decisions in subsequent stages regarding tools, techniques, and processes.

Step 2: Identify Sources

With intelligence requirements defined, the next step is listing information sources that can address those requirements.

Sources vary significantly in depth, reliability, and accessibility. OSINT frameworks like the one below help navigate options:

Source

Prioritize free sources first as you build OSINT capabilities. Some valuable free sources include:

The list of publicly available sources is endless. Focus on free options first and identify paid sources to incorporate later as needed.

Step 3: Select Your Tools

The third step is choosing OSINT tools to automate the collection and analysis of data from selected sources. Manually sifting through publicly available information is ineffective given the rate information grows online.

Rely on tools tailored to your experience level and specific intelligence requirements. Some examples include:

General Search

Social Media Analysis

Web Reconnaissance

Location Intelligence

The list goes on based on specialty. Focus on documenting your process and refine tools over time as needed.

Source

Source

Source

Other OSINT Tools, Techniques, and Resources

Source

Source

Source

Source

Step 4: Develop Your Methodology

With requirements, sources, and tools established, the next step is developing an OSINT methodology that ties everything together into a repeatable framework. A basic methodology:

Planning

Collection

Analysis

Dissemination

Feedback

This basic OSINT cycle facilitates a learning loop for continuous enhancement. Now it's time to execute.

Step 5: Build Your First OSINT Report

With the framework established, execute your first end-to-end OSINT collection, analysis and dissemination exercise. Maintain focus on delivering against 1-2 intelligence requirements rather than diluted analysis on too many fronts.

Some best practices for your first report:

Do not aim for perfection out of the gates. View the first report as establishing an initial capability to refine over subsequent iterations. The key is learning by doing.

Step 6: Evaluate and Enhance

With the first full OSINT exercise complete, conduct an after-action review on what worked well and what requires refinement in your methodology. Key evaluation criteria:

Identify 2-3 areas of enhancement and refine your OSINT program using an agile, iterative approach. View OSINT capabilities as perpetually evolving to drive continuous value.

Bottom Line

Developing an OSINT practice requires thoughtful planning, flexibility in tooling and techniques, and a focus on iteration. While public information presents immense opportunity, having a dialed methodology is vital to operationalize insights at scale.

This initial framework offers a starting point to build capabilities delivering security and intelligence value. What intelligence requirements would you want OSINT to help uncover? How might this methodology need tailoring for your first open-source program?

We hope this post helped in Building Your First OSINT Program. Thanks for reading this post. Please share this post and help secure the digital world. Visit our website, thesecmaster.com, and our social media page on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Telegram, Tumblr, Medium, and Instagram and subscribe to receive updates like this.