Open-source intelligence (OSINT) is the practice of collecting and analyzing publicly available information to generate actionable intelligence. To conduct a good OSINT or SOCMINT (Social Media Intelligence) report you do not have to be a cyber sleuth. You do have to be a good determined researcher. We at Jaguar Executive Services use OSINT to protect c-suite executives, companies, and special events. It is an instrumental intelligence machine that helps us defend against workplace and intimate partner violence. The following is a list of our top five OSINT tools we use.
WhatsMyName is a tool that allows us to search for user names across many platforms. You will have to search the various platforms to verify if itis the correct person of interest. Many threats are sent by email or social media user names in hopes to disguise one's true identity. This tool allows you to filter by certain categories which could be social media or gaming sites.
Obsidian is a writing or note taking app. I know, I know, why would I mention a note taking app? Well with OSINT if done correctly you will be consuming a lot of information. With Obsidian I can tie a vehicle of location to a subject. If I have several subjects as in a protest rally I can keep my notes in an organized fashion to write that exceptional intelligence report.
Epieos allows you to perform an email or phone reverse lookup. In regards to emails, Epieos searches a lot of data bases to see if the email is registered to certain accounts. The reverse phone number search can determine if a phone number is registered to an account as well. For instance, Amazon- Because no one ever uses Amazon right? Remember you are gathering information on a certain subject matter whether it's a person, corporation, or location.
The image search on any platform whether it's Google, Bing, Duck Duck Go, or Yandex is still a favorite of mine to verify and assess images. IMINT (Imagery Intelligence) can help is find where a photo was taken. To test yourself pick a random photo and try and find the exact location. This is a fun exercise to hone your IMINT skills.
Wikimapia is a great geolocation tool. You're a little limited with Google Maps or Map Quest therefore I like to use Wikimapia to broaden my limitations. This tool allows you to see things you just might not see on Google Maps.
There are several OSINT tools that are available for your intelligence gathering journey these are just a few of my favorite. As a disclaimer OSINT should NEVER be used with nefarious or criminal intent. As always: Stay Safe. Stay Vigilant.