OSINT: Open Source Intelligence Investigation from Strategy to Implementation

Need top-notch corporate or individual OSINT services? Or curious about the best OSINT practices for effective investigations? MBS Tech’s team are highly experienced professionals in the field who utilize up-to-date information sources and investigative techniques. And we’d like to share some details from our experience in real-life case studies and show what has to be an OSINT standard - Open Source Intelligence Investigation from strategy to implementation.

OSINT: General Terms

Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) is a data processing methodology oriented on accessible information through standard and more complicated multi-factor techniques. By accessible information, we mean publicly open data that can be easily accessed by ordinary people (e.g. social networking accounts data) and the sources that are open but can’t be qualified as easily accessible without expert help (from the dark web, etc.). Thus, OSINT examples range from the most open and accessible data posted online - anyone’s simple digital portrait - to more closed sources for experts only. 

To learn more about particular OSINT services, our readers can consult MBS Tech’s previous blog on OSINT: OSINT for Business and Individuals: Spheres, Challenges, Tools. Meanwhile, in this blog post, we’d like to dig deeper and concentrate on the essence of Open Source Intelligence as a prominent investigative means.  

OSINT in Action

Open Source Intelligence techniques are utilized through a range of related fields, such as cyber security (including risk management), law enforcement, journalism, other research and analytics directions. And the list is by no means full (if it can be limited at all); it just shows how diverse the fields can be.

The OSINT methodology differs on the basis of tools, data sources, performers’ expertise, and other aspects used or involved. As most OSINT techniques are Internet-based, one can only imagine how much data it can get. Luckily, OSINT isn’t only about data collection - it’s just the initial step of the multi-level procedure; it’s more about the functional goal-oriented interpretation or meaningful extraction.   

Open Source Intelligence Investigation from Strategy to Implementation

And here we come up to the basics of effective OSINT practices. Once you have a goal formulated, you can choose the right strategy to obtain quality investigative material. With this reasonable approach, you can find the best among various up-to-date OSINT tools.

Short Guide on how to Conduct OSINT 

You may already have guessed that manual data collection is highly time-consuming. That's why cyber security experts like MBS Tech utilize reliable, up-to-date tools to boost the efficiency of each case combined with an individual approach. To build, simplify and automate your own OSINT framework, you have to analyze your goal, choose an effective strategy and check the whole process for the best implementation results. 

With the right tools, the data collection process has to turn into a more narrow result - an answer to your question or goal achievement. It’s also important to choose active collection, passive collection, or find a balance for a particular purpose. The approaches differ in the way the target is involved and, therefore, how accurate the data is as well as the level of exposure risk.

The main thing in conducting OSINT is to start - on your own or with expert help - because the technique provides you with plenty of opportunities to transform and grow. The methodology isn’t new, so there is much knowledge to explore. If you don’t want to study and analyze details of effective, up-to-date OSINT implementation, delegate it to trusted professionals at MBS Tech, and we’ll choose the best solutions for the achievement of any individual or business goal. One more thing in favour of professionals is that we care about all aspects of our results. We successfully combine advanced efficiency with an ethical approach so that you won’t have any compliance issues or other negative consequences of a one-direction investigation.

Trust experienced professionals at MBS Techservices. We deliver the best services and solutions with great care about your past, present, and future.