Open Source Intelligence: challenges and opportunities

Information is an invaluable resource. Businesses and government organizations use it as a basis for making informed decisions and anticipating changes in the environment. With the exponential increase in data collected and stored by technology organizations, its analysis has become increasingly complex, while access to this information has become a costly and exclusive privilege.

However, not all information is of equal value. There is a vast amount of valuable data that is publicly available at no cost, known as open sources. These include a variety of content, such as news articles, social media posts, government records, satellite imagery, blogs, conferences, and digital libraries, among others. Although accessible to all, the real challenge lies in identifying and effectively using the relevant information in this sea of data.

However, the real challenge lies in knowing how to effectively collect, filter and analyze this information. Although open sources offer an abundance of data, their dispersed and often unstructured nature requires specialized skills to extract useful knowledge. Organizations that master the art of managing these open sources can gain a significant competitive advantage by accessing information that, while available to all, only a select few are able to take full advantage of.

What is Open Source Intelligence (OSINT)?

In the digital age, where information is ubiquitous and omnipotent, the presence of open sources represents an advantage for data exploitation by companies, organizations and individuals. The discipline that is dedicated to the collection, analysis and application of information from public sources and available to all is known as Open Source Intelligence, commonly known as OSINT, from Open Source Intelligence.

The Dictionary of Intelligence and Security defines it as “an acronym that designates the information elaborated by analysts using open sources for a specific audience, with the purpose of providing answers to a specific information requirement. It is the result of the application of the processes of collection, selection, contrast, validation and analysis characteristic of the intelligence cycle”.

According to the National Cybersecurity Institute, the OSINT process consists of the following phases:

Establish requirements and conditions essential to achieve the objective or solve the problem that has originated the development of the OSINT system.
Identify sources of relevant information to be collected in order to optimize the acquisition process, considering the large volume of information available on the Internet.
Acquisition of the information from the indicated sources.
Processing of the collected information, giving it a specific format to facilitate its analysis.
Analysis and generation of intelligence from the collected and processed data, in order to relate information from different sources based on significant patterns.
Presentation of intelligence, compiling the information obtained in an efficient, useful and understandable way.

In the same way, INCIBE recognizes other disciplines of information collection. Among them, we recall:

Image Intelligence (IMINT) is defined as the extraction of information from various types of images, including locations, configurations and technologies used.
Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) is defined as the exploitation of information from radio, Bluetooth and telephony, among other signals.
Geospatial Intelligence (GEOINT) is based on the analysis of information related to the geographic and topographic location of an element.
Social Intelligence (SOCMINT) is defined as the extraction of information from social networks, forums and other means of communication.
Human Intelligence (HUMINT) refers to obtaining information from interviews, attending seminars or participating in groups of people related to a feature.

As the amount of online data continues to expand exponentially, the exploitation of information from open sources becomes increasingly important and complex. Open Source Intelligence brings with it both advantages and challenges that companies and organizations that want to exploit it should carefully consider.

OSINT Challenges

One of the main challenges facing OSINT professionals is information overload. With the vast amount of data available on the Internet, identifying reliable and relevant sources can be complex.

Likewise, it is important to verify the authenticity of the information gathered to avoid the spread of fake news or disinformation.

Another relevant challenge is the protection of privacy and ethics in data collection. As public information is accessed online, it is essential to respect legal and ethical boundaries to ensure that individual rights are not infringed or people’s security compromised.

However, one of the main challenges relates to the use of OSINT by cybercriminals to discover sensitive information to exploit vulnerabilities in computer networks. Examples of sensitive data include personal details about an organization’s employees, partners and suppliers, credentials, breaches or security keys. For example, they could use personal information from social networks to create personalized phishing emails that convince readers to click on a malicious link.

Advantages of OSINT

Considering the booming importance of digital security, OSINT techniques offer useful tools to identify potential threats and anticipate attacks. In the field of cybersecurity, the technology company IBM recommends that organizations conduct assessments and penetration tests on public sources of information related to their systems, applications and human resources to locate unauthorized leaks of confidential or proprietary data, evaluate information security and identify vulnerabilities such as outdated software or misconfigurations. Information gathered during an OSINT assessment can be combined with non-public data to develop comprehensive threat intelligence reports.

Similarly, Open Source Intelligence presents a number of advantages for practitioners who choose to deal with it. First, OSINT is one of the fastest and most cost-effective techniques in economic terms. The free and public availability of data speeds up research activities.

Open sourcing also offers opportunities related to competitive intelligence. By analyzing competition and market trends, OSINT provides a comprehensive view of the business environment to better understand your customers, competitors and the market in general. This can drive strategic decision making.

Other OSINT applications are related to a user’s or company’s online reputation, as they enable sociological, psychological and linguistic studies of content posted online.

The impact of OSINT in the digital age is undeniable. As organizations, both public and private, seek to maximize their access to information, mastering open source intelligence techniques becomes an essential strategic resource. With its many applications, from cybersecurity to competitive intelligence, OSINT is positioned as a key tool for navigating an increasingly data-driven world. Those who can harness its potential and overcome its challenges will be better equipped to meet the complex challenges of today’s digital environment.