Benefits of Open Source Intelligence

OSINT has been widely utilised across government and military applications since

as early as the Second World War, supporting investigations into global issues, including

counter-terrorism and counter-proliferation. As many former government investigators enter

the private sector, OSINT’s popularity in industries such as financial services has steadily increased.

Many organisations now consider OSINT a key part of investigative best practice, thanks to the range of benefits it offers.

BENEFIT 1: GREATER INSIGHT

An investigator’s ability to extract meaningful insights is dependent on the information available to them. The inclusion of open-source data alongside internal and other data sources gives investigators the context they need to make full and proper decisions.

Corporate use

Proactive investigations into potential avenues of risk are important for businesses to protect themselves against a range of complex threats that have the potential to inflict serious financial and reputational damage. Examples where OSINT plays a particularly important role include —

due diligence
Fraud, brand protection and illicit trade:

BENEFIT 2: GREATER ACCURACY

The huge amount of data available in open sources has the potential to provide numerous

additional insights, but these are hard to access without processes that turn data into intelligence.

OSINT helps investigators to improve accuracy by structuring the management of large data sets using data categorisation, filtering and advanced analysis. Processes like these ensure that all possible connections are made, and risks are identified. This enables streamlined, effective investigations, and a more complete understanding of the information available.

Risk agencies use case

Thorough coverage of all necessary information sources, and the ability to quickly identify

connections across these sources, are central to efficient risk identification and effective action across a range of investigatory activities.

Most risk agencies have a history of successfully applying OSINT within the context of their investigations. However, advanced OSINT technology presents an opportunity to upgrade these capabilities. This allows investigators to serve more clients and at greater speed, increasing revenue and providing competitive advantage.

BENEFIT 3: GREATER ACCESS TO INTELLIGENCE

OSINT is derived from publicly available OSD. On its own, this brings three key benefits —

• More ethical: Public scepticism surrounding data usage continues to grow, and regulations such as GDPR have required organisations to enforce more stringent rules regarding data collection, storage and analysis. There are reputational, compliance, and moral difficulties to consider when handling data. OSINT helps create an ethical approach to data analysis because it is publicly available.

• Easier to acquire: Some forms of intelligence are difficult to gather. For example, HUMINT

(intelligence derived from human sources) often requires highly trained investigators to work

anonymously in dangerous circumstances to acquire information. Access to private data, such as call data, generally requires specialist technology and privileges available only to law enforcement. OSD, on the other hand, is publicly available, meaning that anyone can access it and use it as intelligence if the right processes and people are in place.

• Less expensive: OSINT is often freely accessible through search engines, data aggregators and more. That makes OSINT relatively inexpensive to access compared to other types of intelligence. Upfront investment in OSINT technology can be beneficial. OSINT solutions reduces the need to collect data indiscriminately by using technology to focus investigators on relevant information. Ultimately, effective OSINT technology can improve the efficiency and effectiveness of your OSINT investigations.

Public sector use case

Prioritising OSINT, which focuses on publicly available data, can significantly reduce investigative practices that encroach on individuals’ right to privacy. By centralising targeted data collation and filtering out irrelevant information, governments, intelligence agencies, and law enforcement can improve investigations into networks, illicit connections, and more without violating public trust or privacy.

Outcomes depend on intelligence, not data

Organisations struggle to extract meaningful information from the increasing amounts of data they can access. It is therefore critical that rigorous analysis is applied to OSD, which is exponential in volume and has enormous potential to generate actionable insights. Combined with its accessible and publicly available nature, OSINT’s ability to generate additional insights and improve investigative accuracy should make it a vital component of every organisation’s approach to investigations.

OSINT, like most forms of intelligence, is typically used to identify and manage risks. Compromises to investigatory security prevent these objectives from being realised and risk creating more threat issues than they address. The poor handling of OSINT can also threaten compliance with legal regulatory and compliance requirements. For example, hoarding the OSD data you have collected through OSINT when not all of it will be relevant to your investigation contravenes GDPR regulations. What is more, the data you have collected that is relevant needs to also be safely and securely stored so as to not breach GDPR.

Another security threat to consider is revealing investigators’ identities or tipping off the subject of an investigation, which will be counter-productive to the development of valuable information. For example, if a bank is investigating a customer’s source of funds, it is vital that the investigator does not reveal that this investigation is taking place. If this does happen, they risk compromising the investigation by causing the subject to further conceal their assets – or of reputational damage and loss of business.