Open-source intelligence

Open-source intelligence (OSINT) is the collection and analysis of data gathered from 'open sources' (overt sources and publicly available information) to produce intelligence. OSINT is primarily used in national security, law enforcement, and business intelligence and is used by analysts to answer classified, unclassified, or proprietary intelligence requirements.

Definition

OSINT involves the gathering of and analyzing of publicly accessible information to produce usable intelligence.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security defines OSINT as intelligence derived from publicly available information, collected and disseminated promptly to address specific intelligence needs. NATO describes OSINT as intelligence obtained from publicly available information and other unclassified data with limited public distribution or access. The European Union defines OSINT as the collecting and analyzing information from open sources to generate actionable intelligence, supporting areas like national security, law enforcement, and business intelligence.

In the private sector, companies like IBM define OSINT as the process of gathering and analyzing publicly available information to assess threats, inform decisions, or answer specific questions. Similarly, cybersecurity firms such as CrowdStrike describe OSINT as the act of collecting and analyzing publicly available data for intelligence purposes.

Categories

OSINT sources can be divided up into six different categories of information flow:

OSINT is distinguished from research in that it applies the process of intelligence to create tailored knowledge supportive of a specific decision by a specific individual or group.

Collection methodologies

Collecting open-source intelligence is achieved in a variety of different ways, such as:

Risks for practitioners

A main problem for practical OSINT is the volume of information it has to deal with information explosion. The amount of data being distributed publicly in the world increases at a rate that it becomes difficult to evaluate sources in intelligence analysis.

Private individuals illegally collecting data for a foreign military or intelligence agency is considered espionage in most countries. Espionage that is not treason (e.g. betraying one's country of citizenship) has been a tool of statecraft since ancient times.

Disinformation/Misinformation risk

The open and accessible nature of public sources makes OSINT data particularly vulnerable to disinformation and/or misinformation. Extremist groups have been shown to use OSINT to spread misinformation and their viewpoints.

Governments and state actors have been documented intentionally disseminating disinformation through public channels to influence perceptions, confuse adversaries, or undermine trust in open-source findings. This can include planting false information in news outlets, social media, official statements, or manipulated geospatial data to mislead OSINT practitioners who rely on such sources.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "What is OSINT (Open-Source Intelligence?) | SANS Institute". SANS Institute. 23 February 2023. Archived from the original on 2025-02-22. Retrieved 2025-02-18.
  2. ↑ Ethical Frameworks in Open Source Intelligence Archived 2025-02-10 at the Wayback Machine. (Report) (2022). Part of the 2022 Public Private Partnership Analytic Exchange Program. Washington, DC: US Department of Homeland Security.
  3. ↑ NATO OSINT Handbook V 1.2. NATO. 2001-11-01.
  4. ↑ "OSINT: Open-source intelligence". European Union Data. 2022-05-02. Archived from the original on 2025-03-17. Retrieved 2025-02-18.
  5. ↑ Baker, Kurt (2025-01-17). "What is OSINT Open Source Intelligence? | CrowdStrike". Crowdstrike. Archived from the original on 2025-02-10. Retrieved 2025-02-18.
  6. ↑ Richelson, Jeffrey (2016). The US Intelligence Community. Avalon. ISBN 978-0813349183.
  7. ↑ "Spy Agencies Turn to Newspapers, NPR, and Wikipedia for Information: The intelligence community is learning to value 'open-source' information". Archived from the original on 2012-10-23. Retrieved 2008-09-15.
  8. ↑ Leos, Devan (2023-02-28). "Thinking Like a Spy: How Open Source Intelligence Can Give You a Competitive Advantage". Entrepreneur. Archived from the original on 2024-04-17. Retrieved 2023-11-08.
  9. ↑ "Bellingcat's Eliot Higgins Explains Why Ukraine Is Winning the Information War". Time. Archived from the original on 2022-04-12. Retrieved 2022-04-13.
  10. ↑ Sun Tzu (Warring States period), The Art of War, Chapter 13: "Hostile armies may face each other for years, striving for the victory which is decided in a single day. This being so, to remain in ignorance of the enemy's condition simply because one grudges the outlay of 2 hundred ounces of silver in honors and emoluments, is the height of inhumanity."
  11. ↑ "The Dark Side of OSINT: How Extremists Exploit Open-Source Intelligence". Counter Extremism Project. Archived from the original on 2025-12-08. Retrieved 2025-12-24.
  12. ↑ "OSINT in an Age of Disinformation Warfare". Royal United Services Institute. 2022-03-14. Archived from the original on 2025-12-28. Retrieved 2025-12-24.

Further reading

Scientific publications

  • Deneuville, Alexandre; Hernández López, Germán; Rasmi, Jamil, eds. (2022). "Contre-enquêtes en sources ouvertes". Multitudes. 89. Archived from the original on 2023-01-01. Retrieved 21 May 2026. Special issue edited by Deneuville, Hernández López, and Rasmi on open‑source investigative methods
  • Hulnick, Arthur S. (2010). "The Dilemma of Open Source Intelligence: Is OSINT Really Intelligence?". In Johnson, Loch K.; Wirtz, James J.; Murray, Michael (eds.). The Oxford Handbook of National Security Intelligence. Oxford University Press. pp. 229–241. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 21 May 2026. Hulnick's foundational chapter assessing whether OSINT qualifies as intelligence within national‑security practice
  • Burke, Cody (May 2007). Freeing Knowledge, Telling Secrets: Open Source Intelligence and Development (Working paper). Bond University. Archived from the original on 2016-08-17. Retrieved 21 May 2026. Bond University working paper examining OSINT in development contexts
  • Schaurer, Florian; Störger, Jan (Oct 2010). The Evolution of Open Source Intelligence (OSINT Report 3/2010). International Relations and Security Network, ETH Zürich. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 21 May 2026. ISN/ETH Zürich analytical report tracing the conceptual and institutional development of OSINT
  • Hassan, Nihad A. (30 June 2018). Open source intelligence methods and tools : a practical guide to online intelligence. Hijazi, Rami. [United States]. ISBN 978-1-4842-3213-2. OCLC 1043830928.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)