Environmental Investigations: An Introduction As we gain a better understanding of how our activities impact the planet, we have a moral and social obligation to take positive action. Because of this, more investigators are turning to the environment as a topic of research. Within this field, they might investigate the causes of issues such as:… The post Using OSINT in Environmental Investigations appeared first on Blackdot Solutions Videris ..read more

Open Source Intelligence is thought to make up as much as 80% of the intelligence material used by law enforcement. As a notoriously manual and time-intensive discipline, it appears to be a natural fit for AI application. But this isn’t always the reality. Many investigators argue that OSINT relies on nuanced assessments that AI isn’t… The post AI is no silver bullet – but law enforcement must apply it to OSINT to stay ahead appeared first on Blackdot Solutions Videris ..read more

How Five Stones intelligence used Blackdot Videris to support the largest sports investigation in history. In 2014, Russian athletes had returned more positive doping tests than athletes from any other country. December 2014 saw the release of a documentary from German broadcaster, ARD, which outlined the Russian government’s involvement in the widespread doping of athletes.… The post Unravelling the Russian Doping Machine with Videris appeared first on Blackdot Solutions Videris ..read more

On 30 May 2024, the Council of the EU adopted a package of new anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing (AML/CTF) rules. The AML Package contains an EU Single Rulebook Regulation, a new Directive and a regulation establishing a new AML Authority. The new regulations introduce several key measures aimed at enhancing effectiveness and creating uniform… The post Implementing the New EU AML Package: The Crucial Role of OSINT appeared first on Blackdot Solutions Videris ..read more

We are delighted to announce that Blackdot Solutions has been shortlisted for the 2024 Business Weekly Awards, which recognise major innovators in Cambridge and the East of England. This region is home to many important trailblazers in a variety of fields, and we are excited that our contributions to the OSINT community have been acknowledged as standing amongst them.  “Our OSINT solution, Videris, empowers investigators to unlock deeper actionable insights by streamlining their operations. Our customers are at the heart of how we innovate and develop Videris to deliver on our mission to ..read more

Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) has long been an important resource for the public sector – and since the advent of the internet, public sector OSINT usage has only grown. The internet contains large volumes of readily available, open-source data which can be leveraged by investigators for a wide range of public sector use cases. Although the insights drawn from this data must often be combined with other types of intelligence for the best results, OSINT provides valuable context to help public sector bodies make informed decisions. A major concern for the public sector is ensuring national s ..read more

Introduction It has been more than a decade since Edward Snowden brought mass global attention to the concept of whistleblowing, and the intervening years have seen numerous high profile cases make the news. The Danske Bank scandal, for example, saw a whistleblower and former employee expose a colossal $234 billion money laundering scheme. Last year in 2022, a whistleblower leaked data from Credit Suisse with evidence of accounts linked to money laundering, corruption, drug trafficking, and other serious crimes. On the fraud front, the US government has recognised whistleblowers’ contribution ..read more

Stuart Clarke shortlisted for Enterprise Awards We’re delighted to announce that our CEO, Stuart Clarke, has been shortlisted for the influential Enterprise Awards in the Developing Entrepreneur category.  The Awards, organised in partnership with the ScaleUp Group, celebrate the UK’s top tech entrepreneurs. We’re delighted that Stuart’s dedication, vision and innovation as CEO of Blackdot Solutions has been recognised by the judging panel.  “I am extremely proud to have received this nomination. I feel it is testament to the shared vision and commitment of the Blackdot team, who ar ..read more

In November last year Europol announced the formation of a new OSINT taskforce, aimed at supporting investigations into war crimes in Ukraine. This follows a global trend towards wider, better-publicised use of OSINT. International OSINT taskforces have been employed in many context in recent years: from understanding violence in Myanmar, to responding to child protection issues. Discussion around the formation of OSINT-specific intelligence agencies has also increased. The founding of a UK centre designed to make more effective use of Open Source Intelligence has also highlighted the growing ..read more

When most people think of wildlife crime, they might see it as being a relatively isolated affair. It’s easy to imagine individual poachers – or small groups at most – killing individual animals to make a profit; a distressing image, but ultimately a crime whose only victims are animals. In reality, though, wildlife crime is now estimated to be the fourth largest illicit transnational activity in the world.1 It’s facilitated by huge transnational crime syndicates – often the same gangs behind human, drugs or weapons trafficking. Just like these crimes, it generates huge profits which are then ..read more