While it’s hard to deny the utility of open data in investigative work, how to make the most of it is not so obvious. Investigators can’t become seasoned data analysts overnight, and the effort required to process information can even be counterproductive. The place where investigative work meets its technical counterpart, data analysis, can be a tricky area to navigate. So for this piece we’ve teamed up with the Social Links Center of Excellence to pinpoint five common investigation challenges, and how SL Crimewall can address them. Discussing game-changing features across the functionality ..read more

That’s right, this is part 2 of open-source intelligence games (here is the first part if you missed it). But to recap, this two-part guide is all about learning OSINT in an entertaining way. After all, it turns out that many of the skills and techniques that make a good open data investigator are needed for certain games and other recreational challenges. So we’re back talking about more light(ish) and entertaining things you can get involved with right now, which will have the added benefit of sharpening your OSINT skills. As you’ll see, we highlight the abilities you can expect to develop ..read more

When learning a new technical discipline, a major hurdle often lies in the terminology. Even if the underlying concepts aren’t that difficult to understand, the way they’re expressed can get in the way of comprehension. And OSINT, alas, does have its technical side, which can put off non-technical people who have a pressing need to master the techniques. Well, we hope to remedy this situation with our all-new Social Links OSINT Glossary. This is a brand new section of our website dedicated to explaining the OSINT lexicon. Organized in an alphabetical, easy-reference format, each entry in the ..read more

The open-source intelligence industry boom has naturally led to a confusing flood of solutions on the market. But choice can be a double-edged sword—while more options mean you have a better chance of finding the OSINT tools that best suit your needs, it also makes the actual process of finding something far more complicated. But fret not! In this article, we’ve thought long and hard to give you our curated shortlist of the OSINT tools you really need to be aware of. Laying out the distinctive and beneficial features of each, our top 10 OSINT tools for 2024 are a must-read that’ll help you un ..read more

In an era when personal data is pouring into platform upon platform, all employees of an enterprise are ultimately part of a company’s image or brand. If a company executive, for example, makes an unwise post, the consequences can be far-reaching and even lead to a stock value drop-off. Here’s looking at you, Elon. And this is just one issue among many. With data spilling out from everywhere and threat actors at large, it’s not easy to safeguard an organization against reputational—and, in turn, financial—loss. So today, we’re taking a look at the role of OSINT in brand intelligence, from the ..read more

You may not be able to master a discipline like OSINT overnight, but we want to give you the things you need to do this as quickly and effectively as possible. And one of the best things you can do is watch skilled investigators in action. So, we've curated our top five OSINT webinars, aiming to spark your inspiration and feed your appetite for know-how. In these webinars, our analysts give expert strategies for an incredible range of approaches. These include: integrating AI and OSINT, solving organized crime cases, strengthening cybersecurity, tracing financial crime across blockchains, map ..read more

This week, in our Center of Excellence Column, we’re sharing essential beginner tips to work in our standalone OSINT solution, SL Crimewall. From the first steps in an investigation to more advanced (but extremely powerful) features, such as custom search scripts, we provide an introduction to the very basics of the software to help you conduct more efficient investigations. Let’s dive in! Getting started Starting an investigation with SL Crimewall is pretty easy. Imagine you want to search for an alias (pembroke.horace). To do this, you only need to type the input into the search field and p ..read more

It’s OSINT digest time again, and we’re putting the magnifying glass over everything that’s happened since the last quarter in the open-source intelligence and cybersecurity spheres. In this issue, we discuss the role of OSINT in identifying the deceased, the rise of AI-driven predictive analysis and the pitfalls that come with it, how generative artificial intelligence is empowering criminals (and making life very difficult for security specialists), and so much more. Also, it wouldn’t be an OSINT digest without our term of the quarter. Let’s see what’s what! A New OSINT Project to Identify ..read more

As we’re closing the calendar year, we took this opportunity to compile our top OSINT articles with handy tips to share some insights and inspiration during the holidays.  So, let’s unwrap your gift and see what’s inside: we have an open-source intelligence landscape for 2023 and beyond, real-world techniques for recognizing AI-generated media, and methods to strengthen corporate security. Besides there is also a case study dedicated to public safety and our whitepaper on national security, where we teamed with Frost & Sullivan. Let’s dive in! OSINT Landscape 2023 by Social Links Get ..read more

This week in the Social Links Center of Excellence Column, we’re looking at video game platforms as a great source to enrich OSINT investigations. Given that gaming has exploded in popularity, and with digital distributions becoming the norm (modern computers don’t even have CD drives anymore), platforms like Steam have turned into social networks. With that in mind, we’re sharing our insights on how investigators can leverage gaming platforms to gain more insights into suspects' digital footprints.  Let’s jump into it! Steam: an Unconventional OSINT Source Steam is a digital distributio ..read more