OSINT (Open Source Intelligence) Course

Lesson 1 • Legal and Ethical Boundaries

Covers the legal frameworks and ethical principles governing OSINT collection. Students learn to operate within lawful and professional boundaries from day one.

Lesson 2 • Setting Up a Secure OSINT Workspace

Guides students through building an isolated, secure environment for OSINT operations. Establishes operational hygiene habits before any collection begins.

Lesson 3 • The Intelligence Cycle Applied to OSINT

Introduces the classic intelligence cycle and maps each phase to OSINT workflows. Students gain a repeatable process model for every investigation.

Lesson 4 • What OSINT Is and Why It Matters

Defines open source intelligence and distinguishes it from other intelligence disciplines. Anchors the chapter by establishing why OSINT is a critical professional skill.

Lesson 1 • Google Dorking Techniques

Applies advanced Google search syntax to uncover exposed files, login pages, and sensitive data. Directly supports vulnerability research and target profiling tasks.

Lesson 2 • Specialised and Alternative Search Engines

Introduces search engines beyond Google that index different content types and jurisdictions. Expands the analyst's collection surface significantly.

Lesson 3 • Archival and Cached Content Research

Teaches retrieval of deleted or modified web content using archival services. Enables reconstruction of historical digital footprints critical to investigations.

Lesson 4 • Boolean Logic and Advanced Operators

Teaches Boolean operators and search engine-specific syntax to narrow or expand queries precisely. Students construct complex queries that surface hidden or obscure content.

Lesson 1 • Social Media as an Intelligence Source

Maps the intelligence value of major social platforms and the data types each exposes. Establishes a platform-selection framework for different investigation objectives.

Lesson 2 • Monitoring and Alerting Workflows

Establishes automated monitoring systems for ongoing social media intelligence collection. Students build persistent collection pipelines for long-term investigations.

Lesson 3 • Organisation and Group Intelligence

Focuses on extracting intelligence about organisations, companies, and groups from social media. Connects to corporate due diligence and threat actor profiling use cases.

Lesson 4 • Individual Profiling on Social Platforms

Teaches systematic techniques for building comprehensive profiles of individuals from social media data. Students link accounts, map relationships, and extract behavioural patterns.

Lesson 1 • Phone Number and Address Research

Covers reverse phone lookup, carrier identification, and address history tracing techniques. Enables physical location research within legal boundaries.

Lesson 2 • Public Records as Intelligence Sources

Surveys the types of public records available and how to access them for investigative purposes. Establishes the legal and practical framework for records-based research.

Lesson 3 • Building a Comprehensive Subject Profile

Synthesises all person-research techniques into a structured profiling methodology. Students produce a complete, sourced, and verified subject intelligence report.

Lesson 4 • People Search Engines and Aggregators

Introduces commercial and free people-search platforms that aggregate public data. Students evaluate source reliability and cross-validate aggregated results.

Lesson 1 • Shodan and Internet-Wide Scanning Data

Introduces internet-wide scanning databases to identify exposed services and devices. Students query Shodan and similar platforms for target infrastructure profiling.

Lesson 2 • Website and Technology Fingerprinting

Identifies technologies, frameworks, and third-party services used by target websites. Supports vulnerability research and organisational profiling.

Lesson 3 • Certificate and SSL Intelligence

Extracts intelligence from SSL/TLS certificates including subject alternative names and issuer data. Reveals hidden subdomains and infrastructure relationships.

Lesson 4 • IP Address and ASN Research

Teaches IP geolocation, ownership attribution, and autonomous system number analysis. Students trace infrastructure ownership and hosting relationships.

Lesson 1 • Video Intelligence and Frame Analysis

Applies geolocation and verification techniques to video content including frame extraction. Students geolocate and authenticate video evidence from open sources.

Lesson 2 • Image Metadata and Reverse Image Search

Extracts EXIF metadata from images and uses reverse image search to trace origins and duplicates. Enables source verification and disinformation detection.

Lesson 3 • Street-Level and Ground Truth Verification

Uses street-level imagery services to verify and refine geolocation findings. Bridges satellite analysis with ground-level confirmation of locations.

Lesson 4 • Satellite and Aerial Imagery Analysis

Teaches use of satellite imagery platforms for location verification and change detection. Students analyse infrastructure, activity patterns, and historical site changes.

Lesson 1 • Breach Data Analysis and OSINT

Covers analysis of leaked credential databases and breach data for investigative intelligence. Students identify compromised accounts and organisational exposure.

Lesson 2 • Telegram and Encrypted Platform Intelligence

Covers intelligence collection from Telegram channels, groups, and bots used by threat actors. Extends dark web tradecraft to encrypted messaging platforms.

Lesson 3 • Paste Sites and Leak Monitoring

Introduces paste sites as real-time intelligence sources for leaked data and threat actor communications. Students build monitoring workflows for paste site activity.

Lesson 4 • Dark Web Search and Navigation

Teaches navigation of dark web directories, forums, and marketplaces for intelligence collection. Students locate relevant content without exposing identity or intent.

Lesson 1 • Managing Full OSINT Operations

Addresses planning, resourcing, and managing multi-analyst OSINT operations from tasking to delivery. Students apply operational management skills to complex, real-world scenarios.

Lesson 2 • Writing Professional Intelligence Reports

Covers the structure, language, and standards of professional intelligence report writing. Students produce reports that meet operational and legal evidentiary standards.

Lesson 3 • Source Evaluation and Reliability Scoring

Establishes a systematic framework for evaluating source credibility and information reliability. Ensures analytical products are built on verified, weighted evidence.

Lesson 4 • Data Organisation and Visualisation

Teaches tools and methods for organising large OSINT datasets and visualising relationships. Transforms raw data into comprehensible intelligence pictures.