OSINT Shines in Real-Time Decision-Making

 
The web is a veritable treasure trove of information for forensic investigators and threat actors alike, but open-source intelligence (OSINT) enables the former to have the edge over the latter.
 
Criminals and terrorists can easily access vast data sources on the various levels of the web to plan and execute attacks against innocent civilians. But security agencies are working to prevent the next crime or aggression by using OSINT software to gather tangible data.
 
OSINT is any intelligence gathered from publicly accessible resources, such as news reports, search engines, online databases, social media networks, blog posts, public government data, academic publications, and more.
 
OSINT can also be gathered from television reports, videos, public speeches, and other visual forms. Publicly available intelligence, such as those available through database searches that aggregate information and have a quick turnaround rate, can be cost-effective for some organizations.
 
Gathering information based on an OSINT platform enables vast sources to be collected and aggregated in quick time. While it may have been time-consuming when manually processed, today, the solutions can work fast and unaided through unprecedented volumes of intelligence to draw a detailed intelligence map in the shortest time.
 
OSINT software can anonymously and automatically monitor and manage content from across the internet and help identify and locate criminals who are intent on causing harm to others.
 
OSINT comes into its own in helping to research, monitor, and track threat actors before an attack. OSINT can draw streams of information from different feeds and all corners of the web into a single accessible location.
 
Harvesting of such intelligence can be assisted by using artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and natural language processing (NPL) which automatically monitor and prioritize alerts.
 
The capabilities of automation, AI, and machine learning technologies allow security agencies to harness and leverage the vast volumes of data and security intelligence they find in real-time.
 
Analysts can map and measure the relationships between the identified networks, which may be used to plan criminal or terrorist activity. OSINT tools provide security agencies with the targeted data needed for security intelligence to prevent the next big terror attack.
 
An OSINT platform can also do the impossible, empowering investigators, even with the most minimal of leads, to complete complex investigations and draw links between disparate parties in the blink of an eye.
 
OSINT software can also be used when natural disasters strike. It is essential to have access to current, up-to-date information to understand the situation's scope and details and take timely action.
 
Due to the wide array of sources available today, ranging from web feeds, blogs, TV- and radio stations to social media platforms, government agencies and first responders can quickly inform and respond.
 
Open sources provide a fast and efficient way to assess those affected by natural disasters. They enable geographic mapping, which allows for more targeted responses and shorter decision-making cycles.
 
Leveraging social media is a crucial addition to the standard approaches to disaster management communication and existing communication infrastructures. OSINT can pull all these data threads together and provide a clearer picture of what is essentially happening on the ground to aid quick and efficient disaster rescue missions.