The Use of OSINT to Investigate Crime

[CAlgunos]

I'm happy to have just found this site via: Rae Baker - Murders, Scams, and Cold Cases : The Use of OSINT to Investigate Crime. (youtube vid)

Over the last few weeks since the Capitol Riot, I've been doing a deep dive into OSINT and what it all means. I have been helping with the effort to bring those causing harm at the Capitol to justice and have found that I want to branch out into other areas as well. BTW, they arrested one of the people I singled out in video as someone causing harm to Capitol police. Aside from the Capitol, evidence suggests that the guy is quit a creep on several other levels, not just the Capitol Riot antics. It feels very good to have taken part this effort.

I've had a few small successes that have made me want to dive further and potentially, eventually, turn this into a career. What are the odds of something like that happening? Career advice is definitely appreciated.

I have a semi-technical background and find that OSINTish work is a skill I've enjoyed using for many years now; I just haven't applied it so much in a crime fighting way.

I've grabbed Michael Bazzell's book, OSINT Techniques (8th edition) and am having a good time working through it. I want to continue working on real-world case studies and focus my efforts in a meaningful and useful way. I'm here to learn and put my skills to use for the greater good. Thanks for making such a forum available.

CA

 

[Coalbird]

Hey, just bumping this because I'm also interested.

Have you looked at DEFCON's archives on YouTube? While you're waiting for a clear path towards a new career, you can learn a lot from the speakers they've had over the years on their OSINT track.

Here's one of their OSINT videos from last year: People Hunting: A Pentesters Perspective - Mishaal Khan - Recon Village @DEFCON 29 - YouTube

 

[Spickate]

OSINT is a very useful tool in finding information but you have to be willing to push. There are a lot of dead ends doing OSINT work.

I am not sure that a career can be made of it but if you are a person with some extra free time that you would like to white hat some cases, i am sure it would be appreciated. Just be careful on how you stumble across what you stumble across. If that makes sense.

Police cannot use evidence that has been illegally obtained during trial but I am sure, if it means finding a loved one, the family wouldn't care. I typically only use passive OSINT. Basically anything you can find online without breaking a password barrier. So social media feeds, google maps, bing maps, etc.

Do a deep dive on OSINT via YouTube and you can find valuable resources. If you don't mind paying for services, there are some incredible programs you can use to do multiple searches with a single username, email addresses, etc. Also, remember, google is not the bee all, end all. There is way more information out there. You just need to know where to look.

 

[Coalbird]

I thought OSINT was everything outside of a password barrier - once you're on the other side, it's not "Open Source" anymore, right?

OSINT is a very useful tool in finding information but you have to be willing to push. There are a lot of dead ends doing OSINT work.

I am not sure that a career can be made of it but if you are a person with some extra free time that you would like to white hat some cases, i am sure it would be appreciated. Just be careful on how you stumble across what you stumble across. If that makes sense.

Police cannot use evidence that has been illegally obtained during trial but I am sure, if it means finding a loved one, the family wouldn't care. I typically only use passive OSINT. Basically anything you can find online without breaking a password barrier. So social media feeds, google maps, bing maps, etc.

Do a deep dive on OSINT via YouTube and you can find valuable resources. If you don't mind paying for services, there are some incredible programs you can use to do multiple searches with a single username, email addresses, etc. Also, remember, google is not the bee all, end all. There is way more information out there. You just need to know where to look.