Frequently Asked Questions

OSINT, or Open Source Intelligence, is an umbrella term for any intelligence gathered through open source. Within OSINT, there are a wide range of specialties: GEOINT (geospatial intelligence), HUMINT (human intelligence), SOCMINT (social media intelligence), IMINT (image intelligence), among many (so many!) others. OSINT techniques are used in a variety of fields such as cybersecurity, human rights, private investigation, and more.

The first thing you need to figure out is what type of OSINT you want to pursue. What do you care about, and what drives you? Once you have made your decision, I advise finding others who work in that field. Read their work, follow their social media, see what organisations they work for, and check out their websites.

You might also find it helpful to watch my Bellingcat Stage Talk titled “Getting Started In Open Source Research“, where I share insights about breaking into this field. Job vacancies will often list the skills you are expected to have, so focus on obtaining those skills and demonstrating your knowledge.

In OSINT everything is about evidence. Can you prove you have the skills you claim to have? Where can we see them? Create a blog, Twitter threads, LinkedIn posts, videos, anything public that showcases your capabilities. Even if you just write about a geolocation or an OSINT exercise walkthrough, it will help you practise your writing skills.

Report writing skills are a must have for OSINT analysts; you should be able to write engaging intelligence reports that explain your analysis and findings to a broad audience.

The world wide web is your oyster. Focus on a topic of your choice and investigate. Perhaps a news article, a scene from a film, or a social media post. Ask questions and try to find the answers. Can you geolocate the photos or videos? When were they taken? Who is in them? Can you verify the information? Are the sources reliable? Challenge everything!

If you are just starting and the suggestions above still feel a bit daunting, I urge you to check out my list of OSINT exercises. You can start with the ones marked as easy and attempt them at your own pace. If you are still struggling, you can watch the video walkthrough with the solution to learn how you could have solved it. Next time you will know what to do.

Once you’re comfortable embarking on investigations, try either starting your own or joining others. Community hubs such as the Bellingcat Discord server offer great opportunities to contribute to ongoing investigations or request assistance. Some of these investigations turn into published work, making them an excellent way to build your portfolio.

None! Anyone with an internet connection and the right motivation can become an OSINT analyst. There are no required qualifications or certifications to get started. And yes, you can be offered a role in a good organisation with zero professional experience in OSINT.

I have suggested people for OSINT roles solely based on their online content. I did not know their name, gender, age, or professional background. I saw their content and said “we need them on our team”. They accepted the job offer and, I am very happy to work alongside them now.

In OSINT, evidence is everything. Show prospective employers what you got by creating an online portfolio. Blog entries, LinkedIn posts, or Twitter threads, are all great ways to showcase your skills. It is also an opportunity to demonstrate dedication to a topic and provide an example of your report writing skills.

You should be very good at finding, verifying, and analysing data, therefore critical thinking is essential. Get used to examining information carefully, noticing key details and patterns. What do they tell you? Can you piece together a timeline? Does this information match what you were expecting? See what is not mentioned, and mention what is not easily seen.

You will also need to work independently. Even if you are part of a team that can step in when needed, you will still be expected to produce intelligence reports without anyone micro managing. Strong writing skills are key because if you can’t explain it clearly, did you really understand it?

I occasionally share job vacancies at CIR, the organisation I work for, but that is the extent of my involvement. I am not part of the hiring process at all. If you would like to apply for a role, please follow the instructions on the job listing page.

I have a full time job, and in my free time, I create content for my website and YouTube channel, including blog posts, OSINT exercises, and video walkthroughs. I love teaching and creating educational content, but all of this is very time consuming, so my free time is (unfortunately) extremely limited.

I may be able to provide external training sessions for organisations, however please be aware that those will not be free as I would need to book time off work to make it happen.

I tend to keep it very simple and mostly use easily available and free tools. Most of the work is done by the brain anyway.

Search engines: Google, Yandex, Bing.
Maps: Google Maps, Yandex Maps, Bing Maps.
Satellite Imagery: Google Earth Pro, Sentinel Hub EO Browser, Planet.
Monitoring tools: TweetDeck.
Image editing and graphs: Flameshot, Photopea, Datawrapper.
Browser add-ons: Google Translate, Wayback Machine, Map Switcher, Blur, RevEye Reverse Image Search.

I can’t recommend OSINT books because I haven’t read any. The internet is in constant evolution, and any tools and techniques mentioned on OSINT books become outdated very fast. I like blog entries though. If you write those feel free to send me the link, I would love to read it.

That is not to say that I wouldn’t recommend books in general. I love reading and learning, but I want to attain knowledge that will continue to be useful for years to come, not just now. With that in mind, I do have a recommendation: “Psychology of Intelligence Analysis”, written by a Richards J. Heuer Jr, a CIA veteran. It was first published in 1999 but its contents are still very relevant to modern intelligence analysts. The book talks about metacognition, memory and perception, and how they influence everything we see and do. It also teaches how to analyse information, and turn it into intelligence whilst remaining aware of our own biases.

Here is a link to the full book hosted on the CIA’s website: https://www.cia.gov/resources/csi/static/Pyschology-of-Intelligence-Analysis.pdf

OSINT relies more on analytical skills and critical thinking. Tools are secondary. They come and go. The core of a good OSINT analyst or investigator should always be the ability to understand and analyse data, consider context, and draw actionable insights, turning information into intelligence.

I run an Arch based Linux distribution.

I am very flattered by the request but I only mentor one person at the time, and I am already currently mentoring someone.

Absolutely! It makes me really happy when my content is shared, especially among those eager to learn about OSINT. I just ask that you give me credit for my work and include a link to this website. My content will always be free, and I want everyone to access it without having to pay.

I firmly believe that for humankind to thrive, access to knowledge should be free. That is why I am more than happy to keep producing free content online for anyone wanting to learn about OSINT. At some point I might consider putting together a course with a more structured layout, but I don’t have plans for that at the moment.

Thank you. I am very flattered, and you are more than welcome to message me about it. However I must warn you that it is unlikely that I will say yes. I am a very private person and will do just about anything to avoid crowds and/or meeting new people. Social interactions feel like kriptonite to me. Such is life.. I love teaching and sharing information, yet dread human interactions. Other neurodivergent people will likely understand exactly what I mean.

First of all, ouch! I get these way too often. What I am getting across is that my SEO and YouTube skills are rubbish, which is fine by me. I am happy with my (limited) video editing and SEO abilities. I am not trying to make money off this; I just want to produce good educational content. Thank you, but I do not require your services.

Thank you, but there is no need to support me. I have a paying job, and I do not have a Patreon nor any other platforms asking for money. I enjoy the freedom that comes with that, especially when it comes to cursing.

It is an homage to the best TV show of all time: ‘Allo ‘Allo!

Sure.

Yes, I answer everyone. Even the weirdos. Please don’t be a weirdo.