Navigating the Maze of False Information during OSINT Investigations

At this year’s OSMOSISCon, Skopenow’s digital investigations expert, Steve Adams, took the stage to discuss one of the most pressing issues facing OSINT practitioners today: how to navigate the murky waters of false information in search of the truth. Here, we’ll review his session’s key takeaways and the strategies he covered, which offer insights into tactics and workflows that can help distinguish fact from fiction.

False information poses a very real threat to our society. It shapes public opinion, undermines critical investigations, erodes institutional trust, and can even jeopardize public health. Whether you're an intelligence analyst, investigator, or journalist, understanding how these narratives are constructed and spread is essential. OSINT practitioners must be meticulous in separating genuine intelligence from different types of deception to ensure that the insights they produce are accurate and reliable.

Defining the Problem: Types of False Information

False information comes in various forms, each presenting unique challenges for OSINT investigators. Here are the types of false information and potential examples of each:

          Example: State-sponsored campaigns manipulating public perception of geopolitical events.

Example: Outdated statistics shared as current facts.

Example: A subject creating a social media post to establish a false alibi.

Example: A five-year-old consumer database listing an individual's previous address and phone number.

Example: An AI-generated report describing a non-existent meeting between world leaders, complete with fabricated quotes and outcomes.

Understanding the many forms false information can take is paramount. Only with that knowledge can OSINT practitioners develop effective strategies to verify and analyze information.

The Real-World Impact of False Information

Both disinformation and misinformation can have serious real-world consequences. Consider the following examples:

Political Manipulation

State-sponsored disinformation campaigns have shaped narratives surrounding elections and geopolitical events. For instance, in the lead-up to the 2016 U.S. presidential election, Russian-backed disinformation was spread by thousands of fake social media accounts posing as American citizens.

Financial Manipulation

Disinformation can significantly impact financial markets by spreading misleading statistics and fabricated business data. In 2013, a tweet from a hacked Associated Press account falsely claiming that President Obama had been injured in an explosion caused a temporary loss of almost $140 billion in stock market value.

Health Misinformation

False health information can have direct and severe consequences on public health. During the COVID-19 pandemic, misinformation about unproven treatments led to shortages of essential medicines like hydroxychloroquine, which impacted lupus patients.

These incidents illustrate the urgent need for accurate and timely verification of information. Once a false narrative takes hold, it is challenging to undo the damage, making proactive verification and media literacy essential. 

The Role of OSINT in Tackling Disinformation and Misinformation

Analytical techniques play a critical role in verifying and authenticating information during the OSINT process. These techniques can help investigators and analysts assess the credibility of sources, analyze digital content, and cross-reference data points to ensure accuracy.

By adopting a systematic approach, OSINT practitioners can:

• Identify unreliable information being spread online.
• Provide timely corrections to counteract misinformation.
• Support decision-makers with reliable intelligence.

This process involves more than just validating facts; it requires understanding the context, motivations, and techniques to disassemble misleading narratives.

How to Use OSINT to Combat False Information

Implementing a structured workflow is crucial for dealing with the different forms of unreliable information. Here are some best practices that can help:

• Stop before sharing or acting on information.
• Investigate the source to determine its credibility.
• Find alternative coverage to see if the claim is repeated elsewhere.
• Trace claims back to the original context to verify accuracy.

• Evaluate Sources: Assess the source’s credibility using a reliability grading (e.g., 3x5x2 system, which we explored here).
• Cross-Reference and Corroborate: Validate information by seeking out multiple independent sources and looking for consensus.
• Apply Contextual Analysis: Consider the historical and cultural context of the information as well as the potential motives of those who share it.

• Reverse Image Search: Use tools like TinEye or Google Images to identify the origins of images used in questionable contexts.
• Use Timeline Analysis: Platforms like Google Earth can help verify when events occurred and identify inconsistencies in temporal data.
• Conduct Media Analysis: Utilities like ExifTool can reveal discrepancies in the metadata of images and documents, while InVID helps with verifying the authenticity of videos.

• Spot AI-Generated Text: Look for repetitive phrasing, generic statements, or unnatural citations.
• Recognize AI-Generated Images: Examine for unnatural shadows, inconsistent lighting, and duplicate elements within the image.
• Use AI to Search for Deepfake Indicators: Upload and scan images and videos through AI detection tools like Deepware Scanner and the Deepfake Detector.

Building Trust in OSINT Investigations

Developing effective verification workflows and remaining vigilant are key to combating false information during internet investigations. By understanding the nuances of misleading content and countering them by implementing structured analytical techniques, OSINT practitioners can produce intelligence that decision-makers and the public can trust.

Skopenow collects and processes publicly and commercially available information, providing OSINT practitioners with relevant data from an array of sources. Using AI-driven algorithms, computer vision, and natural language processing, Skopenow helps to flag behaviors and assesses results for a confidence score, helping practitioners determine the veracity of information. This enables investigators and analysts to spend more time verifying and authenticating content rather than collecting it. See how our all-in-one OSINT platform can help your team identify and trace false information by scheduling a demo.

Join over 1,500 organizations—including 20% of the Fortune 500, government agencies, law enforcement departments, and more—that rely on Skopenow's platform to automatically collect and process relevant publicly available information and make better decisions. Learn more and schedule a personalized demo today at www.skopenow.com/try.