OSINT Blog
Finding a Way Through the Dark (Data)
It’s been recently said that data is the new oil. However, whilst gasoline is accessible and easily obtained from gas stations, the same cannot be said for data. Many organizations have tried to exploit data themselves, recognizing it as a valuable asset, however, entire industries have been created to assist companies to locate, gather, and assess…
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Researching Hitman Scams on the Dark Web
Earlier this year, the European Union police agency Europol, working alongside Italian police, arrested a man suspected of hiring a killer on the dark web. The suspect allegedly paid roughly $10,000 worth of Bitcoin to have his ex-girlfriend killed. Authorities quickly traced the transaction, found the provider where he had purchased the…
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A Deep Dive into Deep Fakes
Deep Fakes Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning promise to evolve humanity to greater futuristic heights. The most pressing developments are in the areas of automation; AI-generated synthetic media, including audio or video, can bring unprecedented opportunities in the areas of art, education, and entertainment at a fraction of the cost.…
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Arson Claims on the Rise
Events over the last two years show that arson crimes appear to be rising across the country with insurance claims from fire losses as the logical extension of this activity. While there are many reasons or motivations for arson; the economic nature of COVID-19, the eviction moratorium, and cultural turmoil appear to be driving residential and…
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How NCPTF Helps Law Enforcement Find Missing Children
Every year, hundreds of thousands of children are reported missing in the United States. Last year, there were 365,348 reported missing children, the year before 421,394, according to Federal Bureau of Investigation data. Meanwhile, the pandemic has made finding missing children harder for investigators.
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The Chief Intelligence Officer
Cyber threats, capabilities and, intelligence abound and enterprises are staring down a hazy divide between their Corporate structure and those of government agencies and military agencies.
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Investigating Cryptocurrencies and Terrorist Financing
Last summer, the Justice Department dismantled financing campaigns in the government's largest-ever seizure of cryptocurrency in a terrorism context, seizing millions of dollars. The financing schemes involved some of the world's most notorious terrorist groups, namely, the al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas' military wing, al-Qaeda, and the Islamic State of…
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A Brief History of Predicting the Future
Where did OSINT come from, and where can it take us? Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) is a discipline in constant transformation. Although some form of intelligence has always been part of the decision maker's toolkit, it has constantly needed to adapt to match the dynamics and demands of society. Over time, it has evolved from a nebulous concept into…
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OSINT for Ghost Hunters: How to Find Someone Who Doesn’t Want to be Found
The digital environment gives twenty-first-century investigators a novel advantage. Virtually everyone now has a basic digital footprint that is hard to erase, making it difficult for the modern-day criminal to go full "Lord Lucan". And many fugitives from justice continue to sprinkle data across the open source internet with far less discretion than…
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Investigating Underground Wildlife Trade on Instagram
"We have something crazy about to happen," says celebrity YouTuber MoVlogs in a video before showing two white tiger cubs in the trunk of a car. Later the cubs can be seen in his home in Dubai and a backyard swimming pool, where he and family members play with them. The clip has close to three million views, and there are dozens, if not hundreds more…
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