Every important decision should be based on comprehensive analysis. The more reliable data is used, the more accurate the result will be. Today’s technologies allow collecting, filtering, and analyzing a huge amount of information. This is where Artificial Intelligence and other tools can help.
Some data are available publicly, which allows accessing and using them without interfering with privacy protection laws. Those who are interested in the use of OSINT (open-source intelligence) can opt for the services of Social Links or other specialized companies. Before you decide to do this, it is essential to learn enough info on this technology.
Initial Information on OSINT
In essence, it is data that everyone can access since it is available publicly. Some restrictions may still apply. To access certain content, users must be registered with the platform, live in a certain location, be the users of the same services, etc.
You may think that this technology appeared along with the Internet and other modern tools, but that is not so. Before all those computers and communication means were developed, it was possible to access public information from newspapers, TV programs, and other social media sources.
OSINT can be used by various businesses, organizations, or even individuals. Before it is used, the purpose is defined. This allows understanding which sources should be gone through and what pieces of information are required. Data suitable for analysis can be virtually anything, including, text, images, videos, records, and more.
Using OSINT Manually
It is possible to simply surf the Web, go from site to site, check info on different social media platforms, etc. to find what you need. For instance, as a business owner selling some goods, you want them to be competitive. It is important to offer something that your competitors do not, for example:
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lower price
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special discount
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free delivery
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additional products
At the same time, it is crucial to keep your business profitable. The owner can make the right decision based on deep knowledge of the competitors’ strategies. Since their goods can be found on the Internet, it is possible to simply get this knowledge by checking out a few sites.
While this approach seems to be easy, it has a few drawbacks. The thing is that it may be time-consuming to go through all those sources of information yourself. Also, it will take you time to properly organize this information to make it suitable for analysis. The manual method is not suitable for those who need to gather lots of information and ensure its reliability and accuracy.
OSINT Tools
To save time, ensure high accuracy of data, and even check the level of vulnerability of your business, it is possible to use special OSINT Tools. Various options exist, and they may be used for different purposes. The thing is that data go through several stages before becoming suitable for analysis, including the following:
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Collecting
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Organizing
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Validating
Each of those may require the use of specific tools and methods. In some cases, it is required to combine machine, software, and human effort. If it is structured data, it is easier to find them because the machine can clearly understand what is required. Such information is already organized based on a certain model. Working with unstructured data, such as videos, audio records, and others, is more difficult since they are available in a chaotic form.
Data are collected based on the pre-set algorithms, depending on the purpose of the tasks. It can be a huge amount of information, which requires lots of power to be processed.
After the necessary data have been collected, they are arranged properly. The unnecessary pieces of data can be deleted, and info can be added into Excel or other formats. That is essential to make it suitable for further analysis.
Validation of data is an essential step to ensure their high accuracy. It is particularly important when it comes to security.
Where OSINT Is Used?
OSINT can be used virtually everywhere, but the main users of this technology are described below.
National Security
It is responsible for the protection of a country. Its employees utilize various tools to detect and prevent possible threats. In particular, they can fight against counter-terrorism and extremism. OSINT is one of them. Obviously, such work is conducted using plenty of different tools and software.
Law Enforcement Agencies
They can use OSINT to investigate various crimes. Moreover, it is also an effective tool in crime prevention. The main data used by these agencies are publicly available comments, videos, posts on social media platforms, and others.
Businesses
Businesses want to be aware of the actions of their competitors as well as those who can be threatening for them. Moreover, it is a great way to stay aware of customers’ needs. People share their ideas, desires, complaints, and other thoughts on the web. This is what businesses can successfully use in their favor to grow.
All in all, the demand for OSINT experts and special tools is expected to grow. While this technology is not perfect, it can be quite effective in obtaining necessary data and increasing protection.
