Open-source intelligence

[3] Collecting open-source intelligence is achieved in a variety of different ways,[4] such as: OSINT, broadly defined, involves gathering and analyzing publicly accessible information to produce actionable insights.

[8] The United Nations has also recognized OSINT’s potential, noting its value in monitoring member states’ compliance with international regulations across various sectors, including public health and human rights.

The Center was established to collect information available from "the Internet, databases, press, radio, television, video, geospatial data, photos and commercial imagery.

Specifically, In-Q-Tel, a Central Intelligence Agency supported venture capital firm in Arlington, VA assisted companies develop web-monitoring and predictive analysis tools.

A cottage industry of both for-profit and not-for-profit investigative and educational groups such as Bellingcat, IntelTechniques, SANS and others offer indices, books, podcasts and video training materials on OSINT tools and techniques.

Books such as Michael Bazzell's Open Source Intelligence Techniques serve as indices to resources across multiple domains but according the author, due to the rapidly changing information landscape, some tools and techniques change or become obsolete frequently, hence it is imperative for OSINT researchers to study, train and survey the landscape of source material regularly.

These include VPNs, cached webpages, digital archive services, URL and file scanners, browser sandbox applications, and antivirus software.

According to the OSC, its goal is to "help standardize our profession and demonstrate that our members are Legal, Ethical, and Competent practitioners of investigating and analyzing Publicly Available Information."

Their certification program "provides participants with an opportunity to work through a real-world scenario and demonstrate that they can produce an intelligence product that meets a high professional standard.