Page 22 - the SyI Quarterly 15

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The Power of Open Source

Intelligence.

- By Ashley Watson MSyI

Open source intelligence gathering, or OSINT for
short, has come a long way since its early beginnings
and its history has been a long and fascinating one.
So, what is OSINT? OSINT refers to information that
can be collected and analysed from an abundance of
publically available sources, these sources can include
social media, news articles, online forums, blogs etc.
Gathering the information is just one part, being able to
analyse it is another. Although the information can be
collected and analysed by anyone, it does require the
right tools, experience and expertise to filter through that
information.

The ability to gather reliable intelligence in such a quick
time from open sources has grown in scope and impact.
Not too long ago, spies had to rely on traditional methods
like eavesdropping and physical surveillance to collect
intelligence (which is still used and still effective today) but
fast forward to more recent times, the internet is when it
truly took off.

OSINT has become an essential part of any organisations
strategy (including intelligence agency, law enforcement,
military, government, organisations etc.) and as
technology has advanced, so too has OSINT with its ability
to quickly and efficiently gather information. With those
advancements in technology, the analytics behind the
data gathering and the growth in dedicated analysis roles,
it has now become such a valuable asset in a wide range
of fields and has allowed for even more comprehensive
intelligence gathering. Organisations can monitor,
assess, and respond to potential security threats more
proactively.

As we continue to prioritise physical security protection
in our modern era, it’s important to recognise the crucial
role that OSINT plays. The threats facing organisations

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