OPEN SOURCE INTELLIGENCE TOOLS AND RESOURCES HANDBOOK

TForeword

I am delighted to share the latest version of our OSINT Tools and Resources Handbook. This version is almost three times the size of the last public release in 2016. It reflects the changing intelligence needs of our clients in both the public and private sector, as well as the many areas we have been active in over the past two years.

No list of OSINT tools is perfect, nor is it likely to be complete. Indeed, such is the pace of change that by the time you read this document some of our suggestions may have been surpassed or have ceased to exist. Regrettably, today's tool might also be tomorrow's vulnerability

To counter the first problem, we have included a list of toolkits provided by other OSINT practitioners working to improve the state-of-the-art. To manage the second, we recommend that all tools be tested in a secure computing environment whenever possible.

Work on the next iteration of the Handbook has already begun. For now, I hope this version contributes to improving your efficiency and effectiveness as a researcher, analyst, investigator or general OSINT practitioner. Please feel free to share it with your colleagues. To encourage its broadest possible dissemination, we are publishing the Handbook under a Creative Commons CC BY License.

I would like to end by thanking my colleagues at i-intelligence for their efforts in compiling the Handbook. Particular credit is due to Aleksandra Bielska who led the project and has coordinated the inputs from different contributors. I am also indebted to Natalie Anderson of Mercyhurst University for her excellent research and for the time spent checking these links. Kris Wheaton and Brad Gleason from Mercyhurst’s Department of Intelligence Studies are also thanked for their support.

Finally, I would like to thank our community of followers on Twitter for sharing their recommendations with us, as well as the many practitioners who have suggested new tools to us while participating in our courses.