Recently, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) introduced a new strategy for open-source intelligence (OSINT) and emphasized OSINT as the “INT of first resort”. Organizations in the public and private sectors are recognizing the value of this discipline, but they are also facing challenges due to the massive growth of digital data. Fortunately, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) are beginning to make a significant impact on the future of information gathering and analysis.
Understanding Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT)
Open-Source Intelligence involves gathering and analyzing information from publicly available sources, such as traditional media, social media platforms, academic publications, and government reports. Unlike covert methods, OSINT relies on openly accessible data. Tasks involved in traditional OSINT include identifying sources, collecting data, processing information, conducting analysis, and creating reports for decision-makers.
With the exponential growth of data, human analysts face challenges in manual processing and pattern recognition. AI and ML offer solutions to enhance data collection, processing, and analysis, allowing human analysts to focus on providing context and analysis. AI can handle massive data volumes, provide real-time analysis, conduct multilingual analysis, offer predictive analytics, and automate routine tasks in OSINT.
Technologies such as Natural Language Processing (NLP), Computer Vision, Machine Learning, and Data Mining are key components in modern OSINT practices. These technologies enable sentiment analysis, entity recognition, predictive analytics, anomaly detection, and more in the OSINT process.
As the field of OSINT continues to evolve rapidly, opportunities to increase effectiveness and efficiency through AI capabilities are expanding. Attendees at Network Security in Las Vegas this September can explore these advancements and discuss the future of OSINT.
For those interested in learning more about AI-enhanced OSINT, courses like SEC497 Practical OSINT and SEC587 Advanced OSINT can provide hands-on experience. These courses demonstrate how AI capabilities can improve productivity and uncover new possibilities in information gathering and analysis.
While no technology is flawless, AI offers promising advancements in OSINT, ushering in a new era of efficiency and effectiveness in intelligence analysis. Explore the possibilities at SANS Network Security and learn how AI can revolutionize the way we approach information gathering and analysis.
Note: This article was written by Matt Edmondson, a SANS Principal Instructor and Principal at Argelius Labs, with a decade of professional OSINT experience.
