OSINT is short for "open source intelligence" - a relatively new field in the world of cybersecurity quickly gaining popularity. Think of it as collecting all of the small, free bits of information out there and then putting those pieces together to gain intelligence/insight. I have no experience in the area, but have been to some incredible talks on the subject - reeling me and my curious brain in.
The talk that I found most interesting thus far is a talk sponsored by SANS Cyber Defense discussing tracking ships using OSINT techniques. We're talking all kinds of ships from all over the world - how crazy cool is that?! We're talking oil tankers, cargo vessels, cruise ships, Russian oligarch-owned super yachts, and so much more. It's a short talk so if it sounds interesting, definitely worth the watch. I've also provided some links for more information on maritime OSINT and OSINT in general.
Join us for this premiere stream of the series, during which Nico, David, and John will welcome guest Rae Baker (@wondersmith_rae), an OSINT Analyst specializing in maritime. We’ll be discussing maritime OSINT, tracking vessels, and associated subjects such as verifying information. The world of open-source intelligence (OSINT) continues to rapidly evolve, growing larger and more complex as new tactics and tools emerge. The constant change in this space drives the need to stay current in the latest OSINT best practices and techniques. In this OSINT Spotlight live stream series, SANS expert OSINT practitioners Nico Dekens, David Mashburn, and John TerBush will welcome special guests from across the field to come and explore a new corner of OSINT. Nico, David, and John are the authors of the new SANS course SEC587: Advanced Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) Gathering and Analysis. In SEC587 you will learn how to perform advanced OSINT Gathering & Analysis as well as understand and use common programming languages such as JSON and Python. This is an advanced fast-paced course that will give seasoned OSINT investigators new techniques and methodologies and entry-level OSINT analysts that extra depth in finding, collecting, and analyzing data sources from all around the world.