OSINT Guide
⚠️ NOTICE: THIS PAGE CONTAINS SKETCHY LINKS. BEFORE CLICKING ANY LINKS MAKE SURE TO FOLLOW THE OPSEC CHECKLIST:
What is OSINT?
Understanding OSINT is supa dupa important to being a skilled and good operative.
DO NOT BE A RETARD, ENSURE THAT YOU HAVE GOOD OPSEC
Open Source Intelligence, or OSINT, is the practice of collecting, analyzing, and verifying information that is publicly available. Instead of accessing private systems or protected data, OSINT relies on information that anyone can legally find through public sources.
These sources include:
- Websites
- Social media
- Records
- Public databases
- Satellite imagery
- And many other resources.
The goal of OSINT is not just to gather information. It is to turn a bunch of pieces of public data into reliable intelligence that helps operations.
One of the biggest misconceptions about OSINT is that it involves hacking. It does not. OSINT is based on research, piecing shit together, and verification, not unauthorized access.
The Four Principles of OSINT
Collect
Every investigation starts with gathering information from relevant public sources. The more reliable sources you can identify, the stronger your investigation will be.
I’ll list some tools later for this task ;)
Verify
Finding information is only the start. Good info depends on confirming that the information is accurate.
Don’t rely on a single source when making important conclusions. Instead compare information from multiple independent sources and look for consistency.
Some common ways to verify information include:
- Comparing reports from different sources
- Checking publication dates
- Reviewing archived versions of webpages
- Performing reverse image searches
- Looking at metadata when it is publicly available
- Identifying the original source of a claim
Verification is basically figuring out if your info is bullshit.
Analysis
Raw information usually has very little value on its own. Analysis is where the real work begins.
As you review information, look for patterns, relationships, timelines, geographic connections, technical indicators, or recurring behavior. Small pieces of information sometimes become much more meaningful when viewed together.
The point of analysis is to answer questions that are not immediately obvious.
Document
Every investigation should be documented carefully.
Keep records of:
- Sources used
- Collection dates
- URLs
- Relevant screenshots when appropriate
- Notes and observations
- Confidence levels
- Final findings
Clear documentation allows someone else to understand how conclusions were reached and makes future reviews much easier. You can store this stuff and eventually get it uploaded here!
OSINT Tools
General OSINT Tools and Resources
OSINT tools help teens find, organize, and verify information that is already publicly available. There is no single tool that can answer every question. Good OSINT usually comes from combining multiple sources, checking information from different angles, and keeping clear notes on where information came from.
This list is meant as a general reference for commonly used OSINT resources.
People Search and Public Records
These tools are commonly used when sifting through publicly available information connected to people, addresses, and more.
A commonly used people search service that provides access to publicly available contact information, address history, and related records.
A free people search tool that collects publicly available records and can help identify possible connections between individuals.
A people search platform that organizes publicly available information from multiple sources.
A public records search service that provides access to information such as contact details and background-related records.
Search and Web Research
Search engines are usually the starting point for most OSINT investigations. Knowing how to search effectively is often more important than the tool itself.
A primary tool for finding websites, documents, images, and publicly available information.
A useful secondary search engine because different search engines may index different information.
A privacy-focused search engine that can be useful for additional research.
Internet Archive Wayback Machine
Used to view archived versions of websites and track changes over time.
Username and Online Identity Stuff
These tools help determine where usernames appear across publicly available websites.
An open-source tool that searches for usernames across many online platforms.
A resource for checking usernames across multiple websites.
Same shit as WhatsMyName.
Email Stuff
Email-based OSINT can help identify publicly available information connected to an email address.
A service that allows teens to check whether an email address has appeared in known data breaches.
A tool often used for finding publicly available business email information and email patterns.
Domain and Website Research
These tools are useful for checking out websites, organizations, and publicly visible online infrastructure.
Provides domain registration information when available.
Provides DNS, domain, and infrastructure intelligence.
Helps visualize publicly available DNS information. Basically the same as SecurityTrails but DNS focused o algo.
Identifies technologies and services used by websites.
Image and Media Verification
Images and videos are often reused online, so verification is an important part of OSINT.
Useful for reverse image searches, identifying objects, and finding similar images.
A reverse image search tool used to find where images appear online.
A tool designed to help verify online videos and images.
Mapping and Geolocation
These tools help teens verify locations, identify places, and analyze geographic information.
Useful for locations, businesses, satellite views, and street imagery.
Useful for geographic research and historical imagery.
A community-built mapping resource with detailed geographic information.
[GeoSpy]((https://geospy.ai/)
Basically RainboltGPT, a great tool for finding where images are if they have some landmarks or something in them.
Investigation and Organization Tools
These tools help organize findings, connect information, and document investigations.
Database searcher with shitty AI, worth a shot.
An OSINT automation platform that collects publicly available information from multiple sources.
Good OSINT Practices
Tools are only as useful as the teen behind them. When using OSINT resources:
- USE YOUR FUCKING VPN OPSEC
- Always verify important information with multiple sources.
- Keep records of where information came from.
- Separate confirmed facts from assumptions.
- Avoid relying on a single database or platform.
- Document your process so others can understand your findings.
Social Media
Public social media accounts can provide useful context about people, organizations, events, or businesses.
Depending on what has been shared publicly, you may be able to identify friendships and rabbit holes that connect them.
So basically
Use your opsec, don’t be dumb, and document and share your findings. Happy searching ;)