Social media OSINT doesn’t stagnate due to new capabilities and threats that gain traction each year. Specialists in gathering open source intelligence need to adapt so they will not end up outplayed by malicious actors. That’s why we prepared a comprehensive overview of how to use OSINT on social media platforms now and what we should anticipate in the near future.
What is Social Media OSINT?
Social Media Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) refers to the process of collecting and analyzing information from publicly available sources posted on social media platforms. The definition of what can be considered a social media OSINT investigation is quite wide. It can be underpinned by the range of processes and purposes discussed below.
Why Do You Need Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) for Social Media?
- Verify a Person’s Identity or Information. If you don’t trust a person you met online or want to track down someone you know, social media OSINT is a means to collect personal information during the person of interest investigation.
- Find Out Opinions of the Masses. You can monitor social media platforms for mentions of a brand or company as well as pay attention to the context, tone and level of public interest. Track customer feedback, reviews, and sentiment to proactively manage and enhance brand reputation.
- Study the Competitors. Notice that your competing organization is well-liked for its online presence or has faced negative backlash for its posts? Social media OSINT can help you borrow successful strategies and avoid ineffective investments that have already been tested out by competitors.
- Learn More About Job Candidates. Nowadays, digital footprint is a big decision-making factor when it comes to hiring a candidate that matches corporate values. That’s why HRs need to investigate job applicants or current employees on their public profiles using social media OSINT instruments. This monitoring can provide additional insights into their character, behavior, and potential alignment with company culture.
- Ensure Security and Enhance Threat Intelligence. Oftentimes, social media platforms become the outlet for discussing or even announcing malicious actions. You can set up alert systems to notify security teams of any unusual or potentially threatening activities detected on social media platforms. Moreover, social media OSINT tools can monitor keywords, hashtags, or geotags to filter and analyze social media content for potential security threats.
What New Threats Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) Should Look For
The advancement of AI and automated technologies in recent years calls for new solutions to preserve privacy and prevent fraud. Here is what you should know about novel social media OSINT threats in order to stay vigilant:
AI Image Alteration
Programs like Midjourney and Chat GPT’s image generator give users the ability to change or even create a whole new picture based on the typed-in prompt. These resources can be exploited to generate convincing yet deceptive visuals, posing challenges to the verification of authenticity in pictures shared on social media platforms. On a larger scale, AI image alteration leads to fake news and false narratives as well as diminishes the trustworthiness of visual evidence.
Deepfake Content
Deepfake technology, powered by artificial intelligence, enables the creation of highly realistic fake images and videos that can be detected with social media OSINT. These can be used to impersonate individuals or spread false information on their behalf. Yes, some users might utilize deepfake techniques to create a viral meme. However, others might exploit the capacities of the tech for data fishing or public misinformation campaigns. Even now, deepfakes undermine the credibility of visual content on social media, making it challenging to distinguish between genuine and manipulated images or videos.
Radicalizing Content
In a nutshell, radicalizing content refers to online materials, such as text, images, videos or audio, that promotes extremist ideologies and encourages individuals to adopt fringe beliefs. Oftentimes, these messages are not overt but rather sneakily integrated into normal content spread on social media platforms. Radicalizing content may use misinformation or conspiracy theories to create a distorted worldview with the use of modern technology, so it’s important to identify it with social media OSINT.
Algorithmic Manipulation
Nowadays, algorithms are the blood cells of social media platforms that allow content to circulate and reach a possibly interested audience. Algorithms prioritize content that is more likely to generate user engagement, such as likes, comments and shares. This can lead to a feedback loop where popular content becomes even more prominent. However, the algorithms on social media platforms may unintentionally amplify radical content by promoting engagement through personalized recommendations. As a result, algorithms can spread misinformation by prioritizing sensational or emotionally charged content, which will generate more clicks. Social media OSINT can spot such suspicious operations of the algorithms and single out deceitful posts.
Hot Tools for Social Media OSINT
Keeping these advanced problems in mind, OSINT specialists should combine various tools to reveal the intentions, actions or even identities of the culprits. Consider using these tools to address novel threats:
X-Ray Contact
As a data aggregator, X-Ray Contact allows you to verify information about a person you might observe spreading controversial opinions on social media platforms. You can check real location, education and even reverse image search a photo to prove authenticity with this social media OSINT service. For example, X-Ray Contact was useful in uncovering details of Jackson Hinkle, a Twitter microblogger who spreads misinformation and radicalizing beliefs about russo-Ukrainian war, American politics, and the Israeli-Gaza conflict.
Maltego
Maltego is a widely known open-source intelligence and data visualization tool that enables users to gather and analyze information about relationships and networks. One can use Maltego in order to study relations between the entities and do a link analysis. This social media OSINT instrument is essential to find out why and how culprits are spreading misinformation through social media.
SpiderFoot
SpiderFoot is a social media OSINT automation instrument wired to collect Internet data from different sources. It identifies relationships and patterns among various data points, helping users understand the context of the information. One can employ SpiderFoot to study suspicious actors and find where deceitful messages are coming from.
Some Effective Tips for Social Media OSINT
Want to do a deep dive into the modern social media OSINT? Keep these rules in mind so you will not lose the right track.
Remember What Social Media OSINT Refers to
Social media OSINT is not about hacking or other intrusive methods. Avoid attempting to access private or restricted content, as this contradicts the principles of social media OSINT.
Cross-Reference Your Findings
Usually, it’s better not to rely on one information source in social media OSINT investigations. Cross-verify the data you collect from multiple resources to enhance accuracy and reliability.
Be Ethical in Social Media OSINT Efforts
Respect privacy laws, terms of service of social media platforms and ensure your activities align with ethical standards.
Choose the Right Techniques for Social Media OSINT
Start with basic searches and advanced operators to gather publicly accessible data. Pay attention to all types of data in social media OSINT: focus on metadata analysis for detailed information from images, use social media aggregators and APIs and conduct geolocation analysis.
Seize All the Benefits of Novel Social Media OSINT
Social media OSINT is best when proactive rather than reactionary. OSINT tools are used to monitor social media for early signs of impending disasters or environmental changes, potential threats and growing public sentiments. Leverage open source intelligence to the maximum rather than wait till the danger comes.
Concluding Thoughts: What Should You Understand About Social Media OSINT?
As Internet tech never stays on the place throughout the decades, it is a must for social media OSINT to be flexible and ever-changing as well. Being prepared and always staying vigilant when it comes to digital threats is a necessity for both security defence and OSINT investigations, so that even AI and algorithmic hazards don’t come as a surprise.