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What is OSINT and Why Is It of Potential Value to Your Case?

  • Writer: Clayton T. Robertson
    Clayton T. Robertson
  • Apr 29, 2023
  • 2 min read

By Clayton T. Robertson (Criminal Defense / Civil Rights Attorney)


"OSINT" is an acronym for "Open Source Intelligence." OSINT is information that is publicly available and is of value to your case or investigation. It is based on data and information collected from publicly-availably sources, such as the Internet, news and media, social media, and other sources. It may be sourced from specific individuals (individually-generated content) or from institutions (institutionally-generated content).


Numerous online sites contain listings or directories of OSINT-sourced information. For example, you may go to the following exhaustive guide ("OPEN SOURCE INTELLIGENCE TOOLS AND RESOURCES HANDBOOK"):



Why is OSINT valuable to your case? In either a criminal or civil case, information contained on social media or elsewhere could be invaluable. Do the other parties in the suit have information online that could hurt their credibility? Is there information online that is problematic for you (for example, are there any news reports or social media posts about the case that contain information that is false or incorrect)? Have any witnesses posted any information about the case or incident? Does your attorney (or their investigator) need to locate a possible witness and obtain a witness statement ("people investigation")? If so, then finding these persons can facilitated by an OSINT-based search. Do they need to collect information on a business ("business research")? The list of issues is practically endless.


Some attorneys and investigators are more or less comfortable with OSINT and with this content and its value. Moreover, there are different domains of content, such as the surface web, the deep web, and the dark web. This adds an additional level of complexity. This blog has only scratched the surface of this issue. If you believe there is OSINT information helpful to your case, you need to let your attorney know.






 
 

Disclaimer

This website is legal advertising. I am licensed as an attorney in the State of California (SBN 229430). The information you obtain at this site -- including the blog -- is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice, nor does it form an attorney-client relationship. Case results are not guaranteed and results described on this site are not necessarily representative of ultimate case outcomes. Each case is different. Specifically, any client testimonials do not constitute a guarantee or prediction of results. You should consult an attorney for advice regarding your individual situation. We invite you to contact us and welcome your calls, emails, chats, texts, contact forms, letters, or other communications. Contacting us does not create an attorney-client relationship. Please do not send confidential information to us until such time as an attorney-client relationship has been established. Past results are case/client-specific and do not guarantee future results. Each case must be evaluated on its own merits. If at any point you have questions, please feel free to contact us at ctr@robertsonlitigation.com or at the number listed above.

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