Why OSINT deserves the same status as other intelligence disciplines

Open source intelligence (OSINT) still sits outside the intelligence mainstream. If you’re not acquainted with the intelligence profession, you might not have come across the term at all.

OSINT is the targeted collection and analysis of publicly available or licensable data to generate actionable intelligence. The discipline is a critical tool for combating crime and unmasking the real-world identities behind it. However, while human intelligence, geospatial intelligence, and imagery intelligence are recognised disciplines with defined career paths across government and defence, OSINT is often dismissed as ‘something anyone can do’. This couldn’t be further from the truth.

Effective OSINT demands specialist skills, structured training, and sustained investment.

As the abundance of data and misinformation online grows exponentially, the impact of OSINT will remain limited without a dedicated professional structure and status. Crime has never been so complex and has taken place across so many platforms. So, there’s never been a better moment to professionalise open-source intelligence.

There has been positive progress. The US made a big statement towards making OSINT “a core intelligence discipline” between 2024 and 2026, and there have been discussions around creating dedicated OSINT agencies here in the UK. Encouraging steps, but they remain proposals and plans.

Tackling Fake News: One of Intelligence’s Biggest Challenges

Even before the rapid rise in AI-generated content, misinformation has constantly flowed through the online space. Back in 2023, when the government was testing its new emergency warning system, which involved sending an alert to every smartphone in the country, conspiracy theorists’ networks saw this as a direct threat to their livelihoods.

I worked on the case and, as I explained to VICE at the time, observed how “much of the chatter linked the test to a supposed plot by the World Economic Forum and the World Health Organisation to bring about a so-called ‘Great Reset’ – a familiar narrative in conspiracy-land.” It might seem ridiculous to many, but such narratives constantly repeat themselves online.

Keeping on top of these trends is vital as they can lead to real-world crime. We’ve seen riots sparked by unchecked misinformation, and smear campaigns on social media tarnish the reputations of brands and individuals. But by spotting these trends early using OSINT, it’s then easier for enforcement agencies and organisations to control the narrative and address any fake news.

Now, however, AI is significantly complicating the issue. The online space and social media are becoming swamped with increasingly realistic AI-generated deepfakes and sophisticated disinformation campaigns. For investigators, it’s not only a case of tackling disinformation, but of verifying whether content that looks real is AI-generated or not. As such, there’s an even greater onus on investigators being able to spot misinformation and assess data accurately – key OSINT skills.

The time, expertise, and resources needed to analyse and assess potential AI-generated content set out an even stronger case for professionalising OSINT. Investigators will need the skills and tools to accrue this intelligence from across digital platforms and act on it effectively.

The Art of Public Data Collection and Analysis

There can be a perception that OSINT is simply searching through links on Google or scanning through social media profiles. While these are aspects of the discipline, it runs far deeper than these activities. Anyone can access open source data – but the act of collecting and turning a broad spectrum of disparate data into intelligence is where the challenge lies, and what puts the ‘INT’ in OSINT.

For example, an image of a suspected counterfeit product and a social media account might bear no relation to each other. But conducting a reverse image search might lead to a suspicious e-commerce site known for selling counterfeit items. The site’s metadata might reveal an email address that is linked to a social media profile, and the username of this profile is linked to other online accounts. Crucially, one of the accounts provides a name, and a quick search shows that this name also appears in public corporate records.

OSINT technology can then display relevant corporate networks in a chart, and investigators can use their expertise to examine the network and identify associated individuals or entities involved in the sale of the fake products. Suddenly, a whole criminal operation emerges that might have stayed hidden without the use of OSINT.

As you can see, small connections can quickly lead to far more impactful outcomes. But none of this would be possible without the resources and professional expertise of OSINT investigators. It would also be almost impossible to uncover these insights through other intelligence disciplines.

Taking Down Real-World Criminals

Perhaps the strongest case for professionalising OSINT is the real value it has in identifying real-world criminals. Crime often leaves a virtual trail, and this trail can remain hidden unless OSINT is used to make the connections between online data sources. In particular, one of OSINT’s major assets is that investigators can use it to uncover whole criminal networks and operations, as well as individual actors.

Last year, for example, a collaborative process uncovered the identities in a criminal network behind the trafficking of drugs in Jersey, which used children as young as 12 as mules. Unusual bank activity was linked to other sources of intelligence to build an intricate picture of the individuals involved and the wider network they operated within. A harrowing example, but one that shows how using OSINT to tackle crime can make a real difference.

Giving OSINT the Status It Deserves

Intelligence is a collaborative process by its very nature; it relies on different disciplines working together. But if some disciplines are not given the same status as others, important information can slip through the cracks – and the intelligence mainstream has yet to embrace OSINT.

Misinformation is widespread, and crime is constantly evolving in line with the latest technologies and digital platforms. These shifts underscore why OSINT is such a critical intelligence practice and why it deserves the same status as other intelligence disciplines. It’s time OSINT was treated not as an add-on, but as a core intelligence discipline in its own right.

Chris P.

Chris is the Head of Intelligence at Blackdot Solutions. While in Military Intelligence, he deployed to Afghanistan, Iraq, and Kosovo in intelligence collection roles. He also served eight years at the National Crime Agency, as a Senior Officer in Cybercrime investigations. He specialises in OSINT and HUMINT collection methodologies, as well as information disorder types (such as MDMI, CIB and FIMI) identification and analysis.