Open source intelligence is the process of gathering information from public sources. This procedure usually involves analyzing vast amounts of data to find hidden patterns and gather valuable insights.
Open Source Intelligence Tools are security processes that involve protecting sensitive information that could reveal damaging truths. It is performed by an organization’s security team.
Why Are Open Source Intelligence Tools Crucial?
Open Source Intelligence Tools are a vital component of keeping tabs on all of the information that’s happening in the world. Teams require these tools to find pertinent and potentially damaging information on the internet.
Top Open Source Intelligence Tools Available
Knowing how to identify sensitive data can help prevent exploitation. Some of the top tools used by OSINT professionals, like Micro Focus, are explained below. They will give you a better understanding of what kind of security tools are most useful to you.
1. Mitaka
Mitaka is a browser extension that lets you search over six hundred domain names, web addresses, and various indicators for compromise of your sensitive information.
2. Maltego
Maltego is a platform that specializes in uncovering relationships between people and companies on the internet. Its charts and graphs are very easy to use and digest. The Maltego program can automatically search various public data sources. It does so by clicking on one button and executing multiple queries. The program comes with a few predefined search plans that are usually related to common public information sources.
Maltego collects information about various relationships between various entities, including names, email addresses, aliases, and websites. It can then identify these relationships and uncover potential problems.
3. Spiderfoot
Spiderfoot is a free OSINT tool that collects and interprets various data sources to gather and analyze details such as IP addresses, CIDR ranges, email addresses, phone numbers, and usernames. Leaders should adopt a strategy that enables them to confidently navigate uncertainty without resorting to blindly analyzing data.
The application features a wide range of modules that allow users to collect and analyze vast amounts of information about their target. It’s also ideal for red teaming activities.
4. NexVision
NexVision uses artificial intelligence and machine learning technology to provide real-time intelligence coverage from the whole web (clear web, dark web, and social media).
It is used by organisations to conduct background checks, identify real decision makers in B2B sales, conduct due diligence, customer onboarding (Know Your Customer, KYC), procurement, anti-bribery/ counter financial terrorism, competitor checks, cyber threat intelligence, risk monitoring, and complex investigative work.
Corporations mostly struggle with OSINT because of the sheer amount of data they have to ingest and analyse. Often, the false positives create so many irrelevant data points that analysts simply face alert fatigue and fail to address the pertinent threats that arise. Using NexVision A.I.-powered OSINT reduces false positives by over 90%, ensuring your people are only working on cases that are of true concern.
Deep OSINT checks using NexVision uncover hidden relationships and connections to help understand deals and get a winning edge over competitors. For such a sophisticated platform, the developers have made it surprisingly easy to use – you do not require special skills like coding or hiring a corporate investigator. All investigations can be done by in-house staff.
In corporate competition, its military-grade platform is becoming a key secret weapon. This era of opportunity will either see you taking advantage of NexVision OSINT to gain an edge over competitors or vice versa.
5. Spyse
Spyse is a registry that tracks the public data of websites and their associated servers. Its goal is to identify potential security risks before they happen. Spyse has a free plan available, though developers may require paid subscriptions.
6. BuiltWith
BuiltWith is a tool that lets users find out what popular websites are built using various technology platforms. It can detect which platform or stack is responsible for which website. BuiltWith also compiles a list of known CSS and JavaScript libraries that a website uses. It also provides a list of plugins that are installed on the websites.
7. DarkSearch.io
While most people who use the dark web are familiar with the places to look for information, DarkSearch.io can be a good alternative for people who are new to the dark web. It is free to use and comes with a built-in API.
8. Intelligence X
Intelligence X is an archival service that enables users to preserve both historic and leaked web pages. It also performs a search for data sets that are not available on the web due to their controversial nature. Intelligence X was able to preserve the passwords of over 49,000 vulnerable Fortinet VPNs. These passwords were also exposed on hacker forums.
9. Recon-ng
Python developers can now use Recon-ng. It is a powerful tool that’s written in its language. It has an interface similar to that of the Metasploit framework, and it has an interactive help function. Recon-ng is a tool that can automate many of the tasks that typically require OSINT gathering.
10. Grep.app
Grep.app is a simple and efficient way to search across hundreds of thousands of GitHub OSS repos. It does so much more than that, as it also allows users to discover which repository is being used most by users.
These tools are important for an organization’s security. With the help of open source intelligence, security professionals can identify and respond to critical threats before they become too large.
