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Intelligence Brief: Definition of OSINT

Subject: Explanation of OSINT (Open-Source Intelligence) – Simplified for Young Learners

Overview:
OSINT stands for Open-Source Intelligence. It means gathering information that is freely available to everyone—such as books, websites, newspapers, television programmes, and social media. Unlike secret or classified information, OSINT uses only public sources.

Detailed Explanation:
Imagine you want to learn about a topic or a person, but you cannot ask them directly. Instead, you look carefully at what is written in newspapers, what people say on the internet, or what can be found in public records. By collecting and studying these bits of information from many places, you can understand what is happening, who is involved, and why.

This method helps professional intelligence officers, journalists, and researchers to find facts without breaking any rules or laws. It is like being a detective who uses clues that are all around us, but in places anyone can look.

Summary:
OSINT is the skill of gathering and studying information that anyone can find in public places to understand a situation better. It is an important and honest way to learn about the world.

A list of great open-source intelligence (OSINT) hubs or resources/websites that provide intelligence or data on citizens or businessmen from the EU, USA, Russia, Israel, Iran, and Ukraine.

Just to clarify, OSINT resources typically focus on publicly available information and data. They don’t provide private or classified data, but can be very useful for investigations, due diligence, and analysis.

Here are some top OSINT hubs and tools you can use to gather intelligence on individuals or businesses from those regions:

General OSINT Platforms

Maltego
- Visual link analysis tool for mapping relationships and gathering info from many public sources.
IntelTechniques (Michael Bazzell’s site)
- A huge collection of OSINT tools and tutorials.
OSINT Framework
- An organized directory of OSINT tools and resources sorted by category.
Shodan
- Search engine for internet-connected devices. Can reveal a lot about infrastructure linked to people/businesses.
Have I Been Pwned?
- Check if emails or domains have been involved in data breaches.

Regional & Specific Resources

EU & USA

OpenCorporates
- The largest open database of companies worldwide, great for business info.
SEC EDGAR Database (USA)
- Financial filings by public companies in the US.
EUR-Lex
- Access to EU legal documents, company registrations, and official records.
Pipl
- People search engine pulling from many public records.
LinkedIn
- Professional info on businessmen and connections.
US Treasury OFAC Sanctions List
- Useful to check if individuals or companies are sanctioned.

Russia

SPARK-Interfax (paid, but very extensive for Russian companies)
Kontur.Focus
- Russian company data and financial reports.
Rusprofile
- Free database for Russian companies.
Dossier.io
- Provides extensive open data about Russian businessmen and entities.

Israel

Israeli Companies Registrar
- Public access to business registrations in Israel.
Dun & Bradstreet Israel
- Business credit reports and company info.
LinkedIn and local Israeli news outlets for background info.

Iran

Iranian Business Directories (some are regional and limited)
Global Sanctions Lists (UN, US, EU)
- Since Iran is heavily sanctioned, many individuals and companies are listed.
Trade data portals
- For imports/exports linked to Iranian companies.

Ukraine

YouControl
- Popular OSINT platform for Ukrainian companies and businessmen.
Open Data Portal of Ukraine
- Government databases with registries and licenses.
Mirohost
- Ukrainian business data and verification.

Additional Useful OSINT Tools

Wayback Machine (archive.org) — Historical snapshots of websites.
Google Dorks — Advanced Google search queries for public data.
Censys — Another internet-connected devices search engine.
Social Searcher — Real-time social media search.
Pipl and Spokeo — For cross-checking people and contacts.

Here’s a list of notable OSINT professionals, editors, and analysts active in or focusing on the EU, USA, Russia, Israel, Iran, and Ukraine regions. These individuals are widely recognized for their work in open-source intelligence, investigative journalism, and geopolitical analysis:

Key OSINT Professionals & Editors to Profile

European & USA Focus

Bellingcat Team (Founded by Eliot Higgins)
- A leading investigative journalism group specializing in OSINT with strong coverage of Europe and global conflicts.
Aric Toler
- Senior researcher at Bellingcat, known for expertise in Russian disinformation and election interference.
Christo Grozev
- Investigative journalist focusing on Russian intelligence operations, associated with Bellingcat and other outlets.
Michael Bazzell
- Renowned OSINT trainer and author, based in the USA, with deep expertise in digital investigations.
Katharina Kiel
- OSINT researcher focusing on European political dynamics and security issues.

Russia & Eastern Europe Specialists

Andrei Soldatov
- Russian investigative journalist specializing in security services and surveillance.
Mark Galeotti
- Expert on Russian security affairs, author, and analyst.
Olga Lautman
- Analyst specializing in Russian and post-Soviet geopolitics.

Israel & Middle East OSINT Experts

Eliot Higgins (also covers Middle East, via Bellingcat)
Nadav Pollak
- Israeli intelligence analyst and OSINT researcher focusing on regional security and Iranian affairs.
Tara McCormack
- Researcher with focus on Israel, Iran, and geopolitical conflicts in the Middle East.

Iran-Centric Analysts

Ali Alfoneh
- Iranian analyst and author, focusing on Iranian politics and security.
Hadi Nili
- OSINT researcher specializing in Iranian military and political networks.
Sina Toossi
- Analyst and journalist focused on Iran and Middle East regional dynamics.

Ukraine & Conflict Zone Analysts

Roman Tsimbalyuk
- Ukrainian investigative journalist and OSINT contributor.
Vitaliy Portnikov
- Ukrainian political analyst and commentator.
Oksana Grytsenko
- Journalist covering Ukraine conflict and OSINT reporting.