Powering up Global Security Operations Centers (GSOCs) with OSINT

At the GSX conference, I provided techniques and guidance for effectively incorporating OSINT into global security operations centers. When implemented properly, OSINT unlocks powerful capabilities that amplify a GSOC’s intelligence advantage, including the ability to search for unique identifiers, extract insights from Exchangeable Image File Format (EXIF) metadata, accelerate breach investigations, and more.

Using OSINT to find unique identifiers
OSINT helps corporate investigators search for unique identifiers that can be used to corroborate suspects. While names may return multiple results online, unique identifiers like email addresses tend to consistently link back to individuals. Email especially stays with a person forever, even old unused accounts. When OSINT analysts can connect email addresses, phone numbers, nicknames, or other digital breadcrumbs back to forensic evidence like data from a suspect’s device, it strengthens investigations. At the same time, public information online must be verified. The internet contains many unvetted digital breadcrumbs, so analysts must carefully confirm that OSINT findings connect to the right target. Thorough vetting and corroboration are crucial when leveraging OSINT. With proper verification, OSINT delivers powerful evidence while adhering to rigorous standards needed for prosecution.

OSINT and forensic data
OSINT can extract EXIF metadata embedded in digital photos and videos to gather intelligence around the date, time, location, device, editing history, and other details. Analyzing EXIF data enables investigators to establish a timeline of events, verify image authenticity, and potentially track the source camera or smartphone. OSINT tools can quickly analyze and visualize metadata attached to online content like documents, images, and website code. Metadata provides critical context around files, accounts, activities, and authorship that can strengthen the intelligence value of collected OSINT. Moreover, importing exfiltrated OSINT into digital forensics tools allows analysts to visualize connections, timelines, relationships, and patterns across massive datasets.

Mitigating breaches
A cybersecurity audit leveraging OSINT can uncover leaked technical data on hacker forums that provide insights into the threat actor’s methods, tools, and processes. This enables more targeted incident response. Ongoing monitoring of deep and dark web sites can also detect attempted sale of stolen data. If a corporation is a victim of a data breach, security teams can extract metadata from stolen files and trace usernames, machines, and internal systems that are compromised. This identifies all points of access needing shutdown and systems that need patching. In addition, they can monitor external chatter around the breach across online platforms, forums, code repositories, and other sources, to gauge wider impacts and public perception. GSOC teams can also leverage OSINT to conduct cyber threat hunting within internal systems and identify additional footholds, compromised credentials, or backdoors left by attackers. Consulting counsel is important when investigations uncover sensitive employee or customer data that may trigger legal obligations around breach disclosure and protections. OSINT findings may have legal impacts. Keeping stakeholders updated is critical when OSINT reveals new indicators of compromise or sensitive details. Transparency builds trust and furthers intelligence leads.