OSINT - Open Source Intelligence

OSINT is the practice of collecting and analyzing publicly available information to build a picture of a target's digital footprint.

What Counts as Open Source Intelligence

OSINT includes any information legally accessible to the public: company websites, social media profiles, job postings, public records, and even metadata embedded in published documents.

Why OSINT Matters in Ethical Hacking

Attackers routinely use OSINT to plan phishing campaigns or identify weak points, so ethical hackers use the same techniques to show organizations exactly what's exposed and how it could be misused.

Common OSINT Sources

Search engines, social media, WHOIS records, and specialized OSINT frameworks all help testers piece together technical details and organizational structure without ever touching the target's systems.

Turning OSINT into Actionable Findings

The real value of OSINT lies in translating scattered public data into a clear report showing an organization what an attacker could realistically learn about them from the open internet.