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'''Open source intelligence''' or "OSINT" refers to the ] based on information collected from open sources, i.e. information available to the general public. This includes ]s, the ], ]s, ]s, ]s, ] broadcasts, ], and others. The term is unrelated to ] in the computer software community, which refers to programs whose source code is publicly available. '''Open source intelligence''' or "OSINT" refers to an ] based on information collected from open sources, i.e. information available to the general public. This includes ]s, the ], ]s, ]s, ]s, ] broadcasts, ], and others. The term is unrelated to ] in the computer software community, which refers to programs whose source code is publicly available.


Collection of information in OSINT is a very different problem from collection in other intelligence disciplines because, by definition, the information sources are publicly available. In other intelligence disciplines, a major difficultly is extracting information from non-cooperative targets. In OSINT, the chief difficulty is identifying relevant, reliable sources from the vast abundance of publicly available information. Obtaining the needed information once a source is identified is a comparatively minor problem. Collection of information in OSINT is a very different problem from collection in other intelligence disciplines because, by definition, the information sources are publicly available. In other intelligence disciplines, a major difficultly is extracting information from non-cooperative targets. In OSINT, the chief difficulty is identifying relevant, reliable sources from the vast abundance of publicly available information. Obtaining the needed information once a source is identified is a comparatively minor problem.

Revision as of 05:30, 29 March 2004

Open source intelligence or "OSINT" refers to an intelligence gathering discipline based on information collected from open sources, i.e. information available to the general public. This includes newspapers, the internet, books, phone books, scientific journals, radio broadcasts, television, and others. The term is unrelated to open source in the computer software community, which refers to programs whose source code is publicly available.

Collection of information in OSINT is a very different problem from collection in other intelligence disciplines because, by definition, the information sources are publicly available. In other intelligence disciplines, a major difficultly is extracting information from non-cooperative targets. In OSINT, the chief difficulty is identifying relevant, reliable sources from the vast abundance of publicly available information. Obtaining the needed information once a source is identified is a comparatively minor problem.

Sometimes overt HUMINT is considered part of open source intelligence. This is the use of non-clandestine human information sources; examples include interrogation of refugees, debriefing of legal travellers, and reports from overt agents such as attachés and ambassadors.

The current definitive guides to OSINT are the NATO Open Source Intelligence Handbook, the NATO Open Source Intelligence Reader, and the (NATO) Intelligence Exploitation of the Internet. The definitive historical history of OSINT in recent times is contained in the 30 volumes of Proceedings from the annual OSINT conference sponsored by OSS.Net.

A number of nations, notably Australia, Norway, South Africa, and Sweden, have created specialist units to focus on OSINT. Within the US government, the major provider of OSINT is the CIA's Foreign Broadcast Information Service, which also makes some of its information available to the public through the World News Connection.

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