About

Who We Are

With over two decades of expertise, Hetherington Group is a leader in investigative due diligence, corporate intelligence, and cyber investigations. We track down and expose vital data on national and international investigations; train thousands of investigators in the public and private sectors annually; and share our expertise in this increasingly data-intensive, cyber focused-world through the publication of an Industry Blog and recognized investigative reference books.

Certifications

Hetherington Group holds national certification as a Woman-Owned Small Business (WOSB) and certification as a National Women’s Business Enterprise by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), the largest third-party certifier of women-owned businesses in the United States.

Mission & Vision

Hetherington Group’s mission is to make our world a safer place by leading in corporate online intelligence and due diligence investigations and by training a network of global investigators on best practices.

Our vision is to create a smarter and safer world from online predators, fraud, and exploitation.

Our Objectives

Intelligence

We are committed to obtaining external data on marketplace trends, competition, and supply chains to give you the competitive edge you need to excel in today’s global economy. Our intelligence professionals analyze, synthesize, and contextualize threat information gathered across the cyber domain, in order that our clients can make timely decisions based on the capacities, intentions, and actions of conceivable opponents and competitors.

Investigations

We are committed to conducting well-planned, clearly executed investigations and due diligence with hyper-focus and scientific precision. Our seasoned analysts scour the internet, social networks, government databases, media coverage, and litigation records to provide the data our clients need to make sound ethics and legal decisions for themselves and their businesses.

Education

We are committed to sharing our expertise, so our world can be a safer place. Hetherington Group trains teams and individuals in open source and online intelligence. Our clients include investigators, security professionals, attorneys, accountants, auditors, military intelligence professionals, and federal, state, and local agencies.

Research

We are committed to staying ahead of our ever-changing world and to share our research on online intelligence, due diligence, and background checks. To keep investigators, analysts, and the general public up-to-date on the most pressing issues of the day, we issue updated editions of our how-to-books and publish timely white papers, fact sheets, and a weekly blog.

Community

We are committed to bringing investigators together to learn new skills and expand their professional networks. Hetherington Group founded the OSMOSIS Institute, an association for open source intelligence (OSINT) professionals. Its Annual Conference draws some of the most recognized social media and open source trainers in North America for panel discussions and training sessions on Open Source Intelligence (OSINT).

Our Values

Honesty

We believe successful partnerships are based on respect and transparency. We communicate clearly and effectively throughout our intelligence gathering and investigations, so you know where we’re at every step of the way.

Responsiveness

We believe our client’s peace of mind comes first. We establish a tailored work plan together and revisit it in each investigative phase, should additional research be required.

Knowledge

We believe our effectiveness lies in continuing education. We keep up with new trends, new data security breaches, and new investigative tools and methodologies—and we share that knowledge with others.

Leadership

We believe in continuing to set the standards in online intelligence and open source investigations by demonstrating and promoting the core competencies of online intelligence—critical thinking, data collection, information security, communication and collaboration, and technical exploitation.