Digital Vulnerability is Not Siloed: OSINT has Entered a New Phase

OSINT, Knowledge Ecology, and the Myth of the Quick Fix Open-source intelligence is entering a new phase. The discipline is no longer defined primarily by collection or access, but by interpretation, amplification, and consequence. That shift reflects a deeper reality. OSINT now operates inside a...

In January 2026, Business Insider published an investigation detailing how a viral Reddit post alleging systemic exploitation inside a major food delivery platform was, in fact, an AI-driven hoax (Parmar, 2026). The anonymous poster claimed to be a whistleblower bound by a non-disclosure...

As 2025 draws to a close, one truth has become clear over the last 12 months: the need for open-source intelligence (OSINT) expertise and tradecraft only continues to grow. This year, Hetherington Group’s HG Training saw a record number of professionals trained in open-source...

In this series, OSINT professionals ask Cynthia their most pressing questions regarding open-source intelligence. Cynthia provides candid answers with some professional feedback to help professionals develop their tradecraft. Problem: A new OSINT professional just graduated the HG Training’s...

Our series, Ask Cynthia, dives into pressing OSINT-related questions from professionals in the field. The Problem: An OSINT professional thinks that if they find a list of country-specific links and know a few “dorks”, they can run off to the Internet and start conducting OSINT. ...

Awareness and security go hand-in-hand. The true threat isn’t always the attack itself; it’s missing the signs right in front of us.    In the past 48 hours, the world watched an international flashpoint erupt. On June 12, Israeli defense forces initiated an air campaign targeting Iranian...

Problem: The user thinks they can run away from their own data.  The pervasive surveillance state is a real thing.  Question: I want to get off the digital grid, how do I start? Response: Let’s begin with a hard truth: You were never on the grid by choice. You were born onto...

Problem: OSINT’er with over a decade of experience working in the non-profit, conflict and crimes community has been defunded and is looking for a new position. “I worry that my background may scare some off or that they see me as too much of a “bleeding heart” or something....

The heightened excitement of AI and learning models has garnered intense speculation and enthusiasm from the intelligence community, while also introducing a healthy skepticism based on the uncertainty of the new products in the market’s capabilities and limitations.  Yet the persistence of...