OSINT Best Practices

Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) is the collection and analysis of information from publicly available sources:

• **Public records** — Court documents, business registrations, property records • **Social media** — Public profiles, posts, connections • **News sources** — Articles, press releases, broadcasts • **Geospatial data** — Satellite imagery, maps, flight/vessel tracking • **Technical sources** — Domain registrations, IP data, leaked databases

SENTINEL aggregates 40+ of these sources into a single searchable platform.

Always operate within legal boundaries:

**DO:** • Use publicly available information only • Verify information from multiple sources • Document your sources and methodology • Respect privacy laws (GDPR, CCPA) • Follow platform terms of service

**DON'T:** • Access private systems or accounts • Use deception to obtain information • Harass or stalk individuals • Redistribute copyrighted material • Violate export control regulations

Always verify your findings before acting on them:

1. **Cross-reference** — Check information against multiple independent sources 2. **Check dates** — Ensure information is current and relevant 3. **Assess credibility** — Evaluate the reliability of each source 4. **Document everything** — Keep records of where you found each piece of information 5. **Use satellite imagery** — SENTINEL's before/after comparison can verify physical changes

SENTINEL's Research Workspace helps you map relationships:

• Start with a known entity (person, organization, vessel) • Let the AI auto-expand connections to depth-2 • Verify each connection before including in reports • Use the timeline feature to track entity activity over time • Export your network as a dossier for stakeholders

Protect yourself while conducting research:

• Use SENTINEL's built-in tools rather than visiting sources directly • Don't reveal your investigation targets on social media • Keep your research methodology confidential • Use secure communication for sensitive findings • Be aware that some targets may be monitoring for research activity