SEC497: Practical Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT)

This section covers safe OSINT practices, key tools, and OPSEC on a budget. You'll learn to spot risky sites, analyze files, use canary tokens, and create sock puppets. It also introduces research tools, report writing, and offers an optional Linux lab to build command line skills.

This section covers essential OSINT skills like using search engines, finding linked websites, archiving and analyzing web data, and setting up monitoring alerts, all with OPSEC in mind. It also explores image and facial recognition, metadata, mapping tools, and ends with an optional capstone analyzing ransomware chat logs.

This section focuses on investigating individuals or groups by researching usernames, emails, phone numbers, and addresses. It covers fraud detection, social media analysis (including deleted and bot content), geolocation, and methods to access content without an account, while emphasizing privacy and effective research techniques.

This section dives into investigating websites, IPs, and online infrastructure – even for non-tech-savvy students. It explains key concepts, real-world use cases, and tools to uncover info like IP geolocation, DNS records, WHOIS history, cloud data, and more, helping both general analysts and CTI professionals avoid pitfalls and gain deeper insights.

This section explores business research, Wi-Fi forensics, AI, and dark web investigations. You'll learn to triage large datasets, track crypto activity, and automate tasks without coding. It wraps up with resources to continue your OSINT journey, making it a well-rounded and practical mix of topics.

The capstone for the SEC497 course is a multi-hour event which allows students to work together in small groups to create a threat assessment for a fictional client. Students will use the skills learned throughout the course on a variety of real-world sites. The instructor will provide feedback to each group.