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OPEN-SOURCE INTELLIGENCE AND DARK WEB

Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) and Dark Web Training

A customizable, hands-on program that equips U.S. federal and SLTT (state, local, tribal, and territorial) agencies to gather, analyze, and act on publicly available information, from the surface web through the dark web, with methods that stand up in court.

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APSI cohort of federal and SLTT intelligence and investigative professionals during an Open-Source Intelligence training session.
PROGRAM OVERVIEW

Built Around Your Mission, Not a Fixed Syllabus

APSI offers this Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) and dark web training for U.S. federal and SLTT planners and agencies.

The program is structured into comprehensive modules that range from the foundations of OSINT to advanced techniques for dark web investigations. Each module is crafted to build on the one before it, forming a cohesive and in-depth curriculum that is as practical as it is informative. Hands-on exercises and real-world scenarios ensure that the knowledge imparted is not just theoretical but immediately applicable.

The training is not a one-size-fits-all solution but a fully customizable framework. Whether the focus is local crime, cyber threats, or national security, content is tailored to your agency’s specific requirements, with a strong emphasis on operational security and on ethical and legal standards so that findings can withstand legal scrutiny.

PROGRAM PROFILE

A Structured Path From OSINT Foundations to the Dark Web

A sample five-day schedule anchors the program, backed by an extensive catalogue of additional standalone modules that can be combined to fit your team.

0
Day sample schedule
0
Hours of instruction each day
Add-On
Extensive additional module catalogue
Custom
Fully customizable to your mission
WHY THIS TRAINING

What Participants Gain

Every module is adaptable to agency-specific requirements, from first responders to advanced investigators and analysts.

  • Enhanced investigative capabilities: conduct comprehensive digital investigations, pierce the veil of anonymity, and gather evidence that is critical in the pursuit of justice.
  • Up-to-date techniques that keep teams current with the latest OSINT methodologies as cyber-enabled crime evolves.
  • Operational security and privacy so investigations proceed without compromising personnel safety or the integrity of operations.
  • Legal compliance grounded in ethical considerations so intelligence gathered through OSINT can stand up to the rigorous standards of legal scrutiny.
  • Customization and relevance: a fully customizable framework tailored to your mission, whether the focus is local crime, cyber threats, or national security.
  • Coverage that spans surface web and social media intelligence through dark web investigations and cryptocurrency tracking.
SAMPLE SCHEDULE

Sample Five-Day Schedule

An illustrative five-day sequence, each day seven hours, provided for an agency interested in OSINT with an investigative focus on the dark web. Days, topics, and exercises are adjusted to your team and objectives.

  1. Day 17 Hours

    OSINT Foundations for Law Enforcement

    • Introduction to OSINT: introduces the concept of Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) and outlines its critical role in investigations, covering the definitions, scope, and fundamental importance of OSINT in a legal context, with a focus on practical applications for criminal investigations and intelligence gathering.
    • Legal Compliance and Ethical Considerations: a deep dive into the legal frameworks governing OSINT operations, focusing on privacy laws, data protection regulations, and the ethical guidelines agencies must adhere to, so participants are well versed in the boundaries of legal OSINT practice.
    • Operational Security and Privacy in Investigations: practical training in using VPNs, secure browsers, and virtual machines to protect investigators’ digital footprints during online investigations, preventing compromise during sensitive operations while collecting intelligence effectively.
    • Documentation and Reporting for Legal Proceedings: guidance on maintaining meticulous documentation and reporting standards so intelligence gathered through OSINT is admissible in court, including chain-of-custody considerations and clear, detailed reports that can withstand legal scrutiny.
    • Development of Sock Puppets for Undercover Online Work: detailed instruction on creating and managing online personas (sock puppets) for undercover investigations, covering the strategic development of believable personas tailored for specific cases and operational contexts.
  2. Day 27 Hours

    Surface Web Investigations for Law Enforcement

    • Enhanced Sock Puppet Techniques: building on Day 1 with practical exercises in creating detailed backstories for sock puppets, considering operational needs and the legal implications of undercover online work.
    • Surface Web Exploration and Intelligence Collection: techniques for efficiently navigating and extracting information from the surface web, including the use of public records and open databases that are fundamental to investigations.
    • Mastering Search Engines and Open Source Data: advanced training on using search engines beyond basic queries, including the use of search operators, filters, and other tools to uncover hard-to-find information.
    • Selector Association Methods for Target Profiling: training in the use of selector association methods to correlate various pieces of information and build comprehensive profiles of investigation targets, which is crucial for building cases.
    • Fundamentals of Social Media Intelligence: instruction on the basics of social media intelligence, focusing on techniques for profiling and extracting information from commonly used platforms, including but not limited to Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
  3. Day 37 Hours

    Advanced Social Media Intelligence

    • Advanced Social Media Intelligence Techniques: in-depth exploration of advanced social media investigation techniques, including identifying covert relationships, mapping out networks, and uncovering hidden content that could be crucial in investigations.
    • Web Page Capturing for Evidence Preservation: techniques for capturing and archiving web content to preserve evidence, including metadata analysis, with a focus on tools and methods that ensure the integrity and admissibility of online evidence.
  4. Day 47 Hours

    Dark Web Fundamentals for Law Enforcement

    • Navigating the Dark Web Safely: comprehensive training on accessing the dark web, emphasizing the operational security measures participants must take to protect their identities and investigations while gathering intelligence.
    • Dark Web Marketplace Investigations: a detailed look at dark web marketplaces, focusing on identifying illegal activities and gathering intelligence on sellers, buyers, and marketplace administrators in the context of criminal investigations.
    • Specialized Investigative Techniques for the Dark Web: development of specific investigative techniques for operating within the dark web environment, considering the challenges and risks associated with these hidden online spaces.
    • Role of Cryptocurrency in Cybercrime: introduction to the use of cryptocurrency on the dark web, focusing on how criminals exploit digital currencies and how investigators can track and analyze these transactions as part of financial investigations.
  5. Day 57 Hours

    Advanced Dark Web Techniques for Law Enforcement

    • Cryptocurrency Tracking and Analysis: advanced training in tracking and analyzing cryptocurrency transactions to follow the financial trails left by criminals, including the use of blockchain forensics tools that are crucial for modern financial investigations.
    • Dark Web Threat Intelligence: leveraging dark web OSINT to generate threat intelligence, focusing on identifying and assessing threats to public safety and national security.
    • Utilization of Specialized OSINT Tools: an overview of specialized tools and resources available for effective dark web investigations, with hands-on training in the use of these tools.
    • Practical Dark Web Navigation Exercise: a hands-on exercise where participants apply their knowledge to securely access and navigate the dark web, simulating a real investigation in a controlled environment.
    • Developing Intelligence from Dark Web Data: techniques for analyzing data collected from the dark web to develop actionable intelligence, focusing on the synthesis of information and its application in ongoing cases.
    • Interactive Q&A and Tool Demonstrations: an open session dedicated to specific questions from participants, demonstrating investigative tools, and discussing scenarios or topics requested by participants to ensure the practical applicability of the training.
ADDITIONAL MODULES

An Extensive Catalogue of Additional Modules

Beyond the sample schedule, APSI supports additional teaching sessions across a wide range of specialized OSINT topics. The catalogue is extensive and this is not an all-inclusive list. The entries below are a representative sample organized by focus area.

Selector and Identity Exploitation

  1. Email Addresses
  2. Usernames
  3. Phone Numbers
  4. Domain Name and IP Address
  5. Image Searching and Reverse Image Search
  6. Metadata

Public, Business, and Financial Records

  1. Public Records
  2. Business Records
  3. Financial Records
  4. Web Archives
  5. Blogs and Forums
  6. Messaging Platforms and Chat Apps

Tradecraft, Tooling, and Security

  1. Virtual Machines
  2. Temporary Phones
  3. iOS and Android Best Practices
  4. Understanding Web Structure
  5. Scripting for OSINT
  6. Advanced Web Scraping Techniques

Deep Web, Dark Web, and Cryptocurrency

  1. Deep Web Investigations
  2. Dark Web Intelligence Analysis
  3. Advanced Cryptocurrency Analysis
  4. Working with Closed Groups

Mission-Specific Applications

  1. Financial Crimes
  2. Counterterrorism (CT)
  3. Human Trafficking Investigations
  4. Insider Threat Detection
  5. Situational Awareness for Live Events (Tactical OSINT)
  6. Crisis Management

Emerging Technology and Analysis

  1. IoT and OSINT
  2. Geolocations and Maps
  3. Geo-Tagged Data Analysis
  4. Malware Analysis for OSINT
  5. Advanced Open Source Research Methodologies
  6. OSINT for Cyber Threat Intelligence

This catalogue is extensive and fully customizable. If you have a requirement that is not addressed above, we will work with you to build it into your program.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND

Built for Federal and SLTT Investigators and Analysts

The program adapts to the experience level of your personnel and to your agency mission and case load.

  • Federal investigators, analysts, and intelligence personnel
  • SLTT (state, local, tribal, and territorial) law enforcement and agency personnel
  • Analysts conducting surface web, social media, and dark web investigations
  • Fraud, financial crime, and counterterrorism (CT) investigators
  • Personnel building operational security and undercover online tradecraft
  • Decision-makers directing OSINT-informed investigations
ENGAGE APSI

Bring OSINT and dark web training to your team.

Book a consultation to tailor the schedule and modules to your mission, or call APSI directly. Every engagement is confirmed in writing.

Book a Consultation+1 (703) 314-6408