Our weekly hack for those in the field doing the work & digging up critical intel.
The ability to uncover information on the internet is the primary skill of an online investigator. There are hundreds of thousands of surface, deep, and dark websites, but which are most pertinent to your unique case? Do you know how to utilize Google to its full potential? With new social media platforms coming online at a rapid pace, capturing leads and evidence in social media networks is more complex than ever. Do you know the latest tools of the trade?
Hg’s OSINT Tips of the week provides you with the latest intel how to be most effective in our tradecraft. We are always looking for new tools, so don’t hesitate to let us know if you have one you’d like reviewed in a future post!
Enjoy!
virtualglobetrotting.com
Concern for an executive or celebrity client? Virtualglobetrotting.com contains images of celebrity homes with city and state. The information can be opted out. Search by name or keyword to locate potential residential information. Results include such personal identifiers as ownership details and satellite images of the property via Google Maps. Map titles, descriptions, and geographical information—all user-submitted—can be changed upon request. To opt out, locate an entry and then submit a removal request (response in 24 hrs) via the contact page (virtualglobetrotting.com/contact). Personal info such as location, city, mapping services links will be removed.
thomasnet.com
Searching for a supplier in the United States? Thomasnet.com claims to aggregate information on over 500,000 suppliers. Search by category, company, or brand for suppliers, products, or CAD models in a specific region or all over the United States. Results will return manufactures, distributors, service companies, and information about them such as their contact information, address, or company summary. With an account, a supplier can edit their information; so it is recommended that the information they provide be vetted and verified. With an account, a user can obtain certifications and registrations for the supplier, diversity and small business status, and a free supplier summary report.
expertsphp.com tiktok-video-downloader.html
TikTok is a hub for personal information and OSINT research. Despite few accessible tools to analyze TikTok information, ExpertsPHP.com provides users with an instrument to download videos on the social media app without a watermark. Simply locate a public video on the platform, and through a web browser, copy its URL. To download the video, paste the URL in the download field located on this tool. The video will then be saved as an MP4 to your computer and can be viewed or shared. The tool is excellent for social media investigations, specifically for TikTok users.
Have an OSINT tip for us? Contact us, and we will consider reviewing it in future posts!
Are you an analyst or investigator looking for advanced OSINT & SOCMINT training? If so, check out Hg’s webinar series on social media investigative training, where you can attend live sessions and receive CEUs or watch previously recorded sessions to beef up your investigative skills.
