What is OSI?

Open Source Information

Open Source Information is publicly available information (ie any person could lawfully obtain the information by request or observation), as well as other unclassified information that has limited public distribution or access. This latter is referred to as “grey” literature and includes non-proprietary information from companies and other organisations.

Open Source Intelligence

Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) results from the integration of legally and ethically available sources, which require: analysis, collection management, source validation, multi-source fusion and compelling presentation.

Benefits of OSINT

Open Source Intelligence is not a substitute for traditional intelligence disciplines however open source intelligence offers distinct advantages to support those disciplines.

Open source information is easy to access and unclassified open source intelligence can be readily shared.

The provision of open source intelligence remains consistent with the standard principles of intelligence in that it must be timely and accurate.

Open source intelligence is frequently the only discipline able to respond rapidly in developing initial information collection requirements for tactical and strategic planning.

The provision of Open Source Intelligence means achieving significant savings as advice required by case managers can be acquired at a lower cost and in less time than from clandestine or covert sources interrogating similar open source avenues of enquiry in a classified environment.