Blackdot Solutions

When you’re picking an OSINT tool, you’ll likely have specific questions to ask based on your use case, team size and budget. But regardless of these factors, there are some key questions you should ask to determine if an OSINT tool will be right for you: ➡️ 1. Does it solve a problem you actually have? It’s easy to get distracted by flashy features and current trends. But it's important to step back and assess what problem this tool solves. Is it one your team is running into often? If so, would solving it have a substantial positive impact on investigations? If the answer to either of these is no, then it might be a good OSINT tool – but it’s probably not the right one for your team. ➡️ 2. Does it centre the investigator? Remember, the human investigator is the most important part of an investigation. Without their oversight, outcomes will be less accurate and less ethical. A good tool should recognise this and allow them to lead decision-making and analysis. ➡️ 3. Does it fit within your current processes? Although your processes might look different after you implement a new tool, it’s important to consider what impact it will have on investigative workflows. For example, does it allow you to access all the data you already use? If not, will your team still be able to get actionable results? #OSINT #OSINTTool #OSINTTips

It’s great to see how AI is being applied to OSINT investigations – for example, Bellingcat recently shared this article about a tool that shows real promise when it comes to automatically categorising images. The term ‘AI’ has been thrown around a lot recently. Whilst we’re likely to see real innovations in AI for OSINT in the future, right now its capabilities are still limited. As always, it’s important to ensure that any tool enhances investigators, rather than seeking to replace them. That’s why we’ve chosen to share this tool specifically. It’s a great example of how AI should be used in OSINT investigations: to cut down repetitive manual workloads which require minimal human analysis. https://hubs.li/Q02Nj8D40 #OSINT #OSINTTools

We’re excited to invite you to our upcoming webinar, where we’ll be exploring how technology is responding to current OSINT challenges. Problems such as too much data, limited access to skilled analysts and security concerns mean that it’s more difficult than ever before for organisations to make the most of OSINT. However, it’s increasingly crucial that they overcome these challenges so they don’t miss out on the important insights that OSINT provides. The latest iteration of our OSINT solution, Videris 5, was designed alongside investigators to respond to the difficulties organisations are currently facing. Register for the webinar below to see how it empowers businesses and public sector organisations alike to get more out of OSINT investigations: https://hubs.li/Q02Msq9W0 #OSINT #OSINTForGood #OSINTTools

Have you read our OSINT Handbook yet? If not, get a deeper understanding of the benefits it provides to investigators in this article. We outline what you can expect to gain by claiming your free copy of this resource and who should read it ⬇ #OSINT #OpenSourceIntelligence #OSINTTips

Today, OSINT practitioners have a wide range of modern tools they can choose from to enhance their investigations. But good knowledge of investigative best practices such as the intelligence cycle is still crucial to lead effective, ethical and accurate investigations. Any OSINT solutions an investigator uses should enhance the skills and knowledge they already have, rather than standing in for them. Their expertise, experience and unique human insight should remain central to the investigation. #OSINT #IntelligenceCycle #OSINTTips

What role should OSINT play in effective anti-financial crime processes? If you’ve not read our OSINT Handbook for AFC, you can find a sample of it below. We explore why OSINT is becoming more and more crucial for AFC investigations and what financial institutions can do to harness open source information effectively – as well as how to speed up investigations processes. Read it below and download the full handbook here: https://lnkd.in/eSngY29F #OSINT #AntiFinancialCrime #FinancialCrime

We're excited to co-host this webinar with DataExpert in October, where we'll be exploring why collaboration is key to fighting crime effectively with OSINT. Register now to get insights into how technology supports teams using OSINT and its role in facilitating effective collaboration.

At Blackdot, we’re proud to offer our employees a Make a Difference Day, which allows them to volunteer and give back to the community. Recently, some of the team got together to spend their volunteering day at the Prospects Trust, a charitable farm in Cambridgeshire. It’s great to see this initiative in action! #Volunteering

If you’re looking to learn more about how OSINT and technology can be used across a wide range of use cases, why not head to our website to watch one of the many webinars available on demand? From countering public sector fraud with OSINT, to understanding the new EU AML plan for financial intelligence, our webinars aim to provide up-to-date insights into how OSINT is being used across industries and what you can do to optimise your investigations. You can find links to each of these webinars – and where to discover more – in the comments. #OSINT #Sanctions #Fraud

We're looking forward to this joint event with Collaboraite - be sure to register if you're a government or law enforcement professional with an interest in OSINT.