Disclaimer

Why did I create this site?

The main reason? A passion project to test just how far I can push Ai to create certain basic OSINT searches.

I have been using OSINT since 1998 so I have "grown up" learning how to do everything old skool and I still have a healthy distrust of any tool or software that claims they can do all things OSINT - they don't exist. Over my career I have gone head-to-head with representatives of various OSINT software companies and I have always gathered more results than they did.  Their software doesn't find the subtleties, and lacks the intuition, of  an experienced investigator.

The tools on this site demonstrate what can be done using simple Google Boolean searches.  Over the past few years Google searches have really gone down hill.  What used to be the best search engine now appears to be the best ad engine.  However, through experimentation, I found that we can get back a lot of the Google results by manipulating our searches.

The searches on this site are meant to address the following:

• A way to show people how to do Boolean searching,

• A starting point for your investigation - it is not the investigation,

• A way for certain government investigators to get around their strict IT rules.

What do I mean by the last one?  I have taught thousands of people over the years and one common theme I hear is, "This is great but we aren't allowed to do this at work."   What is the point of sending your people onto courses but making it impossible for them to do the work?

Organizations will rarely provide stand alone investigative computers because they lose control of what their employees are doing. I know this through first hand experience and battling with my own organizations IT department. 

Open-source investigations are not a "one stop shop." They incorporate many investigative techniques and take years to master.

Treat this site as a quick way to see what's out there, take the results you find, and build on them through other means.

Good hunting!