OSINT Cyber Operations - Basic

OSINT Cyber Operations – Basic is a five-day, hands-on course that introduces students to the fundamentals of open-source intelligence in a cyber operations context. Students will learn how to identify, collect, evaluate, and brief publicly available information while applying legal, ethical, and operational security considerations throughout the intelligence process.

The course begins with foundational concepts such as IP addressing, DNS, email protocols, publicly available information, OSINT distinctions, legal authorities, and OPSEC principles. Students then move into practical collection techniques, including advanced search, username and email investigation, public records research, document metadata analysis, image analysis, geospatial tools, and basic automation. As the course progresses, students apply the intelligence cycle, F3EAD model, structured analytic techniques, source reliability assessment, link analysis, and intelligence writing practices to convert raw findings into decision-ready intelligence.

Throughout the week, students complete integrated labs, maintain a structured collection notebook, and build toward a final intelligence briefing. The course concludes with student briefings and a team-based OSINT capture-the-flag challenge that reinforces the full week of skills in a practical scenario-based environment.

Ideal Audience

This course is designed for students, analysts, cyber professionals, law enforcement partners, military personnel, and government or organizational staff who need a practical introduction to OSINT tradecraft in support of cyber operations, investigations, threat awareness, or intelligence preparation.