Every dataset tells a story—but one that’s often incomplete. While a powerful resource, raw data can only take us so far before the blind spots start showing. Whether it’s tracking cyber threats, streamlining hiring processes, or verifying identities, organizations across the board are discovering that context is...
Social media has become a double-edged sword. While it connects billions of users worldwide, it also presents a growing risk landscape. Phishing scams, misinformation campaigns, and brand impersonation are just a few of the cyber threats that thrive on social platforms. Yet the same data that makes social media a...
At a time when our lives are becoming ever more integrated with the online realm, dating apps have become a new norm. And their stellar rise in popularity is hardly to be wondered at. After all, a lot of people simply don’t have large enough social circles—or a...
The corporate world is well aware of the manifold risks that M&A and other investment deals can pose. This is reflected in the immense growth of the commercial due diligence market, which currently has an astonishing growth rate of 9.5% and is set to hit a volume...
API solutions are indispensable for various intelligence platforms and investigations. The seamless operability that comes with API integration means that all kinds of workflows and processes can be streamlined, collaboration becomes natural and effortless, many routine tasks just vanish, and the productivity of the whole organization soars. Our new article...
In today’s climate, background checks have become a staple of verification, and open-source intelligence has risen to the fore as an indispensable element of this widespread practice. Anyone who’s applied for a job may be aware of basic screening checks. But, in fact, the world of background checks...
To the uninitiated, background checks may appear to be straightforward things. But the truth is they come in all shapes and sizes, ranging from the basic checks employers might run off from a CV to profoundly enhanced checks reaching into the recesses of the Dark Web for more serious matters....
Intelligence work is a multifaceted thing. To anyone acquainted with the field, this will be obvious from the many -INT terms that seek to categorize the various sides of the discipline. And this article is all about one of these in particular—HUMINT (Human Intelligence)—and the tools out there...
It’s a pillar of the modern intelligence cycle, taken very seriously by the national security departments of leading global powers, and is entering the mainstream in various ways. But what exactly is OSINT (open-source intelligence) in 2025? The truth is that open-source intelligence encompasses a lot, but don’t...
It’s time for our quarterly OSINT product updates where we bring everyone up to speed on what we’ve added to our functionality over the last few months. And so far, the first quarter of 2024 has been hugely productive, seeing us introduce some major new features connected to...
While it’s hard to deny the utility of open data in investigative work, how to make the most of it is not so obvious. Investigators can’t become seasoned data analysts overnight, and the effort required to process information can even be counterproductive. The place where investigative work meets...
That’s right, this is part 2 of open-source intelligence games (here is the first part if you missed it). But to recap, this two-part guide is all about learning OSINT in an entertaining way. After all, it turns out that many of the skills and techniques that make a...
Big news! Social Links has partnered with a leading provider of breached identity data, Constella Intelligence. To mark the start of this exciting partnership, we—the two companies—are getting together for the co-hosted webinar: Stealer Logs for Investigations: A New Era in OSINT. Join us on April 4, at...
When learning a new technical discipline, a major hurdle often lies in the terminology. Even if the underlying concepts aren’t that difficult to understand, the way they’re expressed can get in the way of comprehension. And OSINT, alas, does have its technical side, which can put off non-technical...
Getting to grips with open-source intelligence is a challenge, we know. With investigators needing to get their heads around so many different sub-disciplines, it’s understandable that the learning curve can be daunting. The good news is that learning can happen in many ways, and getting OSINT practice can be...
We’re happy to announce our participation in the upcoming CEPOL training program Understanding the Darknet: The Basics of Encryption in the Context of Counter Terrorism to be held in Riga, Latvia, from November 21-25. About the Event CEPOL is a European Union agency, which provides dedicated training for law...
OSINT is fast becoming a fundamental aspect of modern investigative work. Digital forensics, footprinting, and reconnaissance are now central to most criminal cases, where open data is often crucial for verifying information, collecting evidence, and finding new leads. However, such demanding work calls for effective tools and techniques. Join us...
We recently published a guide to some of the most essential SL Professional methods every investigator should be taking advantage of. However, essential though these search queries are, the solution has much more to offer, and if you get set in your ways, it may be limiting or even counterproductive....
The OSINT landscape is in perpetual flux. In a climate where cyber threats mutate from day to day, tools for processing open and big data are becoming ever more relevant. In October's digest we discuss a selection of developments in the world of cybercrime as well as the...
Great news for all our Portuguese-speaking friends! Tomorrow, October 27, we’re teaming up with our Latin American partners, TechBiz to deliver an entire webinar in Portuguese. The event is called 'Harnessing OSINT for Due Diligence and Fraud Prevention,’ and will kick off at 2 pm Brasilia Standard Time....
It’s broadly understood to be the murky underbelly of the internet, yet despite the Dark Web’s infamy, it is perhaps not fully understood by the public at large. While not necessarily illegal in itself, this clandestine domain is nonetheless an undeniable hotbed of illicit activity – a trait which...
