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Open Source Intelligence in Cybersecurity

Sep 10, 2024

Nilson Networking Presentation Notes

Introduction

  • Social Media and Attention Seekers: Examples of oversharing, reckless behavior on social media.
  • Relevance to OSINT: OSINT (Open Source Intelligence) involves collecting, evaluating, and analyzing publicly available info.

Understanding osint

  • Definition: osint stands for Open Source Intelligence.
    • Collection and evaluation of publicly available information.
    • Purpose: Answer specific intelligence questions.
  • Information vs. Intelligence:
    • Information: Raw data or reports, not yet analyzed.
    • Intelligence: Analyzed and interpreted information useful for decision-making.

Sources of Open Source Information

  • Public Records and Websites: Internet, images, videos.
  • Dark Web: Another source of open-source information.

Users of osint

  • Everyone Uses It: Not just hackers or governments.
  • Examples:
    • Personal: Using social media for information on someone of interest.
    • Corporate: Using social media to vet potential employees.

Objectives of the Video

  • Discover Use Cases of OSINT:
    • Security and intelligence gathering.
    • Ethical hacking and penetration testing.

Practical Example: Penetration Testing

  • Scenario: Cybersecurity company hired for penetration test with minimal info.
  • Company Example: Nmap Software LLC.

Google Dorks

  • Introduction: Known as Google hacking.
  • Purpose: Use advanced search operators for deeper internet searches.
  • Use Cases:
    • Finding information on companies and individuals.
    • Leveraging search operators like site, filetype, intitle.
  • Example Searches: Using LinkedIn for employees, Facebook for additional info.

Shodan

  • Introduction: Search engine for internet-connected devices.
  • Purpose: Gather info on devices and network reconnaissance.
  • Use Cases:
    • Vulnerability scanning of internet-facing devices.
    • Finding IPs, open ports, vulnerabilities.

Have I Been Pwned

  • Introduction: Online database of data breaches.
  • Uses:
    • Check if email or passwords have been compromised.
    • Gather information for penetration tests.

Spiderfoot

  • Introduction: Open-source Recon tool.
  • Capabilities:
    • Identify subdomains, gather whois info.
    • Map infrastructures, open ports, DNS records.
  • Integration: Works with Shodan and Have I Been Pwned.

Recon NG

  • Introduction: Open-source Recon framework.
  • Similar to Metasploit: Automates info collection.
  • Capabilities:
    • Install modules for specific tasks.
    • Example: Profile module to find email info and profiles.

Paid Tools

  • Maltego: Visualization of relationships between data points.
    • Visual network maps, expensive.
  • Intelligence X: Historical archives, data search engine.
    • Archives past versions of websites, expensive.

Conclusion

  • Summary: Overview of tools and their capabilities for OSINT. .

Note: This presentation emphasizes the value of open-source intelligence tools for cybersecurity professionals and how they aid in practical scenarios like penetration testing.

Full transcript