OSINT (Open Source Intelligence) is a type of threat intelligence focused on collecting and analyzing publicly available data to identify potential threats to your organization. This includes monitoring various public sources where sensitive company data may be leaked. Sources often include hacker forums, paste sites, criminal marketplaces, Telegram channels, Discord Channels, and third-party breaches.
For organizations, OSINT monitoring serves as an essential early warning system by continuously scanning the public internet. Traditionally, OSINT focuses on exposed corporate data, including employee credentials, leaked session tokens, internal documents, internet chatter, threat actors discussing your organization, and Initial Access Brokers (IABs) selling access. OSINT is particularly important as organizations increasingly use cloud services and collaborative tools. Misconfigurations or human error can accidentally expose sensitive data, making it publicly available. By monitoring OSINT, you can quickly identify and remediate leaked data before it can be exploited. OSINT helps protect your organization from data breaches, account takeovers, and reputational damage by providing visibility into your organization’s external exposure from an attacker’s perspective.
Open Source Intelligence
Leverage publicly available information to stop attacks
Track hacker forums, Telegram channels, criminal marketplaces, phishing attempts, and dark web platforms for mentions of or plans targeting your organization.
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What is OSINT?
Early data breach detection
Get alerts when your data is exposed. The sooner security teams are notified, the faster they can remediate the risk.
Stop Initial Access Brokers
Initial Access Brokers are one of the main drivers behind ransomware attacks. Reset leaked credentials before they’re exploited.
Prevent phishing attacks
Identify and take down malicious domains mimicking your organization before they’re used to steal your customers’ or employees’ credentials.
Monitor Open Source Intelligence with the #1 Platform Trusted by Great Companies from All Over the World
Our team uses Breachsense data to gain initial access during pen testing and red team engagements. The API is simple to use and the support is always helpful and responds quickly.
Gordon Maddern
Technical Director, Red Cursor
Our Security Colony platform relies on Breachsense data as part of our dark web monitoring service. The data is continuously updated and high quality. Highly recommend!
Nick Ellsmore
SVP Professional Services, Trustwave
We rely on Breachsense for a lot of data. Their frequent database updates, constant availability, and handling of big and small breaches alike means we are always covered.
Bill Mathews
CTO, Hurricane Labs
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Frequently Asked Questions
What are OSINT resources?
Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) resources refer to publicly available information that can be collected, analyzed, and used for intelligence purposes. These resources include websites, social media platforms, forums, public databases, news articles, and leaked databases. OSINT tools help gather this information efficiently. By leveraging OSINT resources, organizations can improve their security defenses, monitor for planned attacks, and proactively reset leaked credentials.
Is it legal to use OSINT?
OSINT monitoring is legal when conducted properly, as it only involves collecting and analyzing publicly available information. The key distinction is that OSINT focuses exclusively on data that is already publicly available. It focuses on information that anyone could find through legal means such as public websites, forums, and data breach collections. This is fundamentally different from hacking, unauthorized access, or other illegal methods of gathering information.
How to access OSINT?
Directly accessing certain OSINT sources like criminal forums or dark web marketplaces can expose your organization to malware, legal risks, or unwanted attention from threat actors. The safest approach is to work with an established OSINT and threat intelligence provider who maintains databases of publicly available breached data, internet chatter, and dark web monitoring capabilities. These providers offer APIs that allow security teams to monitor for exposed corporate data without directly accessing potentially dangerous sources.