Why OSINT is Crucial for Private Investigations - A Statistical Perspective
Here at Scout Security Group, we know that Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) has become a crucial component of modern investigations, providing significant benefits and cost savings to the customer. OSINT utilizes publicly available information from online databases, social media, public records, and other open sources to generate actionable intelligence. Here are some key statistics highlighting its importance:
Volume of Data: According to a report by Statista[1], data is being created, captured, copied, and consumed globally at an exponential rate, and is forecasted to reach 180 zettabytes by 2025 (one zettabyte is equal to one trillion gigabytes). With this explosion of information, OSINT provides a vital means to sift through vast amounts of data to find relevant insights.
Cost-Effectiveness: Our experienced investigators at Scout Security Group have seen a drastic decrease in the cost-to-customer of traditional private investigations by implementing OSINT analysis at the first stage of any investigation. We have been able to significantly reduce the required time in the field by approximately 63% or more by simply scouring open sources before engaging in any physical surveillance efforts. Many times, a physical surveillance is not even necessary to exceed customer goals and expectations.
Social Media Insights: Statistics from We Are Social[2] show that over 5 billion people use social media worldwide. With such a large user base, social media platforms are a goldmine for OSINT, offering insights into public sentiment, emerging trends, and potential threats.
Threat Intelligence: According to an article by Cybersecurity Ventures[3], cybercrime hit $8 trillion in 2023 (approximately $250,000 per second) and is expected to cost the world $10.5 trillion annually by 2025. OSINT plays a critical role in both cybersecurity and physical investigations by identifying and analyzing online threats, mapping and/or reducing digital footprints, and hardening security postures in order to help people and organizations proactively defend against digitally driven attacks.
An OSINT investigator's capability to process and analyze vast amounts of publicly available data is crucial for modern investigations. The cost-effectiveness, real-time capabilities, and extensive access to social media and public records make OSINT a powerful tool for threat detection, due diligence, and legal compliance. These factors highlight the essential role OSINT plays in improving the efficiency and effectiveness of investigative processes.
Our investigations at Scout start with OSINT, saving you valuable time and money for your investigation or due diligence needs. Give us a call at (512) 655-9005, or email, scout@scoutprotection.com, to see what Scout Security Group can do for you today to better prepare you and your organization for tomorrow!
Footnotes:
Statista. "Volume of data/information created, captured, copied, and consumed worldwide from 2010 to 2020, with forecasts from 2021 to 2025." (https://www.statista.com/statistics/871513/worldwide-data- created/) ↩
We Are Social. "Digital 2024: 5 Billion Social Media Users." (https://wearesocial.com/uk/blog/2024/01/digital-2024-5-billion-social-media-users/) ↩
Cybersecurity Ventures. "Cybercrime To Cost The World $10.5 Trillion Annually By 2025." (https://cybersecurityventures.com/) ↩
