OSINT Basics

OSINT, or Open Source Intelligence, refers to the process of collecting and analyzing information from publicly available sources. This can include data from the internet, social media, public records, and more. OSINT is used by various organizations, including law enforcement, intelligence agencies, and private companies, to gather information for decision-making, investigations, and security purposes.

Some common OSINT techniques include:

• Web Scraping
• Social Media Monitoring
• Public Records Research
• Geolocation Analysis

We will focus on using Shodan for OSINT purposes. Shodan is a search engine that allows users to find specific types of computers connected to the internet using a variety of filters. It can be used to discover vulnerable devices, gather information about network infrastructure, and identify potential security risks.

To get started with Shodan, you will need to sign up for an account. To get more features, use your live.maryville.edu address to get an educational account. Academ membership features include

• Ability to monitor up to 16 IP addresses
• 100 query and scan credits per month
• Shodan maps and images access
• View of vulnerabilities

Once you have your student Shodan account, you can begin exploring the platform and utilizing its features for OSINT research. Keep in mind that Shodan allows us to gather information about a target with exposing our own IP address. We do not interface with the target directly.

Let's examine Maryville's DNS Records