What Makes Information Valuable? The OSINT Community Weighs In

On LinkedIn, we kicked off a conversation with our OSINT community: 

The comment section included thoughtful questions, but one stood out: 

Do you feel like all information is good information? What if it turns out to be mis/disinformation? 

The responses included key lessons about disinformation, verification, and what really counts as intelligence. We loved the responses so much, we had to share the takeaways!

Here’s what the community had to say:

Information ≠ Intelligence

Not all information is intelligence. There can be a lot of information, but the value of information lies in how it’s analyzed and verified. 

Mis/Disinformation Can Be Useful

Even false information can be useful. Disinformation can lead to other insights such as sentiment trends, behavioral patterns, or signs of an influence operation. The important thing is to recognize it for what it is. 

Verification is the Name of the Game

All information must be vetted and cross-checked. Frameworks like the Admirability Scale are essential for evaluating credibility. 

Collect then Analyze

Stick to the Intelligence Lifecycle when doing investigations: collect data, then analyze. Plus, be sure to use a variety of sources when gathering information so you can establish patterns, find anomalies, and identify what doesn’t belong. 

Keep the Skepticism 

It’s important to be curious and cautious with the information you gather. Accuracy is more important than speed, so be sure to validate findings and don’t rush to conclusions. 

Conclusion

These lessons can make all the difference in your work on cases! But understanding is only half the battle—putting these lessons into action is how you grow your OSINT skills.

Ready to practice these skills in real-world training scenarios? Try one of our immersive cases now!