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methodology

A list of methodologies or a systematic approach. Everything will be found in the main guide.

🔄 Summary: Unified OPSEC–OSINT Cycle

  1. Threat Modeling → Identify what matters.
  2. Self-OSINT Audit → Map your exposure.
  3. Profiling Others → Structured intelligence collection.
  4. Counter-OSINT → Privacy hardening + disinformation.
  5. Physical/Data Protection → Encrypt, compartmentalize, destroy.
  6. Continuous Review → Adapt cycle, detect PsyOps, stay disciplined.

🔄 Unified OPSEC–OSINT Lifecycle

Unified OPSEC–OSINT Lifecycle

🛡️ OPSEC–OSINT Master Lifecycle

Phase 1. Threat Modeling & OPSEC Baseline

📍 Goal: Know what you must protect and from whom.

  1. Identify Critical Information (CII)

    • What do you not want adversaries to know? (emails, network access, home address, sensitive ops, habits).
    • Main Guide: CII cycle

  2. Analyze Threats & Vulnerabilities

    • Who might target you? Employer, stalker, law enforcement, competitor, criminal groups.
    • Which vectors are exposed? (social media, old blogs, leaked credentials).

  3. Assess Risks

    • Probability × Impact = Risk priority.
      Example: Old breached email reused across accounts → high risk.

  4. Develop Countermeasures

    • Use anonymization, encryption, compartmentalization, and disinfo.

➡️ Cycle: Identify → Analyze → Assess → Protect → Re-evaluate
(Classic OPSEC process).

Phase 2. Exposure Identification (Self-OSINT Pipeline)

📍 Goal: Audit yourself before adversaries do.

  1. Google Dorks: "First Last" "Address", "email.com" site:pastebin.com
  2. Check Google's "Results About You" Index
  3. People Search Aggregators (US only): PeekYou, ClustrMaps, Nuwber
  4. Breach Data: HIBP → Pentester.com → LeakPeek
  5. Compile Findings in CSV/Excel (username/email variations, breached accounts, addresses).
  6. Document & Categorize by type (Emails, Phones, Addresses, Socials).

➡️ Outcome: A map of your public exposure across the web.

Phase 3. Profiling Others (Digital Profiling Cycle)

📍 Goal: OSINT workflow for targets, investigations, or red-teaming.

  1. Collect Digital Biography

    • Gather handles, emails, phone numbers.
    • Use Maigret, Blackbird, Crow, Sherlock.

  2. Analyze Behavioral Patterns

    • Posting hours → timezone.
    • Topics/content → interests, affiliations.
    • Reply habits → sociability/temperament.

  3. Assess Competencies & Countermeasures

    • Do they use VPN/Tor? Privacy-focused OS?
    • Do they reuse usernames or reveal location data?

  4. Leverage IMINT / SOCMINT

    • Cross-check posted photos against Google Maps / Bing / GeoHints.
    • Extract network ties through follows, likes, hashtags.

  5. Iterate

    • New email → re-run Phase 2 pipelines.
    • Create timeline from old to new accounts.

➡️ Digital profiling cycle = Biography → Behavior → Competency → Tools → Iterate.

Phase 4. Counter-OSINT (Defensive Playbook)

📍 Goal: Reduce footprint & mislead hostile collectors.

  1. Compartmentalization

    • Separate work/personal/anonymous personas.
    • Never reuse usernames/emails across compartments.

  2. Privacy Hardening

  3. disinfo Ops

    • Flood decoy identities.
    • Redirect investigators with misinformation.
    • Create false ties (dummy handles, meaningless patterns).

  4. OPSEC Habits

    • Use Signal/SimpleX for chats.
    • Use Tor and Mullvad VPN separately, not chained.
    • Use Monero (XMR) or cash where anonymity is critical.

➡️ Outcome: exposure shrinks + adversary signal-to-noise ratio collapses.

Phase 5. Physical & Data Protection

📍 Goal: Eliminate vulnerabilities in hardware, files, and physical space.

  1. Physical Security

    • Locks, cameras, sometimes firearms or chemical deterrents (where legal).
    • Layered defense (Perimeter → Interior → Access Control → Response).

  2. Data-at-Rest Protection

    • Encrypt drives (VeraCrypt, LUKS).
    • Password management: KeePassXC DB1 (human pw) → unlock DB2 → unlock containers (VeraCrypt).

  3. File Transfer OPSEC (Tails)

    • OnionShare / Taildrop for online.
    • Encrypted USBs for offline.

  4. Secure Data Destruction Matrix

    • HDD → DBAN → drill/hammer/shred platters.
    • SSD/NVMe → nvme-cli / nvme-sanitize → destroy NAND chips directly.
    • USB → fill with zeros → smash chip, don't just format.

➡️ Outcome: No physical compromise leaks into digital OSINT exposure.

Phase 6. Continuous Review & PsyOps Awareness

📍 Goal: Stay adaptive and guard against psychological operations.

  • Iterate: Run self-OSINT quarterly.
  • Profile Adversaries: Just as they profile you.
  • PsyOps Awareness: Recognize manipulation (sales, social media, politics).
  • Guard Against Paranoia: Skeptical without isolating yourself.

Additional Methodologies from Related Guides

Digital Profiling Methodology

From Digital-Profiling.md:

  1. Understand the Basics - Digital profiling gathers and analyzes online data; behavioral analysis infers motives, habits, and future actions.

  2. Collect Digital Biographical Information - Gather identifiers, track online activity, search for recurring usernames, document findings.

  3. Analyze Behavioral Patterns - Look for posting times, topics, language, interaction style, preferred platforms, and social networks.

  4. Assess Competencies and Affinities - Evaluate technical skill, privacy awareness, sociability, and domain expertise.

  5. Use Analytical Tools - Employ search engines, data aggregators, visualization/statistics tools and Natural Language Processing (NLPs) for deeper analysis.

  6. Iterate and Refine - Continuously update the profile as new data emerges; use structured documentation.

IMINT Methodology

From IMINT.md:

  1. Reverse Image Search - Use Google Lens or specialized tools to find image sources and related content.

  2. Geolocation Analysis - Cross-reference public images with mapping tools like Google Maps or Street View.

  3. SOCMINT Integration - Combine visual intelligence with social data from platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn.

  4. Verification - Validate findings through multiple sources and analytical techniques.

HUMINT Methodology

From HUMINT.md:

  1. Direct Engagement - Use interviews, debriefings, and interpersonal communication.

  2. Rapport Building - Establish trust through shared interests and gradual disclosure.

  3. Active Listening - Use body language and verbal cues to encourage information sharing.

  4. Observation - Notice details about appearance, environment, and behavior.

  5. Ethical Considerations - Respect privacy boundaries and legal constraints.

Counter-OSINT Methodology

From disinformation.md:

  1. Information Overload - Flood open sources with irrelevant or misleading information.

  2. Decoy Accounts - Create fake social media profiles and websites.

  3. False Attribution - Plant data pointing to incorrect actors or locations.

  4. Obfuscation Techniques - Use anonymization and deliberate mislabeling of data.