Open Source Intelligence Techniques: Resources for Searching and Analyzing Online Information Paperback – March 28, 2015

Intelligence analysts and investigators who use the powerful online search techniques taught by Michael Bazzell will welcome the just-released fourth edition of his book "Open Source Intelligence Techniques." But it’s not just for spooks and sleuths. A very broad spectrum of society can benefit from following this guide on how to extract open, often sensitive, information about others from the Internet through use of legal, many times unknown, databases, search tricks, and roundabout methods. No illegal breaking into accounts is advocated. Just knowing how and where to search is enough. Some, no doubt, will be alarmed at learning what’s “out there” about them. But others should find great benefit in learning how to find out the truth, good or bad, about the people, businesses and institutions that make up our world.

This is a rich update with nearly 40 pages devoted to extracting intelligence from the motherlode social network Facebook (1 Billion plus members and counting) in spite of roadblocks Facebook created when it changed its "Graph" search interface in late 2014. Bazzell has created a custom search tool that can be used free, by anyone, to conduct investigations on Facebook. And he has created Google custom search engines – also free -- for probing many other social resources including Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, dating sites, telephone number and address databases, and photo metadata. Maybe you would like to create your own Google custom search engine, tailored to the sites you want to explore? Bazzell shows you exactly how to do it (and it’s not difficult).

There’s a separate section devoted to Android "emulation." It explains how to make a laptop or desktop computer simulate a smartphone to conduct investigations with apps designed to operate only on mobile devices (e.g., Snapchat, Tinder, and Kik). He describes the impracticality of using smartphones with tiny screens and limited functions to conduct investigations that may need to be documented with screen captures, videos, and extensive notes.

A large section of the book describes free Windows “portable” programs that are appropriate for intelligence gathering. Also a portable edition of Firefox browser configured for online investigations. These can be downloaded to, and run from, a USB drive or digital memory card. [Investigators with Mac and Linux systems can run the Windows programs by using virtualization software]. Bazzell makes these programs and browser add-ons available to people enrolled in his online training program through his Inteltechniques.com website. However, readers of the book, if they want them, will need to assemble the materials on their own since the book only identifies the names and functions of the programs.

Bazzell draws on an 18-year police career in Illinois, where he was assigned to the FBI Cyber Crimes Task Force, in revealing hundreds of practical techniques for extracting Internet intelligence about subjects who range from the lowest fraudsters and scoundrels to everyday honest individuals who are being checked for trusted jobs and personal or business relationships. Many will be surprised, others shocked, by the clear, candid explanations of how to legally crack telephone numbers and addresses; investigate websites, domains and IP addresses; identify and track individuals who hide behind aliases; geolocate people (determine their latitude/longitude coordinates) through their smartphone interaction with various social network sites (e.g. Twitter, Foursquare, Instagram, Flickr); use maps, street view images and satellite imagery in investigations; and conduct deep investigations of most anything that appears on the Internet. Of course, there’s more. There’s a good tutorial on basic search engine use (many people have no clue how to construct an effective search “query” and, therefore, don’t retrieve good answers). And there’s good coverage of the search engines themselves.The usual suspects – Google, Bing and Yahoo – are referenced throughout the book. But searchers in the future may want to also include the big Russian and Chinese search engines, Yandex and Baidu. One of Bazzell’s free custom search engines (on his website) searches all of these, plus 10 more simultaneously. He recommends using the Firefox browser.

This is a book that should be within arm’s reach of every investigator, particularly in the United States inasmuch as the Internet is heavy on US-centric resources. It represents a continuing 5-Star effort by Michael Bazzell.

I am a genealogist who spends most of my time searching for dead people. Recently challenged by our Sheriff's Dept Coroner to assist in finding families of unclaimed bodies. After going to genealogy classes for years, this book has websites and info that I have never heard of. Gives ways to work around the pay sites. A plethora of info, written so even a novice can understand, our entire group has been buying this book. Anyone looking for anyone would benefit from this book. Well worth the price. It is a go to.

Awesome book! Started reading and it captured my complete attention! Great Author! Getting my bachelors in IT Security and loving it!

Michael Bazzell knows his stuff. This is a MUST read for every private investigator out there.

What a book. WHAT A BOOK! I wish I could dig inside Michael Bazzell's brain. He is the master at OSINT techniques! I've had the book for two weeks now and haven't been able to hardly put it down!

Excellent text book for people dedicated to investigations, due diligence and security assessments. Very well documented and updated.

I am speechless. I had written my own book on this subject and was about to publish it when I found this gem. It is great to know there is somebody out there who takes enough pride in his work to produce such a detailed and useful manual. I use the search interfaces on the accompanying website daily to uncover fraud in my line of work and have been referring others to these resources. Thank you again MIchael, and I look forward to buying all books you bring out in the future!! :-)

As a genealogist who works with our county coroner in finding next of kin for unclaimed persons, this book is my number one 'go to'. It has helped bring closure and peace to families of missing persons. I have recommended this book to everyone I know. In a single book, the number of sources is vast and his explanations of how to use the sites are perfect for even those who are not tech savvy. I have been doing genealogy for years and know a lot of resources but Michael's book has gems that no one in my genealogy society had ever heard of. I used his book in preparing to give a class for genealogists for finding living persons. To prepare, I used his sites and inserted the name of an old friend with an unusual name to see what I would get. It was amazing. Often, techy books are outdated by the time they are printed. Not so here. Every resource gave valuable hits. The amount of information "out there" on all of us is disturbingly vast. Mr. Bazzell knows and is helping the rest of us know too. Thanks for a great resource!