10 Best Open Source Intelligence Courses and Certifications Online

Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) is an increasingly important field in gathering and analyzing data from publicly available sources. With the growth of the internet, there is an abundance of information that can be used for intelligence purposes. As a result, there has been a rise in the availability of online courses that aim to provide individuals with the necessary skills and knowledge to conduct effective OSINT. In this article, we will explore some of the best Open Source Intelligence courses available online and provide an overview of what they offer.

Here’s a look at the Best Open Source Intelligence Courses and Certifications Online and what they have to offer for you!

10 Best Open Source Intelligence Courses and Certifications Online

1. The Complete Social Engineering, Phishing, OSINT & Malware by Muharrem AYDIN (Udemy) (Our Best Pick)

This course, titled “The Complete Social Engineering, Phishing, OSINT & Malware Course,” offers a comprehensive education on how hackers can exploit Windows, Linux, and Android systems using social engineering, and teaches individuals how to protect themselves from phishing attacks. The course is designed for individuals seeking to enter the IT security field or anyone interested in securing their home network. Students have reported significant progress in just a few days of taking the course.

The course also provides answers to frequently asked questions about ethical hacking, discussing topics such as ethical hacking’s legality, the skills required for ethical hackers, and the usefulness of using Linux for hacking purposes. The course distinguishes between ethical, black, and gray hat hackers, and highlights the importance of the Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) and Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) certification exams in the field.

The course covers all aspects of social engineering, including phishing, vishing, and open-source intelligence gathering. It also outlines the usage of the Empire Project, MSFvenom, Veil, and TheFatRat, among others. The course is presented in a straightforward, practical format, avoiding any unnecessary talk or waiting times.

The course instructor has over 10 years of experience as a security expert and focuses on creating the best and necessary content for students. The course is frequently updated to include the latest knowledge and tools relevant to the field. Students have lifetime access to the course, and the instructor offers full support in answering any questions.

Please note that the course is for educational purposes only, and all information learned should be used while the attacker is authorized. The course is divided into sections, including Introduction to Metasploit, Social Engineering Terminologies, Creating Malware and Malware Tools, Phishing, Vishing, and Information Gathering Through the Internet. Upon completion of the course, a certificate is available.

2. OSINT: Open-Source Intelligence by Jeff M (Udemy)

The OSINT: Open-Source Intelligence course is geared towards hackers, investigators, and individuals interested in investigating people and companies using free open source tools. The course will cover topics such as tools, techniques, setting up a virtual lab, and how to protect oneself. The course is designed to be beginner-friendly and offers an easy to follow and practical approach. The content of the course is regularly updated to ensure that it remains relevant and up-to-date. Additionally, the instructor offers support to students who may have questions or need assistance.

The course is divided into several sections, including an introduction, reporting, getting started, sock puppets, data collection, advance searching, reverse searches, employee and employer searches, people searches, website OSINT, the dark web, various browser plugins, social media, OSINT frameworks, miscellaneous, bringing it all together, and a bonus section. The bonus section offers additional content and resources to supplement the course material.

Throughout the course, students will learn about OSINT from a hacker’s perspective and how both hackers and investigators use these tools. The course emphasizes the importance of safety when exploring the use of sock puppets, a Linux virtual machine, and more. The instructor ensures that the course remains up-to-date as things change, become obsolete, new tools or techniques emerge.

It is important to note that neither the instructor nor anyone associated with DGS has any affiliation with any of the vendors, software manufacturers, or programmers in this course. Students can be assured that the course content is impartial and unbiased.

3. OSINT: Open-Source Intelligence Level 2 by Jeff M (Udemy)

The OSINT: Open-Source Intelligence Level 2 course is designed for individuals with an interest in hacking and investigation. In this course, learners will continue their learning and understanding of OSINT, building on the knowledge they gained in the previous course.

The course covers a range of topics, including the use of additional tools, creating burner accounts for OSINT, criminal background checks, vehicle lookups, and using Linux for OSINT. It is important to note the growing need for OSINT skills, as there has been an increase in cybercrime, fraud, and disinformation campaigns.

This course is suitable for individuals in various fields, including hackers, pentesters, investigators, HR, and anyone else interested in the topic. The instructor of the course, Jeff M, aims to provide high-quality content and support to learners.

The course is structured into several sections, including website crawling tools, social engineering, encryption, Nmap/Zenmap, and search code. Additional topics covered include criminal checks, Twitter and Facebook tools, Reddit, Instagram, and identifying misinformation.

Finally, learners will explore topics such as politics, business, and Bitcoin, and will learn how to investigate images, vehicles, and the dark web. The course ends with a section on identifying and dealing with misinformation, along with bonuses for learners.

It is important to note that the instructor and the course are not affiliated with any vendors, software manufacturers, or programmers. Learners can expect support from the instructor before, during, and after the course.

4. Learn Social Engineering & Open-source Intelligence (OSINT) by Gabriel Avramescu (Udemy)

The course titled “Learn Social Engineering & Open-source Intelligence (OSINT)” is taught by Gabriel Avramescu and aims to provide an understanding of computer security beyond traditional methods. The course is designed for beginners with no prior knowledge of penetration testing or hacking. It covers both theoretical and practical aspects with hands-on labs to help students fully comprehend the material.

The course begins with the basics of social engineering and progresses to advanced levels, where students can hack into major operating systems such as Windows and Android using trojans and social engineering techniques. The focus is on tricking people into doing something harmful for a hacker’s benefit, and how an informed user can help maintain a secure system, network, or infrastructure.

The course also covers theoretical examples in a lab environment, including how to get Facebook, Gmail, iCloud, and LinkedIn passwords through social engineering, creating backdoors, and getting remote control. The course demos and labs use Kali Linux. However, the course is intended for ethical hackers and those who want to protect against this kind of attack. Hacking is illegal without legal permission.

The course contains several sections, including Introduction, Information Gathering, Social Engineering Toolkit (SET), Social Engineering using Metasploit, Attacking the users through websites – XSS and Beef-XSS, Final words, as well as bonus sections such as Web Attacks, Network Attacks, and Android Reverse Engineering.

5. The Secrets of OSINT (Open-source Intelligence) by Serhii Nesterenko (Udemy)

The Secrets of OSINT (Open-source Intelligence) course, taught by Serhii Nesterenko, is designed for individuals who wish to obtain valuable information in order to make informed decisions, protect themselves and their assets, and gain an advantage in various aspects of their lives. The course is not intended for individuals who are merely curious, as OSINT requires a certain mindset involving analytical ability, flexibility, and patience. While the course covers a variety of OSINT tools and techniques, there is no magic button that will instantly reveal information about anyone. Rather, one must use a combination of different tools and techniques to achieve their desired result.

Section 1 of the course, titled “Going Undercover,” focuses on the individual’s security, privacy, and anonymity while using the internet. It covers topics such as tracking, prevention, VPNs, browser hardening, and search engines that do not track users. Tools and tricks are provided to ensure individuals are protected from predators while browsing.

Section 2, titled “Recruiting Intelligence Sources,” provides insight into the OSINT investigation chain and teaches multiple techniques for analyzing, tracing, and combining data obtained from sources such as IP addresses, names, email addresses, phone numbers, and images. The section includes a real-life example of using these techniques to catch a gang of scammers.

Section 3, titled “How to Make Search Engines Talk,” teaches individuals how to use advanced operators to ask search engines questions that most individuals never think to ask. The section also includes information about special search engines that locate information that Google cannot find. Additionally, techniques for recovering information from websites that were previously closed or destroyed are covered, along with a real-life example of using these techniques to spot bullies in social media and reveal a two-tongued politician.

Section 4, titled “How to Interrogate Social Networks,” provides tools and techniques for extracting information from social networks such as Twitter and Facebook.

6. Cyber Security – OSINT and Social Engineering Course by FourthWall Technologies (Udemy)

The Cyber Security – OSINT and Social Engineering Course, offered by FourthWall Technologies, aims to provide an understanding of the fundamental concepts underlying Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) and Social Engineering, and their applications in real-world scenarios. The course intends to equip learners with knowledge about the commonly used tools in the Information Security Industry, which are explained in an easy-to-understand way.

The course material emphasizes the importance of Social Engineering as a method for gaining access to systems when other attack methods fail. The course also highlights the use of OSINT techniques to gather intelligence, which helps in conducting Social Engineering attacks based on the obtained information. The standard tools used in the Information Security Industry are introduced in the course and explained in detail.

The course comprises the following sections: Start Here.

7. Cyber & Social Media Intelligence Analysis by Harry Jericho (Udemy)

Course Title: Cyber & Social Media Intelligence Analysis Course
Instructors: Harry Jericho

The Cyber & Social Media Intelligence Analysis Course is a discipline within Open Source Intelligence (OSINT). The course is designed for Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) and research professionals to provide them with the knowledge, skills, and research methodologies needed to become an effective and efficient social media analyst within the field of OSINT.

The course is an online, instructional design-led program that covers a comprehensive range of social media research and analysis topics. Graduates of the program will be eligible for positions in this rapidly expanding field and will be prepared for more advanced courses in this area.

The course covers topics such as Introduction to Social Media Analysis for the Intelligence Professional, Social Media Terminology, Introduction to Social Media Analysis, Critical Thinking and Social Media Analysis, and Advanced Application of Critical Thinking in Social Media Analysis.

8. Private Investigation – OSINT (Open Source Tools) by Prakash Prasad (Udemy)

The Private Investigation – OSINT (Open Source Tools) course is designed to provide individuals interested in the field of private investigation with the skills and knowledge required to conduct successful investigations using open source tools such as Pro. The course covers various aspects of private investigation, including background investigations, unmasking lies, and discovering facts.

It is important for learners to be aware of the risks associated with the job of a private investigator and to carefully consider whether they are willing to take on these risks before proceeding. Stalking is a crime and can result in jail time, so learners must be smart, daring, and cunning to be successful. The field aspect of the job is not covered in this course.

The course includes a disclaimer which acknowledges that learners are undertaking to use the tools, techniques, and methods taught in the course at their own risk. The course provider is not liable for any damages suffered as a result of the learner’s use of the information provided in the course.

The course aims to equip learners with the necessary skills to conduct private investigations and to provide services in areas such as family law, cheating spouse, insurance matters, asset tracing, intellectual property, service of documents, due diligence, harassment and stalking, identity vetting and verification, personnel screening, theft, fraud, and forgery.

Learners can quickly develop skills in a matter of months, study at their own pace, and save time and money by not having to travel to classes. The course is designed in conjunction with senior professionals in the investigations field.

The course is challenging, but learners can get a job with no experience. The course content includes sections on background verification, image search, privacy and security open source tools, location tracing, unmasking ransom letters, detecting forged Photoshop edited photos, documents, certificates, and letters, and free calls. A bonus section is also included.

9. Advanced Cyber & Social Media Intelligence Analysis by Harry Jericho (Udemy)

The Advanced Cyber & Social Media Intelligence Analysis Course is an online course designed for Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) professionals who want to improve their social media research skills. The course is led by instructor Harry Jericho and offers comprehensive instruction on social media analysis. Upon completion, graduates will be equipped with the necessary knowledge, skills, and research methodologies to become effective and efficient social media analysts.

The course is broken down into several sections, starting with an overview of the world of social media. Students will also learn about identity management and how to protect themselves online. The course will cover the use of Google Translate and prepare students for social media analysis. In addition, students will discover tools for social media analysis, develop their own tools, and learn how to monitor social media tools.

The course aims to prepare students for more advanced courses in the field of OSINT and make them eligible for positions in this rapidly expanding field. By the end of the course, students will have gained valuable insights into social media analysis and be better prepared to analyze and interpret social media data.

10. Social Media /Network Investigation and Intelligence (OSINT) by Prakash Prasad (Udemy)

The Social Media/Network Investigation and Intelligence (OSINT) course taught by Prakash Prasad aims to equip its learners with the necessary skills to analyze, collect, and visualize data from various social media platforms such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest, Reddit, Snapchat, and Instagram. The course utilizes open-source tools to gather publicly available data and provide intelligence in various fields, including national security, law enforcement, and business intelligence.

The course’s target audience includes individuals from the private and public sectors, such as private investigators, banks, compliance industry, financial institutions, corporate lawyers, insurance companies, investigative journalists, academia, and intelligence collection fields. The learning objectives of the course include conducting basic and advanced social media investigations, understanding and utilizing open-source intelligence tools, conducting online social media investigations, investigating criminal groups on social media, and understanding the fundamentals of social network intelligence.

The course consists of several sections, including Twitter investigation and intelligence, uncovering email IDs from name/domain, identifying LinkedIn profiles using open-source advanced search intelligence, OSINT for Pinterest, Reddit forensics investigation, Instagram forensics, investigation, and reconnaissance, Snapchat investigation, and Facebook investigation and forensics with zero costs. The course also includes case studies and a bonus section.

The course comes with a disclaimer that the learner must use the tools, techniques, methods, illustrations, cases, etc., presented in the course at their own risk. The course instructor is free from any obligation, risk, liabilities, penalties, legal actions, and damages suffered or incurred by the learner directly or indirectly. The learner is solely responsible for their actions and the use of the information provided in the course. Some links may change over time, but the instructor takes adequate care to update them regularly. Learners are encouraged to notify the instructor if they come across any links that do not work.