Level 1: Analyst – Course One: OSINT Foundations – Tools, Tactics & Ethics

Get started with the essentials. This course lays the groundwork for any OSINT investigation, introducing foundational tools, ethical considerations, and proven workflows. Whether you’re new to the field or brushing up on the basics, it’s your launchpad into the intelligence world.

Key Objectives:

• Understand OSINT fundamentals, ethical boundaries, and legal limitations
• Learn basic search tools, operators, and documentation methods
• Gain familiarity with planning and collection workflows

Topics:

1. Introduction to OSINT
   • Understand the role of OSINT in investigations and intelligence gathering.
2. OSINT Planning & Preparation
   • This session introduces a structured blueprint for launching professional-grade online investigations.
3. The Canadian Privacy Act
   • Explore key privacy laws, compliance guidelines, and investigative boundaries.
4. OSINT Ethics
   • Discuss data protection, responsible collection, and ethical sourcing.
5. Overview of Online Environments
   • A strategic overview of online environments, from surface web to the lesser-known deep and dark web.
6. Browsers, Extensions, Add-Ons and Apps
   • Choosing the right web browser can make or break the privacy and success of an OSINT investigation. This session provides a detailed walkthrough of five major browsers—Firefox, Chrome, Edge, Safari, and Brave—comparing them through the lens of security, privacy, and functionality.
7. Basic Search Techniques
   • Master advanced operators and search tactics for efficient queries.
8. Google Advanced Functionality
   • A deep dive into Google’s lesser-known search tools for predictive analysis, communications and search automation
9. Google Alternatives and Meta Search Tools 
   • Explore powerful Google alternatives and meta search tools to expand your OSINT capabilities beyond conventional search engines.
10. Reverse Image Search
    • Discover how to trace the origin and reuse of digital images.
11. Websites, Domain Structure & WHOIS Exploration (part 1)
    • The fundamental building blocks of the internet—domain names, DNS, IP addresses, and WHOIS data.
12. Investigating Domains, Companies and Current and Historical WHOIS Lookup Tools (part 2)
    • Walk through a real-world OSINT workflow—starting from a public-facing website and expanding outward to uncover infrastructure, ownership, and digital linkages.
13. Basic OSINT Tools Overview
    • Preview essential OSINT platforms and tools used for digital investigations.
14. Search Automation 
    • Learn how to streamline your investigations using automated search tools that enhance efficiency and uncover hidden insights.
15. The Wayback Machine
    • Uncover archived web content and trace digital footprints using the Wayback Machine and Internet Archive tools.

* To be awarded the OSINT Analyst Certification, learners must successfully complete all three Analyst-level courses and pass the final certification exam. Partial completion does not qualify for certification.