About this Research Topic
Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) has been used throughout history to determine threats to organizations, and people, while offering opportunities. In terms of cybersecurity, OSINT has been utilized by adversaries who wish to gain knowledge about people and organizations so as to perpetrate cyber-attacks on computer networks. Some governments have even supported these cyber-attacks, which have often been facilitated by OSINT. Critical infrastructure, including the financial, healthcare, and energy sectors, face even greater threats from cyber-attacks, facilitated by the proliferation of more interconnected networks and the sheer volume of big data.
Conversely, there are also opportunities for companies to use OSINT to identify threats to their organizations and improve their cybersecurity posture. Companies have become more reliant on OSINT, such as social media and the Dark Web to recognize threats. Moreover, organizational threat intelligence today maintains an even greater reliance on OSINT and big data to discover stolen or leaked information, such as corporate financial data, intellectual property, and stolen credentials. It is therefore critical for organizations to develop their OSINT capabilities and integrate these activities into their cybersecurity tactics and strategies. OSINT has become even more imperative for critical infrastructure, where cybersecurity resources may be limited, information technology may be outdated, and the threat of disaster is greater than ever as cyber-attacks continue in this domain. The Research Topic aims to tackle these issues and initiate research and discussion on OISNT threats and opportunities for cybersecurity.
This article collection focuses on the following topics but is not limited to:
• Social media investigations for threat intelligence
• Conducting a risk assessment for critical infrastructure
• Dark Web investigations to identify organizational threats
• Using OSINT for Supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA)
• Using Big Data from open source for network security
• Threats posed by OSINT to the financial, healthcare, and energy sectors
• Using OSINT to strengthen network and organizational security
• Trends in the classification of OSINT in cybersecurity
• Privacy issues related to the use of OSINT in organizational security
• The use of OSINT in cybersecurity planning, risk assessment, compliance and ethics
Conversely, there are also opportunities for companies to use OSINT to identify threats to their organizations and improve their cybersecurity posture. Companies have become more reliant on OSINT, such as social media and the Dark Web to recognize threats. Moreover, organizational threat intelligence today maintains an even greater reliance on OSINT and big data to discover stolen or leaked information, such as corporate financial data, intellectual property, and stolen credentials. It is therefore critical for organizations to develop their OSINT capabilities and integrate these activities into their cybersecurity tactics and strategies. OSINT has become even more imperative for critical infrastructure, where cybersecurity resources may be limited, information technology may be outdated, and the threat of disaster is greater than ever as cyber-attacks continue in this domain. The Research Topic aims to tackle these issues and initiate research and discussion on OISNT threats and opportunities for cybersecurity.
This article collection focuses on the following topics but is not limited to:
• Social media investigations for threat intelligence
• Conducting a risk assessment for critical infrastructure
• Dark Web investigations to identify organizational threats
• Using OSINT for Supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA)
• Using Big Data from open source for network security
• Threats posed by OSINT to the financial, healthcare, and energy sectors
• Using OSINT to strengthen network and organizational security
• Trends in the classification of OSINT in cybersecurity
• Privacy issues related to the use of OSINT in organizational security
• The use of OSINT in cybersecurity planning, risk assessment, compliance and ethics
Keywords: Big Data, OSINT, critical infrastructure, SCADA, social media, cybersecurity
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
