Is It Time for In-House OSINT Capabilities?

In partnership with

Dear reader,

In this week's edition of Wag The Dog, I'm writing from Austria where I'm helping run a crisis simulation with the International Atomic Energy Agency.

With the Israel/US/Iran conflict unfolding and seeing how AI-generated disinformation is spreading faster than anyone can verify it⁴ , it got me thinking about a critical question every communications professional should be asking:

Is it time for your organization to develop its own Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) capabilities?

We're witnessing the first major geopolitical crisis where artificial intelligence has been systematically weaponised to create and spread false information at industrial scale.

The implications extend far beyond geopolitics—they're fundamentally changing how threats emerge and impact organisations worldwide.

So in this edition, I explore whether traditional reactive crisis communication is still enough in our polycrisis world, and how building OSINT capabilities could be the difference between staying ahead of threats and scrambling to respond when it's already too late.

Table of Contents

• The New Reality of AI-Powered Misinformation

• What Exactly Is OSINT?

• Welcome to the Polycrisis

• Why Build Your Own Team?

• How to Actually Build This

• The Smart Money's on Hybrid

• Don't Wait for the Crisis

• Let’s meet!

The New Reality of AI-Powered Misinformation

The videos looked terrifyingly real. Massive explosions rocking Tel Aviv. Aircraft wreckage scattered across Ben Gurion Airport. Iranian missiles streaking across Israeli skies. Within hours, these images had been viewed millions of times across social media platforms, shaping public perception of an escalating Middle East crisis.

There was just one problem: they were all fake.

Intelligence reports from the current Israel-US-Iran conflict show we're watching the first major geopolitical crisis where artificial intelligence has been weaponised to create and spread disinformation at an industrial scale.

The AI-generated content, from "Doomsday in Tel Aviv" videos to fake images of destroyed aircraft, spreads faster than anyone can verify it, creating what analysts call "a fog of false narratives that obscures genuine intelligence assessments".

If you're a communications or PR professional trying to navigate this increasingly chaotic world, this raises a serious question: Should your organisation be building its own Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) capabilities?

What Exactly Is OSINT?

OSINT (Open Source Intelligence) is the systematic collection, analysis, and verification of information from publicly available sources. It's not classified spy work. Instead, it uses sources we all have access to: social media platforms, news outlets, public databases, academic publications, and yes, even the dark web.

Today's version operates at digital scale. Picture professional-grade fact-checking mixed with strategic monitoring.

Your typical media monitoring service flags when someone mentions your company online. OSINT capabilities can spot emerging threats, track disinformation campaigns targeting your industry, verify suspicious claims before they explode across social media, and give you early warning when reputational risks are brewing.

The Middle East conflict shows exactly why this matters. Intelligence analysts report that "AI-generated materials achieve wider distribution than verified reporting" while "traditional verification mechanisms (fact-checking organisations, OSINT analysts, independent media) struggle to maintain pace with synthetic content generation".

This is no longer just about global politics; it's about safeguarding your business.

Welcome to the Polycrisis

We're living through what we call a "polycrisis"; multiple, interconnected disasters happening all at once. Climate emergencies, geopolitical meltdowns, economic chaos, and technological disruption create perfect conditions for misinformation to thrive and corporate reputations to get destroyed overnight.

Look at how fast false narratives spread recently. State media published AI-generated images claiming to show downed Israeli aircraft, while pro-Israeli accounts dug up footage from Iran's 2017 protests and passed it off as current anti-regime demonstrations. Both sides admitted they were running deliberate misinformation campaigns to gain tactical advantages.

Consider these scenarios:

• Competitors spreading false stories about your products or leadership

• Activists targeting your operations with misleading claims that go viral

• Foreign actors manipulating public opinion about your international business

• Coordinated attacks designed to crash your stock price

Why Build Your Own Team?

Organisations typically handle intelligence gathering in three ways: build internal teams, hire outside specialists, or rely on commercial monitoring platforms. Each has pros and cons, but today's threat environment increasingly demands some level of in-house capability.

You Control Everything

In-house OSINT gives you complete control over data sources, analysis methods, and how sensitive information gets handled. This matters a lot for heavily regulated industries or companies with unique risk profiles. You can customise processes, alerts, and reporting exactly how you need them while keeping sensitive findings locked down internally.

Speed When It Counts

When your team spots a potential threat, they can immediately coordinate with legal, communications, and executive protection. No external delays. No confidentiality worries. No waiting for outside contractors to understand your business context.

Understanding What's Coming

Analysis of the Middle East conflict warns that "this information warfare model will likely be replicated in future regional conflicts", and organisations need "enhanced media literacy among intelligence analysts and diplomatic personnel".

Global companies face similar challenges as geopolitical tensions increasingly blur lines between state-sponsored disinformation and corporate targeting.

How to Actually Build This

Setting up effective OSINT capabilities doesn't mean creating a mini-CIA. Intelligence professionals recommend starting small and growing as you learn.

Start With Your Biggest Worries

First, identify your organisation's most valuable assets and likely threat sources. A bank might focus on monitoring dark web chatter for fraud indicators, while a tech company watches for intellectual property leaks and executive threats.

Hire Smart, Not Big

Small teams of 3-5 analysts often work fine for focused tasks like executive protection. You need bigger teams for global monitoring. More important: hire people who are naturally curious, persistent, and think critically rather than just technical experts. Also budget for mental health support. Monitoring this kind of content takes a psychological toll.

Tools That Actually Work Together

Modern OSINT balances automation with human judgement. Commercial platforms can monitor hundreds of thousands of sources across the surface and deep web, while specialised tools help map threat networks and send real-time alerts.

The trick is choosing technologies that plug into your existing security and crisis communication systems.

Get Your Processes Right

Create formal workflows for data collection, privacy compliance, and crisis escalation. This means approved source lists, optimised keywords, and clear procedures for alerting executives about real-time threats. Plan for regular training updates because tactics and tools change fast.

The Smart Money's on Hybrid

Most organisations do best with a mixed approach. Keep core capabilities in-house for sensitive tasks and strategic oversight. Outsource specialised investigations. Use commercial platforms for broad monitoring.

This hybrid model gives you flexibility—scale up resources during crises while keeping strategic functions internal. It's also more cost-effective since you can automate routine tasks while saving in-house expertise for high-value analysis.

Don't Wait for the Crisis

We're currently witnessing the first major crisis where AI-powered disinformation operates at an industrial scale, and the implications go way beyond geopolitics.

Building OSINT capabilities isn't just about monitoring threats; it's about having the situational awareness to protect your reputation, operations, and stakeholders when everything hits the fan.

The technology exists² . The methods work³ . The only question is whether your organisation will invest in these capabilities before you desperately need them or scramble to build them while your next crisis unfolds in real time.

Want to start exploring OSINT for your organisation?

Begin by auditing your current monitoring systems and mapping out your highest-priority threats. Even small steps toward better situational awareness can make the difference when a crisis strikes.

If you need help, I am just an email away…

References and further reading.

1  TechMindXperts. (2023, April 13). The Beginner’s Guide to Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT): Techniques and Tools. Medium. https://medium.com/@techmindxperts/the-beginners-guide-to-open-source-intelligence-osint-techniques-and-tools-6a91b9c37ee1

2  Guide, O. (2025, February 9). Home - OSINT Guide - Open Source Intelligence. OSINT Guide - Open Source Intelligence. https://osintguide.com/

3  Tools That Fight Disinformation Online. (2016). Rand.org. https://www.rand.org/research/projects/truth-decay/fighting-disinformation/search.html

4  to. (2025, June 18). Israel-Iran misinformation is circulating online - what to watch out for – Full Fact. Fullfact.org. https://fullfact.org/conflict/israel-iran-misinformation-circulates-online/

Sponsor

Find out why 1M+ professionals read Superhuman AI daily.

In 2 years you will be working for AI

Or an AI will be working for you

Here's how you can future-proof yourself:

1. Join the Superhuman AI newsletter – read by 1M+ people at top companies

2. Master AI tools, tutorials, and news in just 3 minutes a day

3. Become 10X more productive using AI

Join 1,000,000+ pros at companies like Google, Meta, and Amazon that are using AI to get ahead.

Sign up and start learning AI

What I am reading/testing/checking out:

• Article: The Betrayal of Peace and Safety: How Bad Decisions Turn Manageable Problems into Catastrophes

• Guide: Using AI Right Now: A Quick Guide

• Tool: the beta & draft version of my Crisis Communication Competency Assessment Tool (feedback welcome!)

Let’s meet!

PS: I hope you've enjoyed this newsletter! Creating it each weekend is a labour of love that I provide for free. If you've found my writing valuable, the best way to support it is by sharing it with others. Thank you for reading!

_{Parts of this newsletter were created using AI technology to draft content. In addition, all AI-generated images include a caption stating, 'This image was created using AI'. These changes were made in line with the transparency requirements of the EU AI law for AI-generated content. Some links in this newsletter may be affiliate links, meaning I earn a small commission if you click and make a purchase; however, I only promote tools and services that I have tested, use myself, or am convinced will make a positive difference.}