by Aditya Pyakurel

Social and media are a deadly combination. Many of you may be wondering why I used the deadly word for social media, which has become a lifeline for each and every person in this generation. Social media these days is not only used for the purpose it was actually made for but also for heinous crimes. Now let us come to the point of how often cybercriminals use OSINT to perform cyber crimes. Oh! Shint, we forgot to discuss OSINT, which stands for open source intelligence. Open source intelligence, in simple terms, is an investigation to find certain information about any person, company, or organization. Have you ever stalked someone’s account so passionately that you found out about their liking, disliking, pet information, whereabouts, etc.? Congratulations! You are already a beginning OSINT investigator.

Now let us understand how cybercriminals use the OSINT technique to perform cybercrime using social media. Cybercriminals are very clever and intelligent; they use social media to get your personally identifiable information (PII) and use them to exploit it. They use your information to perform phishing, manipulation, and social engineering and lure you to fall into their trap.

As most of the social media accounts are not private, your images are used to do face swaps using AI (artificial intelligence), and later they are misused to threaten you and used for extortion.

They can also simply grab your email to send spam mail; they use your contacts, which are called friends and followers in terms of social media, to manipulate them in your name. Though the OSINT technique is a very essential tool for investigators, researchers, and law enforcement agencies, it is also a widely used tool for scammers and cybercriminals to perform cyber attacks. Getting openly available data from you without your knowledge is a boon for the cybercriminals and fraudsters.

Social networking sites have a good side too. They enable us to stay connected with others and shape our personas positively; however, they also present vulnerabilities that can be exploited by cyber attackers who seek to access our personal data for harmful intentions. OSINT is a resource used by investigators, but its misuse by malicious individuals threatens the safety and confidentiality of our information.

To ensure your safety in today’s world, it is crucial to understand threats and manage your online presence effectively. Compromising the security of your social media profiles and being cautious about the kind of information you disclose online can reduce the risk of falling prey to cybercrimes fueled by OSINT methods. Remember that in this era dominated by technology and information exchange, safeguard your data, as it holds value that deserves safeguarding.

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