OSINT Framework: Tools, Methods & Resources
A curated directory of OSINT tools organized by investigation category — from people search and domain research to dark web monitoring and geospatial intelligence.
OSINT Framework
An OSINT framework is a structured collection of tools, techniques, and resources organized by category to help investigators efficiently gather and analyze open-source intelligence. Frameworks serve as starting points for investigations — mapping available tools to specific tasks so practitioners can quickly identify the right resource for each phase of their work.
OSINT Tool Categories
Tools are organized by investigation category. DigitalStakeout's tools are highlighted where they provide relevant capability.
People & Identity Search
Tools for identity research, background investigation, and finding information about specific individuals across public records and online sources.
Identity research across public sources
750+ platforms and networks
People search engine for identity resolution
Username availability across platforms
Domain & Infrastructure
Tools for DNS lookups, WHOIS queries, subdomain enumeration, IP research, SSL certificate analysis, and infrastructure reconnaissance.
300M+ domains, DNS records, IP research
Internet-connected device search engine
Internet infrastructure search and analysis
Historical DNS and domain intelligence
Social Media Intelligence
Tools for monitoring, analyzing, and searching public social media content — including posts, profiles, comments, and geo-tagged activity.
75M+ sources including social media
Geo-tagged social media content
Public content tracking (limited access)
Free social media search engine
Data Breach & Credentials
Tools for searching breach databases, monitoring credential exposure, and identifying compromised accounts across data dumps and dark web sources.
Leaked credentials and personal data
Free breach notification and search
Breach database search engine
Web & Content Analysis
Tools for analyzing web pages, tracking content changes, conducting cached page retrieval, and performing web asset reconnaissance.
Web asset research and analysis
Historical web page archives
Website technology profiling
Dark Web Monitoring
Tools for monitoring hidden services, underground forums, encrypted marketplaces, and paste sites accessible through overlay networks.
Continuous dark web collection and AI classification
75M+ sources including dark web forums and paste sites
Tor hidden service search engine
Dark web search and indexing
Intelligence archive and dark web search
Geospatial Intelligence
Tools for geo-tagged content analysis, satellite imagery, location mapping, and spatial correlation of open-source intelligence.
Geo-tagged social media search
Satellite and aerial imagery
Satellite imagery processing
Building Your OSINT Workflow
An effective OSINT workflow combines the right tools with a structured methodology. Here's how to approach it.
Define Requirements
Start with clear intelligence questions. What threats are you looking for? What assets need monitoring? What decisions will this intelligence support? Your requirements determine which tool categories to prioritize.
Layer Your Tools
Use search tools for ad hoc investigations and targeted lookups. Layer in a continuous monitoring platform for ongoing collection, AI classification, and real-time alerting across all source categories simultaneously.
Automate and Scale
Manual OSINT doesn't scale. Automate collection, classification, and alerting to turn intelligence operations from reactive research into proactive monitoring. Focus analyst time on decisions, not data gathering.
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OSINT Framework FAQ
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