Capitol to host CAE Tech Talk on open source intelligence

Myth: intelligence agencies gather their information primarily from clandestine sources.

Reality: much of the time, they don't need to. In the internet era, almost everything is online -- and accessible.

In 1997, when the World Wide Web was still in its infancy, Defense Intelligence Agency director Sam Wilson estimated that 90% of intelligence came from open sources.

Today, with the online proliferation of personal data, the percentage very likely has increased.

On Thursday (October 10), professor Anastacia Webster of California State University San Bernando will highlight some of the methods and tools used by open source intelligence (OSINT) professionals use to harvest information online. Webster will be presenting as part of the ongoing Center for Academic Excellence (CAE) Tech Talks series hosted by Capitol Technology University.

And you don’t have to travel to the Capitol campus to hear the presentation: all CAE Tech Talks take place online, via the university's online learning platform. To attend the talk, simply follow this link and register as a "guest." Event begins at 1:10 pm on Thursday.

During her talk, Webster will provide demonstrations of tools that allow OSINT professionals to brute force directories and files names on web/application servers, scan for traffic, or find information using people search engines, photograph searches, mapping sites, government/public record sites.

It's not only intelligence agencies that use these tools. Hackers and cybercriminals do too -- and cybersecurity professionals need to know about them in order to protect people and organizations.

CAE Tech Talks are hosted monthly by Capitol, with the aim of providing a forum for cybersecurity subject matter experts to present research and information on a spectrum of cybersecurity topics. Not able to make the talk? No worries: all CAE Tech Talks are recorded, and you may also view PDFs of the presentations.

One of the first universities in the nation to offer academic programs in cybersecurity, Capitol Technology University has earned repeat designations by the Department of Homeland Security and National Security Agency as a Center for Academic Excellence (Cyber Defense). The Laurel-based university offers a bachelor's degree in the field, as well as an online master's degree and a doctorate.  

Want to learn more about the Center for Academic Excellence program and the educational opportunities available at Capitol? Contact Dr. William Butler, chair of the cybersecurity program, for more information: whbutler (@) captechu.edu.