Open sources
Open-source information is said to be open if:
it is fully accessible by third parties.
can be of individual or collective origin.
can be collected and processed automatically or manually.
Open source categories:
Traditional Media - newspapers, magazines, radio, and television.
Internet - communities and user-generated content (social networks, video sharing networks, wikis, chats, and blogs).
Public Data - official data from governmental and other organizations, conferences, speeches, from companies.
Observation and Reporting - data collected by specialized citizens.
Pictures, Videos, and Sound - maps, satellite images.
Professional and Academic - grey literature, reports, and articles.
Advantages
open sources are less costly and quick to access.
open sources provide information beyond closed sources and in greater quantities.
open sources can reduce the need for the production of classified intelligence and complement the latter.
does not compromise the purposes of the investigation.
open sources are a contextual element for classified intelligence operations.
Disadvantages
open source information does not replace classified information due to its intentionally secretive nature.
can be subject to misinformation or arbitrariness and therefore generally require a validation process.
need experts in various domains, this is more relevant if foreign languages are involved.
the amount of information available on the Internet is usually excessive, this implies the use of specific tools.
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