Richard Mathewson, Ruby Meyer, Wissal Mabrouk, OSINT Team
Jennifer Loy, Chief Editor
Monday, October 9, 2023
Industry: Social Media
(The Open Source Intelligence [OSINT] Toolkit is a report to help teach about various OSINT tools that can be used by Threat, Security, Intelligence, and Investigative Professionals [TSIIPs])
Mapping the contours and connections of an individual’s social media presence can greatly aid investigators in verifying information, anticipating behavior and identifying adverse networks.[1]
What is the BLUF about the OSINT Tool? Social Network Visualizer (SocNetV) is an open-source tool for visualizing and analyzing social networks by mapping out relationships in a visual way. It helps visualize network structures, analyze relationships, customize search parameters, and identify communities through link analysis. It has applications for academia, law enforcement, marketing, and understanding social dynamics.
What is the name of the OSINT Tool? The name of this tool is Social Network Analysis and Visualization Software.
URL: https://socnetv.org/
Who makes this tool? This tool was created by Dimitris Kalamaras. According to his LinkedIn profile, he is from Piraeus, Greece, and graduated from the University of Patras with a Bachelor’s in Mathematics and a Master of Science in Informatics and Computational Mathematics.[2] He started developing SocNetV in January 2004 and published SocNetV 1.0 in February 2014. Kamamaras is currently the chief technology officer for Cordella and a freelance developer.[3] He has a technical background, as per his LinkedIn profile, and is familiar with a multitude of programming languages and several operating systems. He currently resides in Athens and has an internet presence on the following platforms:[4]
What country is this tool based out of? Per the information listed above, it is believed that the tool is based out of Greece.
What is the purpose of the OSINT Tool? SocNetV is a free software application for social network visualization and analysis. The current 3.0.4 version allows users to visually map out social networks to gain a better understanding of their depth and structure. Features of SocNetV to assist in the analysis of social networks include:[5]
Standard graph and network cohesion metrics
Density, diameter, geodesics, distances, connectedness, eccentricity, clustering coefficient, reciprocity, etc.
Matrix routines
Adjacency plot, Laplacian matrix, Degree matrix, Cocitation, etc
Advanced measures for social network analysis
Centrality and prestige indices
Fast algorithms for community detection
Triad census, clique census, etc.
Structural equivalence analysis
Hierarchical clustering, actor similarities and tie profile dissimilarities, Pearson coefficients
Layout models
Prominence indices
Force-directed placement
Multirelational network loading and editing
Random network creation
Famous social network analysis data sets
Built-in web crawler
Uses an initial URL to automatically create “social networks”
Examines the relationships between other URLs
The SocNetV Manual includes lists of indices, models, and features available in SocNetV and details on how to use them.[6] The tool allows users to load data from a select group of file types or manually create networks by pointing and clicking on the canvas. SocNetV can help OSINT investigators create and analyze social networks of organizations, groups, or individuals. The tool’s Web Crawler feature can also help analysts vet news sources. The Web Crawler scans HTML code of online sources, identifying links to other pages which allows the user to cover more digital ground.
What is the reason TSIIPs should use this OSINT Tool? SocNetV offers TSIIPs a powerful tool to visualize social connections. It aids in identifying patterns, clusters, and influencers, assisting in threat detection, security assessment, intelligence gathering, and investigative insights into social network interactions and structures. The tool facilitates the assessment of communication patterns and community analysis within networks, offering valuable insights for tailored security measures. SocNetV empowers professionals to derive actionable intelligence, fortify security, mitigate risks posed by unchecked violent activity within online groups, and project those activities toward vulnerable groups.
How should TSIIPs use this OSINT Tool? OSINT tools like SocNetV empower professionals by aiding targeted data collection from social media platforms, monitoring potential threats and risks, and visualizing patterns. Professionals can identify threats, establish trends, and enhance security measures. Additionally, cross-referencing information from these sources helps validate other findings, resulting in verified and corroborated information. Continuous training on these tools also ensures their effective use and the upholding of ethical standards for intelligence collection.
What results will TSIIPs receive from the use of this OSINT Tool? TSIIPs can derive much from social media analysis, including the extent and composition of online communities, friends, family, and allies of Persons of Interest (POIs), and how different structural nodes interact through likes, sharing content, commentary, and similar online activity. While fragmentary, this information can be useful in helping investigators corroborate information, identify and dismantle networks used by the POI, and learn pattern-of-life behavior that could help anticipate future actions.
How will this OSINT Tool help TSIIPs protect a person or organization?
SocNetV helps TSIIPs enhance protection by early threat detection, vulnerability assessment, and revealing hidden relationships. It enables proactive threat assessment, optimizing security measures, resource allocation, and investigative efficiency.[7] Continuously monitoring social networks allows for real-time adaptation of security strategies, ensuring effective safeguarding against potential threats such as individual or group mobilization to violence. SocNetV empowers professionals to fortify defenses and create a robust protective framework for individuals or organizations.
Example of this OSINT Tool in use by a TSIIPs?
This tool can be used by OSINT enthusiasts and professional investigators, from law enforcement to the private sector. For instance, law enforcement officials could use the tool to map out the online presence of suspects to identify patterns of life, potential accomplices/victims, and the targeting of specific groups based on online activity. The same process can also be useful during missing persons investigations, speeding up the search and rescue operation and possibly save a life.
Instructions on using this OSINT Tool:
Go to the downloads page found open entering the site or by using the link provided and download the tool accordingly.
To use the tool an example will be provided by uploading one of SocNetV’s social network data sets. The data set used will be the Krackhardt: High-tech managers (multirelational), 24 actors.
Under the Network section, click “Create From Known Data Sets” or F7.
In the window that appears, select the Krackhardt: High-tech managers (multi-relational), 24 actors data set, and click ok.
A popup will then appear, referring to details about the data set. After clicking ok again, SockNetV will load the data set .
What other tools should be used with this OSINT Tool? In combination with SocNetV, several tools significantly enhance analytical capabilities for TSIIPs in OSINT. Notable OSINT tools that could enhance the use of this tool include Maltego, a potent OSINT/data visualization tool for aggregating information and creating graphical network representations. Gephi performs a similar task, using open-source network analysis and visualization software to explore intricate networks. Combining these tools with SocNetV empowers professionals to delve into complex network structures, extract actionable insights, and derive a deeper understanding of the data for strategic decision-making and security measures.
Are there any concerns that TSIIPs should have about using this OSINT tool?
It is important to keep several critical considerations in mind when using SocNetV or similar OSINT tools. It is vital to prioritize data privacy and ethical usage, ensuring compliance with legal regulations and respecting privacy. When using this tool, professionals must validate the accuracy and reliability of data sources to avoid misinformation. Data security is also important, with investigations requiring measures to prevent unauthorized access and data breaches. Finally, investigators must be aware of biases, limitations, and assumptions in analyzing digital material, as it will rarely be conclusive. Adequate training and understanding of the tool's functionality are also key to its effective and responsible use.
[1] Digital Network via Wix images
[2] Dimitris Kalamaras, LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/in/kalamaras/
[3] Ibid
[4] Dimitris Kalamaras, Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/kalamaras.dimitris
[5] Author, Social Media Visualizer, https://socnetv.org/author/
[6] SocNetV Manual, Social Network Visualizer, https://socnetv.org/docs/index.html
[7] Ibid