Social Media & Open Source Investigations

This two-day Social Media & Open Source Investigations is designed to equip law enforcement officers with the necessary skills and knowledge to gather information from publicly available sources, such as social media, websites, and other online platforms.

The course will cover a range of topics, including the legal and ethical considerations involved in conducting social media & Open Source (OSINT) investigations, the identification and evaluation of online sources, and the use of specialized tools and techniques for data analysis and verification.

Participants will learn how to leverage social media platforms to identify and track criminal activity, monitor threat indicators, and gather evidence for investigations. The course will also cover the use of OSINT in intelligence gathering, risk assessment, and emergency response.

Throughout the training, officers will be encouraged to practice their skills through hands-on exercises and case studies, enabling them to develop a practical understanding of how to use social media and OSINT in real-world scenarios.

By the end of the course, officers will have a comprehensive understanding of the principles and techniques of OSINT and be able to effectively integrate these methods into their investigative practices. They will also be equipped with the knowledge and skills to ensure that their use of social media and other online sources is lawful, ethical, and in compliance with agency policies and procedures.

No prior knowledge of the Social Media or Open Source Investigative techniques is required to attend this class. However, this is a hands-on class so students should feel comfortable navigating the internet before attending.

 TOPICS COVERED:

•  Legal Issues & Case law regarding Social Media and Open Source Investigations
•  Open Source Investigations
  • Anonymizing techniques
  • Open Source databases
  • Advanced open source searching

•  Social Media Investigations
  • Navigation and searching of social media
  • Investigative resources for social media
  • Writing and execution of legal process to social media companies
  • Analysis of social media search warrant data
  • Exigent circumstances involving social media (school shooting threats, suicides, etc)

• Digital evidence collection
  • Preservation of digital evidence
  • Capturing digital evidence
  • Presentation of digital evidence

WHO SHOULD ATTEND: Officers, Detectives, Investigators, SRO’s, Analysts, District/State Attorneys, Probation Officers or any other law enforcement employee who is involved in social media or open source investigations.  (Restricted to law enforcement personnel)

 REQUIRED: Laptop or tablet with internet capabilities (allowed to access social media websites)

*  Non-member fee is $375 per student or $325 for groups of three or more. Non-members please register at www.covertmediaconsulting.com.