Creating OSINT Capability in Organisations

Building an Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) capability in an organisation is a complex but increasingly necessary undertaking. OSINT is a vital component of any organisation’s investigation, security, recruitment and insight functions.

Across industries, the results of OSINT capability development vary widely, offering important lessons on what drives success.

This article outlines some key considerations and observations as a starting point for organisations exploring OSINT. While it is not an exhaustive guide, it highlights essential aspects for ensuring success.

Wayfinder Intelligence is here to help your organisation navigate its unique challenges in building OSINT capability. From risk assessment to implementation and sustainment, we provide expert support at every step of your OSINT journey. Contact us to discuss how we can empower your organisation.

First Questions: Dedicated Team, Distributed Skills, or a Blended Model?

If your organisation has yet to formally create any structures around OSINT, the first question to be addressed is whether your organisation should create a team of dedicated experts, whether OSINT capability should be spread around the organisation, or whether some blended strategy is best.

The advantage of distributing the skill is that it can be relatively cheap to increase an organisation’s OSINT capability. Some online training, a little policy development, and guidance to teams asked to conduct this work will lead to many staff knowing the basics and able to provide some basic OSINT insight as part of their role.

Should your organisation choose to build a team, or even just a handful of OSINT experts, then it will unlock ongoing unique capabilities that can be plugged into other organisational functions, be they HR and recruitment, investigations, or business intelligence and insight. This approach is likely to cost more than the distributed approach but will likely deliver better results for the money spent.

A third model is to take staff working in related spaces and focusing on adding OSINT to their arsenal of capabilities. Teams conducting investigation work already are ideal for this and with their existing structures and systems are likely able to adopt new investigative methods relatively easily.

This strategy ensures better OSINT outputs than the first strategy, but is cheaper than building a dedicated team from scratch.

Wayfinder Intelligence is able to support and advise on each approach, helping you clearly articulate the pros and cons to decisionmakers.

Prerequisites for Success

Once your organisation has made the decision to adopt OSINT, the following challenges must be addressed.

1. Senior Leadership Buy-In

The development of OSINT capabilities requires explicit, visible support from senior leadership. Without this, efforts often stall due to resistance from enabling functions like privacy, IT, and compliance teams.

Senior leaders must prioritise OSINT as a strategic organisational objective, creating a mandate that empowers teams to navigate uncertainty and risk. Leadership buy-in ensures that resistance is addressed constructively and that obstacles are identified and mitigated early.

2. Identified Customers for Insight

An effective OSINT capability requires clear internal customers who will use the insight generated. These customers influence the design of the capability and the work it produces.

Key considerations include:

· How will OSINT outputs be used?

· Will they inform decision-making, supplement other analysis, or serve as critical inputs for operations?

· Are there specific organisational challenges that OSINT is uniquely positioned to address?

Identifying and engaging eager customers early ensures that the capability is purpose-built and delivers immediate, measurable value.

Steps to Build OSINT Capability

With the foundations established, three immediate tasks present themselves:

Step 1: Establish Policy and SOPs

Before launching operations, organisations must develop clear policies and processes. These include:

· Engaging stakeholders (e.g., privacy, IT, and legal teams) to address compliance, data storage, and security requirements.

· Defining tasking and operational workflows to standardise how the team operates.

While processes will evolve over time, initial planning and stakeholder collaboration lay the groundwork for long-term success.

Step 2: Plan for Sustainment

Sustaining an OSINT capability requires attention to training, wellness, and career development. Without these elements, staff retention may suffer, leading to the erosion of capability.

To ensure sustainability, organisations should:

· Invest in professional development and training opportunities.

· Provide wellness support to mitigate the psychological toll of OSINT work, particularly for roles that involve exposure to sensitive material.

· Demonstrate a commitment to OSINT as a long-term organisational priority through clear systems and processes.

Step 3: Recruitment

Recruiting the right talent is crucial. While technical skills are important, the most valuable traits in OSINT practitioners are curiosity and persistence. These attributes are essential for tackling complex, open-ended problems.

Effective recruitment strategies include:

· Practical assessments to evaluate candidates’ problem-solving abilities and resilience.

· Emphasising diversity in backgrounds and skill sets to create a team capable of mentoring, policy development, advocacy, and stakeholder engagement.

By prioritising curiosity, persistence, and adaptability, organisations can build robust OSINT teams equipped to meet diverse challenges.

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Conclusion

Building an OSINT capability requires thoughtful planning, strong leadership support, and a focus on sustainability. By addressing key prerequisites, establishing robust processes, and recruiting the right talent, organisations can develop OSINT capabilities that deliver significant value while mitigating risks.

At Wayfinder Intelligence, we specialise in helping organisations navigate the complexities of OSINT capability development. Whether you are at the beginning of your journey or looking to enhance an existing capability, we can provide the expertise and support you need. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you succeed.