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.  

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)

 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

INSTRUCTOR:

We only use active law enforcement personnel as our instructors who are currently involved in the subject matter they are teaching, keeping the material provided up to date and relatable through use of real and current case examples. See instructor page for more information on all of our instructors.

REQUIRED:

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

COST:

$375 per student

$325 for groups of three or more

Host a course to receive five free spots, email us at info@covertmediaconsulting.com for more information or to schedule a course.