Certified Open Source Intelligence Specialist (COS)®

Certified Open Source Intelligence Specialist®

You can obtain the Certified Open Source Intelligence Specialist® diploma if you have completed the classroom three-day OSINT training I (Beginner) and the OSINT training (Professional) with us, which together form the SPEN Register training to become a Certified Open Source Intelligence Specialist®. If you have successfully completed our training, you may use the title COS® and you may participate in the OSINT training III (Expert), which is the third module of our Post HBO Registertraining to become a Certified Open Source Intelligence Expert®.

Achieve the COS® title

About the training program

Description of training

Millions of messages, photos and videos are posted on the internet and social media every day. All these pieces of information are an invaluable asset for anyone who is professionally involved in collecting and analyzing information from the Internet.

The SPEN Registered Certified Open Source Intelligence Specialist® course is a six-day practical and interactive course that focuses on gathering information from public sources on the internet and social media.

By following the SPEN Registered Certified Open Source Intelligence Specialist® course, you will gain knowledge and skills to search and analyze information on the internet in a safe and effective manner within the framework of the law, in order to store this information in a structured manner. and to report on this in a thorough manner.

The knowledge and skills acquired in this SPEN Register training offer you added value to work as a detective, analyst or researcher within the public and private sector or within an organization in which you are involved in investigation, enforcement or intelligence. enjoys gathering information on the Internet.

Target audience

The SPEN Registered Certified Open Source Intelligence Specialist® training course is intended for investigators, analysts and researchers from within the public and private sector and for anyone who is involved in gathering information in the context of investigation, enforcement, supervision or intelligence. internet.

This OSINT-training is suitable for law enforcement, intelligence personnel, private investigators, insurance investigators, researchers, recruiters, sourcers, customer due diligence analyst, journalists, lawyers, governments and (local) authorities.

Course outline

The SPEN Registered Certified Open Source Intelligence Specialist® training consists of the OSINT training I (Beginner) and the OSINT training II (Professional).

The OSINT training I (Beginner) consists of three teaching days of eight hours each plus four hours of self-study and ends with a digital exam. If you successfully pass the exam, you will receive the Certified Open Source Investigator® certificate. Obtaining this certificate gives you access to the OSINT training II (Professional).

The OSINT training II (Professional) consists of three teaching days of eight hours each plus eight hours of self-study and ends with a digital exam. If you successfully pass the exam, you will receive the official Certified Open Source Intelligence Specialist® diploma.

Required prior knowledge

No specific prior knowledge is required to participate in the SPEN Register training. Experience with surfing the internet and using social media is considered an advantage.

If you wish to participate in the OSINT training II (Professional) without having followed the OSINT training I (Beginner), you can take an admission test. If you complete this test with a sufficient score, you can participate in the OSINT training II (Professional).

However, participating in the OSINT training II (Professional) is not equivalent to completing the Registered training to become a Certified Open Source Intelligence Specialist®. You cannot therefore receive the Certified Open Source Intelligence Specialist® diploma simply by completing the OSINT training II (Professional). You will receive a certificate of participation instead.

Study load and contact hours

The study load amounts to a total of 60 hours. These study load hours consist of six days of eight contact hours each and 12 self-study hours.

Exam and diploma

This SPEN Registertraining concludes with a digital exam, which you can take from home within one month after the last day of classes. You pass the exam when you have answered at least 70% of all exam questions with a correct answer.

The exam tests whether you have acquired sufficient knowledge and skills to conduct structured and effective internet research in a safe manner and to be able to report on this in a thorough manner.

During the exam, this knowledge and skills are tested on the one hand through practical assignments in which you have to conduct your own online research and on the other hand through multiple choice assignments in which you have to select the correct answers.

After successfully completing the exam, you will receive the official diploma Certified Open Source Intelligence Specialist® and you will be registered in the CPION Register of Examiners.

Competencies and learning objectives

With the title Certified Open Source Specialist® you indicate that you have certain competencies to conduct a safe and effective OSINT investigation. The competencies and learning objectives relate to formulating an investigation strategy, applying a threat assessment, acting within laws and regulations, collecting, monitoring, recording and processing data and reporting findings. In addition to the competencies and learning objectives of the OSINT training I (Beginner), the OSINT training II (Professional) has the following competencies and learning objectives.

1. Drawing up and applying a research strategy

The student can explain in his or her own words how flowcharts, mind maps and checklists can help to structure an open source investigation.

The student can draw up and use flowcharts, mind maps and checklists to structure his or her own open source investigation.

The student can set up his own bookmark toolbar to structure his own open source investigation.

The student can tailor a study to the target group in terms of online prevalence, channels used, jargon, communication strategies, symbolism, emoticons, and so on.

2. Drawing up and applying a threat assessment

The student can name which traces are left behind when using a virtual machine.

The student can name which traces are left behind when using an Android Emulator.

The student can explain in his or her own words why the use of “third party” tools may be undesirable.

3. Selecting and applying research resources

The student can explain in his or her own words how a virtual machine can be used in open source research

The student can configure and use a virtual machine in an open source investigation.

The student can explain in his or her own words how a mobile phone and a virtual mobile phone (“Android Emulator”) can be used in an open source study.

The student can use a mobile phone and a virtual mobile phone (“Android Emulator”) in an open source investigation.

The student can name various public and commercial tools that can be used in an open source investigation.

The student can name in his or her own words the advantages and disadvantages of public and commercial tools that can be used in open source investigation

The student can use public and commercial tools in an open source investigation.

The student can explain in his own words how the browser developer tools can be used in an open research investigation.

The student can use the browser developer tools to conduct open source investigation.

The student can explain in his or her own words how the Windows Command Prompt (“CMD”) can be used within an open source investigation.

The student can use the Windows Command Prompt (“CMD”) in an open source investigation.

The student can use a sandbox environment to conduct research safely

The student can explain in his own words how the TOR network works.

The student can use the TOR network within an open source investigation.

The student can explain in his or her own words the advantages and disadvantages of using the TOR browser within an open source investigation.

The student can use the TOR browser within an open source investigation.

4. Acting within applicable laws and regulations

The student can apply relevant laws and regulations to the research techniques and public and commercial tools used in the module.

5. Collecting data

The student can explain in his own words how search filters of social media platforms work and what information can and cannot be found with these search filters.

The student can search manually and via public and commercial tools for users, usernames, user IDs, profile information, texts, hashtags, photos and videos on various national and international social media.

The student can search manually and via public and commercial tools for users, usernames, user IDs, texts, profile information, hashtags, photos and videos on various national and international mobile applications.

The student has insight into how web crawlers work and how web pages of a website can be made transparent.

The student can map the web pages of a website.

The student can explain in his own words what role HTML, Javascript, CSS play when investigating the source code of a website

The student can investigate the source code of a website.

The student can explain in his own words what role PHP, AJAX, XHR requests play in investigating the static and dynamic content of a website.

The student can investigate the static and dynamic content of a website.

The student can explain in his or her own words what penetration tests (“pen tests”) are and what role penetration tests and port scans play within an open source investigation.

The student can name various TCP port numbers and associated protocols.

The student can explain what is meant by the protocols HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, IMAP, POP3, SSH and SMTP.

The student can perform a penetration test and a port scan.

The student can explain in his or her own words how data packets are divided into chunks and how they each travel across the internet via different servers/routes.

The student can map which hops a data packet takes to reach a web server.

The student can explain how the Domain Name System (“DNS”) works and what role DNS plays in data traffic on the Internet.

The student can perform DNS lookups (SOA, A, AAAA, MX, NS) and reverse DNS lookups manually and via public tools.

The student can explain in his or her own words what shared hosting servers are and how this form of web hosting differs from other forms of web hosting.

The student can perform a reverse IP lookup.

The student can explain what SSL/TLS certificates are and what they are for.

The student can examine SSL/TLS certificates from websites.

The student can explain what encryption is and what types of encryption exist.

The student can explain in his or her own words what “hidden services” are on the Dark Web.

The student can map “introduction points” of “hidden services” on the Dark Web.

The student can map “hidden services” on the Dark Web.

The student can investigate and deanonymize “hidden services” on the dark web.

The student can explain in his or her own words how national and international trade registers can be used in open source research.

The student can explain in his or her own words the limitations of extracts from national and international trade registers.

The student can map owners, directors, authorized representatives, shareholders and business information of companies through national and international trade registers.

The student can map information about companies through informal national and international registers and databases.

The student can search for information from national and international forums with and without a door policy.

The student can explain in his own words what “steganography” is.

The student can examine photos in which steganography has been used.

The student can explain in his own words what “chronolocation” is.

The student can determine on which date and at what time a photo or video was taken.

The student can explain in his or her own words how a “GAP analysis” can be used within an open source study.

The student can perform a GAP analysis within an open source study.

9. Reporting and presenting research findings

Module 2 does not pay attention to reporting research findings.

Part of the SPEN-Registertraining

The OSINT-training II (Professional) is the second of two modules that are part of the SPEN-Registertraing Certified Open Source Intelligence Specialist®.

Part of the Post HBO-Registertraining

The OSINT-training II (Professional) is the second of three modules that are part of the Post HBO-Registertraining Certified Open Source Intelligence Expert®.

Register for a training

Would you like to register today for the OSINT training I (Beginner) or the OSINT training II (Professional)? Then click on the button below or contact us.

Certified Open Source Intelligence Specialist®