OSINT book
Open Source Intelligence Tools and Resources Handbook
i-intelligence (Chris Pallaris et al.)
A free PDF handbook that maps OSINT tools and research notes into shared vocabulary. Best as a team on-ramp and tool landscape — not as a substitute for a current techniques manual.
Who it’s for
- Teams writing SOPs or training junior analysts
- Beginners who want a structured overview before buying denser manuals
- Managers who need a common language for “what OSINT covers”
What you get
- Free downloadable PDF (2020 edition commonly cited)
- Categorised tool and resource notes across collection domains
- Language you can reuse in training decks and checklists
How to use it
- 01
Read for map, not for live links
Treat named tools as a taxonomy. Many URLs will be dead; the categories still teach what to look for.
- 02
Pair with a current techniques book
Use this for orientation, then Bazzell (or equivalent) for how to actually run queries today.
Strengths
- Free and easy to share inside a team
- Good for shared vocabulary and SOP drafting
- Covers more than people-search alone
Watch out for
- Tool listings are stale — verify every destination
- Not a case workflow or documentation standard by itself
Related in the directory
- BookRead
OSINT Techniques
The practical field manual most investigators mean when they say “the Bazzell book.” Current editions focus on self-hosted VMs, people and social search, breach and stealer data, and a repeatable investigation workflow — not theory for its own sake.
- GuideRead
People search OSINT: email, username, and phone pivots
A playbook for starting from one thin identifier — email, username, or phone — validating matches across sources, and stopping when the dossier is good enough to brief. Links into our use-case pages for industry context.
- NewsletterRead
Sector035
Long-running OSINT tips, tools, and Week in OSINT roundups. Many analysts still treat the archive as required reading even when publishing cadence slows.
FAQ
Questions, answered
What is Open Source Intelligence Tools and Resources Handbook?
A free PDF handbook that maps OSINT tools and research notes into shared vocabulary. Best as a team on-ramp and tool landscape — not as a substitute for a current techniques manual.
Who is this book for?
Teams writing SOPs or training junior analysts; Beginners who want a structured overview before buying denser manuals. You’ll get: Free downloadable PDF (2020 edition commonly cited); Categorised tool and resource notes across collection domains.