🔎OSINT for students🌐
Today marked the official conclusion of our recently developed #OSINT course, which was fully booked. The ability to extract information from publicly available sources for specific purposes is no longer exclusive to secret services; it has become relevant across diverse disciplines. OSINT expert Tom Hofmann emphasized this point when introducing the #method and #tools through hands-on exercises. Together with DSI ethicist Markus Christen, he highlighted the #legal and #ethical challenges inherent to OSINT, while social scientist Melanie Knieps stressed the necessity of employing #reliable methods to arrive at #valid conclusions.
👩🎓High student engagement 👨🎓
When tasked with identifying the place, time, and context from a single image, #students impressed with their creative approaches, diverse use of OSINT tools, and meticulous attention to data quality. Remarkably, they managed to identify certain individuals depicted in the images by name, underscoring the implications of maintaining an active presence across multiple social media platforms.
🏫Enhancing student employability📚
The students’ enthusiasm underscored the #value of integrating OSINT more broadly into #university curricula. Going beyond the research context, OSINT teaches students the significance of data quality and an awareness of online risks. These skills will not only boost students’ #competitiveness in the job market but also empower them to make informed #decisions about sharing information publicly.
💡Innovation requires support & teamwork ✌️
We want to thank not only the instructors and students for their enthusiastic participation in this course but also extend our gratitude to Leyla Ciragan for conceptualizing and organizing the program. A special shout-out goes to Ursula Brack («DSI Minor Digital Skills») Eleni Spiroudis & Julia Berchtold (School of Transdisciplinary Studies) from the University of Zurich who provided encouragement and support, enabling the development of the course, funded under the P-8 program by swissuniversities.
💻More OSINT to come🔭
We eagerly anticipate delving into the more technical aspects of OSINT in the upcoming spring semester. Read more about the course here!
