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The Signal
The Signal index — latest dispatches
Shadow Analysis
Forensic dossiers and OSINT investigations
OSINT Cards
Methods, tools, and workflows by domain
Methods
OSINT methodology and frameworks
AI in OSINT
AI techniques for OSINT investigations
Guides
Step-by-step OSINT guides
Training
OSINT and investigative training programmes
Consultancy
Bespoke investigative architecture and analysis
About
Who we are and what we do
Verification Standards
Our editorial verification methodology
Derek is a digital newsgathering and open-source intelligence (OSINT) investigations journalist based in Geneva, Switzerland.
OPSEC
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Jun 5, 2026
Configure Signal, Mullvad and ProtonMail, separate investigative hardware, and document sessions to chain-of-custody standard
Jun 4, 2026
Indonesia's military disinformation traced, Armenia's FIMI documented, and the citation failure detection will not catch
Jun 3, 2026
Query TED, Contracts Finder and SAM.gov, read award records against company registry data and document patterns of irregularity
Build the verification checklist before the interview, not after. A structured AI prompt for testing source presence claims at scene.
Jun 2, 2026
Apply AI tools to document triage, translation, and entity extraction while maintaining chain-of-custody records to evidentiary standard
Geospatial & Satellite
Jun 1, 2026
Inventory visual features, query satellite and street-level imagery, and triangulate a confirmed coordinate using Google Earth Pro, SunCalc and Mapillary
Environmental & Climate Investigation
May 31, 2026
Select sensors, retrieve and hash imagery, and correlate Sentinel-1 and Copernicus CAMS data with vessel tracks to evidentiary standard
SOCMINT
May 30, 2026
Run Botometer, Social Blade and Wayback Machine checks to grade account identity from claimed to corroborated
May 29, 2026
Run registrant email pivots across ViewDNS, SecurityTrails, and crt.sh to map domain infrastructure and establish attribution chains
Dark Web
May 28, 2026
Set up Tor Browser, Tails and Whonix for isolated dark web sessions that hold up to chain-of-custody review
May 27, 2026
Cross-reference reported death tolls against ACLED, WHO baseline data, and burial site analysis to establish an evidential range
Legal & Court Records
May 26, 2026
Map a party's litigation history, asset disclosures and corporate relationships using PACER, CourtListener and HMCTS
Acoustic & Technical Analysis
May 25, 2026
Apply Audacity and the MSU Gunshot Audio Database to measure blast-crack intervals, cyclic rate, and frequency signatures across conflict recordings
May 24, 2026
Identify overpass windows, attribute NORAD catalogue objects to operators, and document satellite coverage to evidentiary standard
May 23, 2026
Run multi-engine reverse searches, extract image metadata with ExifTool and build a corroborated identity chain to evidentiary standard
May 22, 2026
Map proximity, verify identity, and make initial contact using LinkedIn, Hunter.io and Maltego without compromising the source
Financial Intelligence
May 21, 2026
Map payment relationships, asset transfers and corporate funding structures using OpenCorporates, EDGAR, ICIJ and Sayari Graph
May 20, 2026
Run tail number queries across Flightradar24, ADS-B Exchange, and Icarus Flights, then trace registered operators to beneficial owners
A structured prompt that holds six signal sets simultaneously and returns a per-account confidence verdict with explicit evidence gaps.
May 18, 2026
Use solar geometry, historical satellite imagery and weather archives to fix when footage was recorded
May 12, 2026
Parse any number to E.164, resolve the carrier, flag VoIP, and probe WhatsApp without alerting the holder
Track vessels, trace ownership, and document incidents using public data. No proprietary access needed
May 5, 2026
Identify and document mid-ocean cargo transfers used to break the paper trail, using AIS gaps, satellite imagery and sanctions list screening
May 4, 2026
Narrow a still from country to street using sun-shadow analysis, vernacular architecture and terrain reading. Build the verification chain as you go
May 1, 2026
The psychological disciplines that keep your judgement sharp and your practice intact across months of difficult material
