SIGNAL & SHADOW · ARCHIVE

Guides

The start-to-finish workflow for a whole investigative domain, mapping the public tools and method before you go field-deep

All Posts

Where AI actually earns its place in an OSINT workflow

AI-Assisted Investigation

Sep 18, 2026

Where AI actually earns its place in an OSINT workflow

Derek Bowler

Query the index directly with operators and the GHDB

Guides

Sep 14, 2026

Query the index directly with operators and the GHDB

Derek Bowler

CyberChef turns messy encoded data into something readable

Guides

Sep 13, 2026

CyberChef turns messy encoded data into something readable

Derek Bowler

Use WebMii to map a footprint, then verify every match

Guides

Sep 13, 2026

Use WebMii to map a footprint, then verify every match

Derek Bowler

What a photo still gives away through its EXIF data

Guides

Sep 12, 2026

What a photo still gives away through its EXIF data

Derek Bowler

What a VirusTotal scan tells you, and what it does not

Guides

Sep 12, 2026

What a VirusTotal scan tells you, and what it does not

Derek Bowler

Build a shared Start.me dashboard for the investigation

Guides

Sep 7, 2026

Build a shared Start.me dashboard for the investigation

Derek Bowler

Self-host Osiris Live and fuse public feeds into one map

Guides

Sep 6, 2026

Self-host Osiris Live and fuse public feeds into one map

Derek Bowler

Navigate hundreds of listed tools without overtrusting any

Guides

Sep 5, 2026

Navigate hundreds of listed tools without overtrusting any

Derek Bowler

Read a Have I Been Pwned hit right before you act on it

Guides

Sep 4, 2026

Read a Have I Been Pwned hit right before you act on it

Derek Bowler

Spokeo blends verified records with guesses, know the split

Guides

Sep 4, 2026

Spokeo blends verified records with guesses, know the split

Derek Bowler

Intelligence X finds what standard breach checkers miss

Guides

Aug 31, 2026

Intelligence X finds what standard breach checkers miss

Derek Bowler

FaceCheck ID finds a face fast, but legal exposure is real

Guides

Aug 30, 2026

FaceCheck ID finds a face fast, but legal exposure is real

Derek Bowler

Tookie-OSINT: a fast, free username sweep worth verifying

Guides

Aug 30, 2026

Tookie-OSINT: a fast, free username sweep worth verifying

Derek Bowler

Censys turns a certificate into infrastructure you can map

Guides

Aug 29, 2026

Censys turns a certificate into infrastructure you can map

Derek Bowler

PimEyes finds a face in seconds, document the basis first

Guides

Aug 24, 2026

PimEyes finds a face in seconds, document the basis first

Derek Bowler

Preserve a page before it changes, and prove what it said

Guides

Aug 23, 2026

Preserve a page before it changes, and prove what it said

Derek Bowler

Osintgram pulls Instagram data, but the ban risk is real

Guides

Aug 22, 2026

Osintgram pulls Instagram data, but the ban risk is real

Derek Bowler

Phone number OSINT: carrier, line type and reverse lookup

Guides

Aug 21, 2026

Phone number OSINT: carrier, line type and reverse lookup

Derek Bowler

Blackbird sweeps 600-plus platforms in a single fast pass

Guides

Aug 19, 2026

Blackbird sweeps 600-plus platforms in a single fast pass

Derek Bowler

Build a full Maigret dossier from a single username, fast

Guides

Aug 19, 2026

Build a full Maigret dossier from a single username, fast

Derek Bowler

Kali Linux for OSINT: setup and toolchain

Guides

Aug 11, 2026

Kali Linux for OSINT: setup and toolchain

Derek Bowler

SpiderFoot OSINT: automated reconnaissance scanning

Guides

Aug 10, 2026

SpiderFoot OSINT: automated reconnaissance scanning

Derek Bowler

Discord OSINT: resolving user IDs and server activity

Guides

Aug 9, 2026

Discord OSINT: resolving user IDs and server activity

Derek Bowler

Instagram OSINT: metadata, network and identity checks

Guides

Aug 8, 2026

Instagram OSINT: metadata, network and identity checks

Derek Bowler