OSINT: Searching the Arabic Web (Virtual Course)

Open enrolment and in-house options available

This course is dedicated to helping researchers, academics and business professionals make better use of Arabic-language internet and social media sources. The course begins with a general introduction to the Arabic language. From there, we will demonstrate how to set up your desktop and mobile devices to support data collection, processing and translation. We will then walk you through the different strategies, tools and resources you can use to research or investigate Arabic-language sources and content on popular social media platforms. Throughout, emphasis will be given to those aspects of the language and culture that you should be sensitive to as a researcher.

The course will be delivered live over five 3.5-hour sessions. There will be separate iterations of the course for Asian, European and American audiences. Please select the start time (SGT, CET or EST) that suits you best.

Course Outline

Getting Started

Set-Up and Translation Tools

  • Working with the Arabic language on the internet
  • Translation tools setup
  • Working with Google Translate
  • Working with numbers
  • Optical Character Recognition (OCR)
  • Text extraction and input using a mobile device for translation
  • Typing in Arabic using a floating Arabic Keyboard

Searching the Web in Arabic

Search Tools and Strategies

  • Search Strategies
  • Searching Google in Arabic
  • Reconciling information inconsistencies in English and Arabic
  • Satellite imagery and location-specific searches
  • Recommended research resources

People Search and Social Media

Finding People and Social Media Content

  • Working with Arabic names
  • Finding Arabic email addresses
  • Working with Arabic content on social media platforms

Additional Research Techniques

Social Media Research

  • Satellite imagery and location searches
  • Working with an emulator
  • “Secret handshakes” and other techniques to enter social media groups

Training Exercises

  • Applying lessons learned through training exercises

Course Details

WHO IS THIS COURSE FOR?

This course is intended for anyone wishing to make better use of Arabic language resources on the Internet. The course is recommended for business professionals, academic researchers, due diligence specialists and social media investigators.

HOW YOU BENEFIT

On completion of this course, you will have the ability to:

  • Understand the main characteristics of the Arabic language
  • Navigate Arabic online sources with greater confidence
  • Find specific content in Arabic (news reports, documents, etc.)
  • Find people through their web and social media footprints
  • Apply a range of tools to tackle the problem of translation and transliteration

WHAT YOU RECEIVE


  • A full set of course slides in PDF
  • An index of recommended tools / resources
  • A certificate of completion

COURSE FEE

EUR 1,200

COURSE PREREQUISITES

Trainees do not need prior knowledge of the Arabic language; basic knowledge of the Internet suffices.

TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

Please observe the following technical requirements:

  • You will need a desktop or laptop PC (Windows or MacOS)
  • You will need a mobile device. Please ensure this device has a working camera
  • Install Google Chrome
  • Install Zoom
  • You will need Facebook and Instagram accounts for online research
  • Install the Google Translate dictionary app on your mobile device