OSINT: Searching the Internet in a Foreign Language
This course is dedicated to helping you make better use of foreign language content on the internet, regardless of your language skills. The course begins with a short introduction to the world’s major languages and the challenges they pose to open source researchers. We will then demonstrate how to set up your desktop and mobile devices to facilitate foreign language research. Thereafter, we will elaborate on the principles and process of finding, interpreting and using foreign language content, including in non-Latin alphabets. We will also discuss the search tools, AI applications and browser extensions you can use to support your work. Overall, we'll help you breach existing language barriers and leverage a richer set of resources in your research.
The course is delivered over two, 3.5-hour online sessions. There are separate iterations for audiences in Asia, the Americas and the EMA region. Choose the iteration that best suits your time zone (SGT, CET, EST).
Course Outline
Set Up and Search Strategies
Working with Foreign Languages
- Foreign language research: challenges and opportunities
- Language identification techniques
- Working with dominant languages
- Working with niche languages and dialects
- Translation tools: attending to the details
Device Setup
- Browser setup
- Mobile device setup
Search Strategies
- Defining your research methodology
- Search tools and strategies
- Web-based translation platforms and extensions
- Optical character recognition (OCR) tools
- Research resources and source discovery
News, Social Media and AI-Enabled Search
News and Social Media Research
- Monitoring foreign language news using free tools
- Monitoring foreign language news Flinfo
- Working with non-Western social media platforms
People Search
- Working with foreign naming conventions (Arabic, Chinese, Russian, Japan)
- Finding email addresses and personal profiles
Working with AI
- AI-enabled search strategies
- AI-enabled translation
- Content summarisation
- Data extraction and exploitation
Cultural Awareness
- The importance of cultural competency and awareness
- Profiling national digital ecosystems
- Understanding social media norms and behaviours
- Leveraging digital cultures and behaviours
Applying What You Have Learned
- Case studies
- Exercises
- Q&A
Course Details
WHO IS THIS COURSE FOR?
This course is intended for anyone engaged in online research, including intelligence, security and law enforcement personnel, journalists, investigators, cybersecurity practitioners, and business analysts.
HOW YOU BENEFIT
On completion of this course, you will have the ability to:
- Access and use foreign language sources with confidence
- Leverage an expanded range of sources
- Use AI tools to find and process foreign language content
- Transcend language and cultural barriers in your research
WHAT YOU RECEIVE
As a participant on this course you will receive:
- A certificate of course completion
- A full set of course slides
- Templates to support the application of the techniques taught
- Six months of post-course support
COURSE FEE
EUR 600
COURSE PREREQUISITES
Proficiency in English and basic knowledge of the Internet suffices. You do not need prior knowledge of the foreign languages discussed in this course to participate.
TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS
To participate, you will need:
- A Windows, Mac or Linux-based desktop or laptop computer
- A Google / Gmail account
- Google’s Chrome Browser
- A mobile device with the Google Translate app installed
Additional requirements will be provided on registration.