Beyond OSINT: Scraping and the Path from Data to Intelligence

 

As Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) evolves, one of the most frequently asked questions is: how do we move beyond passive analysis into actionable investigation? In a world where both the surface and deep web continue to grow at an extraordinary pace, the challenge is no longer access to data — it’s knowing how to harness it effectively.

While curiosity and creativity remain essential traits for any investigator, they must be paired with the right technical tools and capabilities. OSINT, after all, is fundamentally a collection discipline. And today, data scraping sits at the core of that collection process.

The Data Deluge

To put the scale into perspective: at the time of writing, the internet holds approximately 19 million petabytes of data. Replicating that would require 19 billion 1-terabyte drives — and if each solid-state drive weighed just 50 grams, the internet’s “weight” would be roughly 950,000 tonnes. That’s equivalent to:

 

    • 475 space shuttles

    • 9,500 Nimitz-class aircraft carriers

    • Over 5 billion blue whales

Put simply: the internet contains more data than a human could ever manually process. For investigations to succeed in this environment, the priority is clear — we must automate collection and structure the chaos.

What Is Scraping, and Why Does It Matter?

Data scraping is the process of using software to extract readable information from digital sources that aren’t designed for easy download. Think of a social media profile — public, visible, yet difficult to archive in any structured or usable format. Scraping automates this by “reading” and recording the data programmatically.

In OSINT, scraping is often used for:

 

    • Network analysis (identifying relationships between people or groups)

    • Preservation of digital evidence (archiving posts before they are deleted or altered)

    • Data structuring (turning unstructured information into datasets for analysis)

Case Study: Social Network Mapping

Take, for example, an investigation involving 20 high-profile Twitter accounts. Each had thousands of followers. Manually tracing which accounts followed each other would have been prohibitively time-consuming.

Through scraping, the process was accelerated dramatically — and, more importantly, the connections could be visualised. This enabled analysts to spot key nodes in the network — the individuals or accounts acting as central connectors. Such insight would have been near-impossible through manual review alone.

The Importance of Preservation

Although the internet may seem permanent, digital information is often ephemeral. Posts are edited or deleted. Entire accounts disappear. Content is moderated and removed due to platform policies. And sometimes, people simply try to cover their tracks.

This is where scraping becomes a forensic tool. By archiving key data in real-time — especially in cases involving criminal or unethical behaviour — investigators retain access to evidence that may soon vanish.

We’ve all seen public figures hurriedly delete problematic posts, only for screenshots to surface later. That visibility only exists because someone, often a journalist or online investigator, preserved it before it disappeared.

The same principle applies beyond the public eye: a criminal suspect might share incriminating content on a personal profile, later deleted without a trace. If not captured in time, that content — and its evidential value — is lost forever.

The Ethics and Imperatives of Scraping

Scraping can raise valid questions about privacy and consent, particularly when personal data is involved. At Watchtower, we adhere strictly to legal and ethical guidelines in every investigation. Our goal is not indiscriminate surveillance, but the targeted collection of data with legitimate investigative value.

Whether pursuing threat actors, tracking disinformation campaigns, or supporting corporate risk intelligence, our focus remains on turning public information into actionable insight, without compromising ethical standards.

Scraping: The Bridge Between Quantity and Quality

As the volume of online data continues to grow exponentially, so does the need to make sense of it. Scraping is the bridge — the link between unstructured, raw information and structured, actionable intelligence.

It’s not just about collection. It’s about creating the conditions under which an analyst can extract meaning, identify patterns, and ultimately deliver insight. In this way, scraping transforms OSINT from a passive discipline into a dynamic, investigative capability.

At Watchtower, we integrate scraping into our wider intelligence lifecycle — ensuring that collection supports not only immediate investigative needs but also long-term strategic understanding.