Enhancing OSINT Collection using RSS Feeds

RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is a technology that allows users to subscribe to frequently updated content on the internet, such as blog posts, news articles, and podcasts. In this article, I will discuss some of the benefits of using RSS feeds for OSINT collection and share a custom OPML file containing over 70 RSS feeds on different topics that you may find useful.

What is an RSS feed?

You may have stumbled upon the iconic RSS symbol above while browsing through various websites and blogs, but have never given it much thought. However, this simple technology provides an exceptionally convenient and efficient way to stay informed and up-to-date on areas of interest.

Users can subscribe to an RSS feed by adding its URL to an RSS reader, a software application that aggregates and displays the content from multiple feeds in one place. Once subscribed, the user will automatically receive updates from that feed as soon as they are published. There are many different RSS readers available for online or offline use, some of the most popular being:

• Feedly: A cloud-based RSS reader with a clean and intuitive interface.
• Inoreader: An advanced RSS reader with features such as categorization, filtering, and integration with other tools.
• QuiteRSS: A free and open-source offline RSS reader for Windows, Linux, and Mac.

Benefits of using RSS Feeds for OSINT

There are several major benefits of using RSS feeds for Open Source Intelligence:

1. Time-saving: With RSS feeds, you can subscribe to multiple sources and receive updates all in one place. This eliminates the need to manually check each website for updates.
2. Real-time updates: RSS feeds provide real-time updates on new information, making it possible to quickly respond to new developments and gather relevant information in a timely manner.
3. Customization: You can choose to subscribe only to RSS feeds that are relevant to your OSINT goals, allowing you to tailor the information you receive.
4. Versatile: RSS feeds can be used to monitor a wide range of information, including news articles, blog posts, podcasts etc making it a versatile tool for OSINT purposes.
5. Its free!

Create your own RSS feed to monitor a target

RSS feeds are a convenient solution for keeping up to date with the latest news regarding a specific target, which can be invaluable for OSINT investigations. A simple way of implementing this is using the Google Alerts service.

1. Go to the Google Alerts website: https://www.google.com/alerts
2. Log in with your Google account.
3. In the “Create an alert about” field, enter the target or keyword that you want to monitor, using Boolean operators to refine the search results.
4. Select the type of results you want to receive alerts for: Blogs, News, Web, Video, Books, Discussions, Finance.
5. Set the frequency,language and region of your alerts according to your preferences.
6. Finally in the “Deliver to” section choose the RSS feed option instead of your GMail address.
7. Click “Create Alert.”

Once you have created the alert, you can import the RSS feed to your preferred RSS reader. Each time Google finds new search results that match your criteria, the results will automatically be added to your RSS feed, allowing you to stay up-to-date with the latest information about your target.

The image below shows an example of an RSS feed I created for “Ruja Ignatova”. It searches all Google sources in English, regardless of region, and delivers all available results directly to my RSS reader upon import.

OSINT RSS Feed Collection

Compiling RSS feeds from multiple sources can be a challenging and tedious process. To simplify your work, I’ve curated a list of over 70 RSS feeds to kick-start your journey. These feeds are organized in an OPML file, a widely-used XML-based format for exchanging RSS feeds, and can be easily imported into your preferred RSS reader. The feeds may spark new ideas for your investigations and have been categorized into the following categories:

• Disinformation
• Espionage
• Infosec
• Military
• Missing Persons
• Organized Crime
• OSINT
• Privacy
• Terrorism
• Ukraine Conflict

For transparency, the OPML XML code has been uploaded to Pastebin to give you the option of inspecting the code before downloading it. To import this into your preferred RSS reader, simply click the download button and change the file extension from TXT to OPML which can then be imported into the reader of your choice.

“Pastebin Link”