An OSINT team is setting up a repository for collected data. They need to ensure that the data is organized in a way that supports ongoing investigations and is compliant with privacy regulations. What is the best practice for organizing the data?

Store data in a format that is not easily searchable, such as PDFs, to prevent unauthorized access.

Organize data by source type (e.g., social media, forums, news) and maintain an index of key attributes like date, subject, and URL.

Organize data by the analyst who collected it, with no other metadata.

Store all data in a single folder with no structure, relying on search tools to find information.

An OSINT team is working on a long-term investigation and needs to store collected data securely while allowing multiple analysts to search and access it. The data includes sensitive personal information. What is the best approach for data storage and organization?

Keep all data in a single spreadsheet with no access controls.

Print all collected data and store it in a locked filing cabinet.

Store all data in a shared cloud drive with a folder structure by date.

Use a secure, access-controlled database with encryption at rest and indexed fields for key attributes like source, date, and type.

An analyst is conducting OSINT on a subject located in the European Union. The analyst plans to collect data from social media profiles and public registries. Which legal/ethical consideration is most important to address before starting collection?

Ensure compliance with GDPR, including lawful basis for processing personal data and data minimization.

Obtain written consent from the subject before collecting any publicly available information.

Only collect data that is not protected by copyright, ignoring privacy laws.

Use a VPN to anonymize the collection activity and avoid legal obligations.

A team is conducting a long-term OSINT project that will collect data over several months. They need to ensure that the data remains accessible and organized for future analysis, while also complying with data protection regulations. Which storage strategy is most appropriate?

Use a relational database with a defined schema, access controls, and regular backups.

Store data on external hard drives without any indexing.

Keep data in email threads to maintain a chronological record.

Store all data in a single spreadsheet with multiple tabs for different sources.

Which of the following is an example of an automated data collection technique in OSINT?

Using a web scraper to extract data from multiple pages

Manually copying text from a website into a spreadsheet

Taking screenshots of social media posts

Conducting an interview with a subject matter expert

GIAC Open Source Intelligence (GOSI)

Domain 1Objective 3

Searching, Collecting, and Processing Data GOSI Practice Questions (Page 6)

Part of the OSINT Fundamentals and Methodology domain, which makes up ~46% of our current practice bank. GIAC (SANS) does not publish an official question count, but from its 120-minute exam (~50–80 total, ~23–37 in this domain), expect 8–12 from this objective — we provide 41 practice questions to prepare you well beyond it. (estimate)

41questions here

9free pages

7concepts

Questions 26–30

26application · medium
An OSINT team is setting up a repository for collected data. They need to ensure that the data is organized in a way that supports ongoing investigations and is compliant with privacy regulations. What is the best practice for organizing the data?
Select an answer first
27application · medium
An OSINT team is working on a long-term investigation and needs to store collected data securely while allowing multiple analysts to search and access it. The data includes sensitive personal information. What is the best approach for data storage and organization?
Select an answer first
28application · medium
An analyst is conducting OSINT on a subject located in the European Union. The analyst plans to collect data from social media profiles and public registries. Which legal/ethical consideration is most important to address before starting collection?
Select an answer first
29application · medium
A team is conducting a long-term OSINT project that will collect data over several months. They need to ensure that the data remains accessible and organized for future analysis, while also complying with data protection regulations. Which storage strategy is most appropriate?
Select an answer first
30foundation · easy
Which of the following is an example of an automated data collection technique in OSINT?
Select an answer first

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