In an era of unprecedented cyber and hybrid threats, open-source intelligence (OSINT) has become indispensable for both public and private sector security. However, the definition of OSINT remains inconsistent across industries, governments, and professional circles, creating confusion and operational challenges. To address this ambiguity, I propose we start using a new term for consideration as a nuanced subset of the broadest publicly used OSINT definitions:
“PROSINT is a term of art which refers to open-source intelligence that is professionally derived from publicly available information (PAI) and commercially available information (CAI), for a legally recognized use that is protected from disclosure, whether it be privately proprietary to any party or as a justified government secret.”
The Problem: Diverging Definitions of OSINT
The broad use of OSINT has led to multiple interpretations, which in turn creates operational challenges and unnecessary confusion between legal frameworks and popular usage of the same word. For some, OSINT simply means information that’s publicly accessible, whether through social media, news outlets, or open platforms. For others, especially within the U.S. Intelligence Community (IC), OSINT refers to highly regulated, specialized intelligence activities. This variation in definitions has led to communication gaps between governments, private firms, and other organizations, causing misalignment in security operations that adhere to necessary and varied privacy laws or evidentiary standards.
Using a more defined term of PROSINT can help to clear up this ambiguity by introducing a framework that focuses on professionalism, legal protections, and ethical considerations.
PROSINT: A Clearer Framework for Professionalism
The time has come to refine our understanding of what constitutes professional, ethically sound OSINT. PROSINT offers a more precise definition, emphasizing client-specific intelligence that is legally protected, whether for proprietary commercial interests or classified government use. PROSINT goes beyond general OSINT practices by ensuring compliance with ethical guidelines and providing actionable, high-value intelligence for risk management, decision-making, and national security efforts.
Known by many analysts as the “intelligence of first resort”, OSINT often serves as the starting point for what can become more robust intelligence operations. In today’s digital world, professionals use advanced tools like AI and machine learning (AI/ML) to collect and analyze data from diverse sources, including the deep web and social media platforms like Telegram and Discord. These technologies enable real-time tracking of cybercriminal networks, ransomware operations, and nation-state actors.
However, not all OSINT is created equal. The need for a word like PROSINT arises from the demand for intelligence that is not just collected but also contextualized, analyzed, and validated by professionals in compliance with privacy and different international legal frameworks. This is especially important as open-source data becomes increasingly integrated into worldwide cybersecurity, corporate risk management, and geopolitical decision-making.
Recent global events have highlighted OSINT’s growing importance. The Russian invasion of Ukraine, for example, showcased how OSINT can offer real-time insights into geopolitical conflicts. Beyond Europe, OSINT also helps decision makers on events unfolding in the Middle East, potential challenges to stability in the Pacific, and even global technological or climate issues. Governments, private enterprises, and media organizations all rely heavily on OSINT to assess developments on the ground, illustrating the need for more structured, professional approaches to this intelligence.
In response, the U.S. government updated its official OSINT guidelines to include Commercially Available Information (or CAI), recognizing the expanding role of this type of data in addition to the previously understood environment of Publicly Available Information (or PAI). In March 2024, CIA Director Bill Burns and Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines co-signed the U.S. Open-Source Intelligence Strategy for 2024-2026, marking a shift in how the Intelligence Community approaches OSINT to include both CAI and PAI.
The increasing reliance on OSINT underscores the need to differentiate between casual, crowdsourced efforts and professional intelligence. While publicly available data can offer valuable insights, it must be carefully vetted, analyzed, and handled within strict legal frameworks to avoid misuse and to validate collections.
PROSINT, by contrast, is carried out by professionals operating under ethical and legal constraints. This ensures that intelligence processes maintain integrity, adhere to privacy laws, and ultimately serve the needs of paying customers with validated, verified data and auditable processes — whether governments or private enterprises.
Building a Global Pro-SINT Ecosystem: Enhancing Public-Private Collaboration
To foster an international, professional OSINT ecosystem, we must encourage collaboration between allied governments, private industries, and academia. Public-private partnerships are key to advancing tradecraft, developing best practices, and sharing intelligence securely. NATO’s recent emphasis on addressing hybrid threats illustrates the growing importance of OSINT in mitigating risks posed by nation-states like Russia and China, as well as non-state actors and cybercriminal organizations.
The professionalization of OSINT is critical for maintaining trust in intelligence activities. Governments rely on Pro-SINT to safeguard national interests and protect citizens’ privacy, while corporations use it to defend intellectual property and shield themselves from cyber threats. Similarly, universities and research institutions must secure their innovations against espionage and cybercrime.
Addressing today’s hybrid threat landscape which includes a range of threat actors from hostile state services to criminal groups requires a clear distinction between general OSINT and ethical PROSINT. By establishing a more nuanced, professional framework for intelligence collection and analysis, we can ensure that security efforts meet the highest standards of legality, ethics, and effectiveness.
Discerning PROSINT from OSINT for policymakers at all levels of government might offer a foundation for transparent policy discussions that build trust between governments, private enterprises, and the publics they both serve. As we face increasingly complex global threats in a volatile world, it is essential to adopt PROSINT principles that unite intelligence professionals under shared values of human rights, democratic principles, and ethical business practices.
