OSINT Social Media Intelligence 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which technique allows OSINT analysts to find deleted social media posts that are no longer publicly accessible?
- Querying the platform's private API directly
- Checking cached versions via Google cache or Wayback Machine (Correct answer)
- Submitting a subpoena to the social media company
- Using browser developer tools to inspect local storage
Correct answer: Checking cached versions via Google cache or Wayback Machine
Web archives like the Wayback Machine and Google's cache often preserve snapshots of social media content before it was deleted.
Question 2: What is 'brigading' in the context of social media intelligence analysis?
- A coordinated group effort to flood a target with content or harassment (Correct answer)
- A method of exfiltrating data from social platforms
- A technique for analyzing follower growth patterns
- A tool for mapping social network connections
Correct answer: A coordinated group effort to flood a target with content or harassment
Brigading refers to coordinated online attacks where groups mass-report, downvote, or harass a specific target or content.
Question 3: When analyzing an anonymous Twitter/X account, which metadata element is MOST useful for linking it to a real identity?
- The account's display name
- The account creation date correlated with other platform registrations (Correct answer)
- The number of followers the account has
- The language setting of the account
Correct answer: The account creation date correlated with other platform registrations
Account creation dates, when cross-referenced with similar dates on other platforms, can help link multiple accounts to the same individual.
Question 4: Which social media platform is MOST commonly used for professional identity verification in OSINT investigations?
- TikTok
- LinkedIn (Correct answer)
- Snapchat
Correct answer: LinkedIn
LinkedIn is the primary professional networking platform where users self-report employment history, education, and real names.
Question 5: What does the term 'sock puppet' refer to in social media OSINT?
- A bot account that automatically reposts content
- A fake account created to deceive others about its true operator (Correct answer)
- A verified account used for official communications
- An account that aggregates content from multiple sources
Correct answer: A fake account created to deceive others about its true operator
A sock puppet is a fake online identity created to manipulate discussions, spread disinformation, or deceive others about who is behind the account.
Question 6: Which OSINT approach is used to identify relationships between social media accounts belonging to the same individual?
- Temporal correlation analysis (Correct answer)
- Password spraying
- Domain zone transfer
- BGP route analysis
Correct answer: Temporal correlation analysis
Temporal correlation analysis compares posting times, activity patterns, and timestamps across accounts to identify common operators.
Question 7: When conducting social media OSINT, what is the primary risk of using your personal account to view a target's profile?
- The target will receive a notification of your visit on some platforms (Correct answer)
- Your IP address will be permanently blocked
- The platform will delete the target's account
- You will violate terms of service in all jurisdictions
Correct answer: The target will receive a notification of your visit on some platforms
Some platforms like LinkedIn notify users when someone views their profile, potentially alerting the target that they are being investigated.
OSINT Social Media Intelligence 2
Which technique allows OSINT analysts to find deleted social media posts that are no longer publicly accessible?