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What is WEBINT and How It Works

June 1, 2020

Web Intelligence is a term that you often hear in law enforcement-related discussions. Our online activity has become a mirror of our offline lives, and, as it seems, what we do online is highly dependent on our offline activities. The same principle applies to threat actors that may have committed a crime or are planning to commit one in the near future. This is where WEBINT solutions come into play because they can be a very powerful tool in online crime-fighting. All it takes is one simple click, and a detailed social profile of a suspect can become available in a matter of seconds.

Modern times require threat actors to resort to modern solutions. End-to-end encryption and the dark web are their favorite tools to use, but most of them can’t maintain the discipline required to stay hidden on the internet. The expansion of social media platforms and other publicly accessible online databases has opened a few doors for crime investigators and security agencies. All of the data shared on those platforms is legally accessible meaning that anyone can access and process it. Due to a lot of noise surrounding a particular chunk of information you are looking for, additional filtering tools may be required.

Cobwebs solutions provide easy access to big data almost instantly. Users have access to many different filtering tools that will ensure you are getting the most relevant data at all times. Active and passive target tracking provides insight into the social aspect of their lives, making it easy to set up alerts every time a possible threat emerges. With the help of AI and dark web intelligence, all of this data can be put to good use. Web intelligence platforms make sure that no data is missed when conducting research so even the dark web is scanned and taken into account when investigations are conducted. Keyword and location monitoring provide timely feedback on radical changes in behavior and activity. These could point out a crime that is yet to take place, and it can be prevented with a lot less effort than usual.

The Tech Is Constantly Evolving

In its current form, WEBINT platforms can serve as a very valuable assistant in both online and offline investigations. Their reports can deliver correct and untampered information to law enforcement and security agencies that can then act upon that information with confidence. The best part is that the tech is still evolving and it can only get better over time. As new data sources emerge, they get integrated into the platform. This means that even new communication channels and data exchanging platforms that are used for criminal activity will be cut off sooner rather than later. The constant improvements can only mean more valuable data with very little irrelevant information at all times. Filtering and targeting options will become more precise, giving operators more flexibility while shortening the investigation lengths at the same time. Even suspects with limited information can be tracked and monitored if they become a possible threat.

WEBINT as a Permanent Solution to Online Crime

Online crime has almost become a standard in the 21st century, and without the right tools, law enforcement can easily start falling behind. Investigations have become more complex, but having the right information can make them less of a headache. WEBINT makes sure that all online activity is retrieved, analyzed, and stored in the right spot. Passive and active monitoring helps automate the tracking process while staff members need to react only when they get an update or a warning from the platform. Staff members can be reallocated to different positions and departments, while software solutions such as Cobweb’Crime Prediction Software can take care of threat monitoring.

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