Join us for the next session of the 2026 webinar series! Learn all about exploring social media platforms and open-source investigative techniques!

Social Media & Open-Source Series 2026-02 Sock Puppets & Facebook Part 1

• When? February 11th, 2026 @ 1500 ET
  
• How much? IACA members-$15, Non-members $30 OR purchase the series pass and get all 12 sessions at a 25% discount!
• Register here!
• “Super Secret Squirrel S***...”   This webinar will go over the basic “How To’s” of trying to set up Sock Puppet or UC (undercover) accounts for social media, including discussing the dreaded “Facebook blockade”.  We will also start to digging into Facebook, looking at preservation & search warrant data (how to interpret/use as intel/etc), as well as navigation tips & tricks and safety precautions while conducting investigations.
• *If you already have UC accounts set up for most platforms, that’s great!  If you’ll be attending the webinar live, please feel free to bring any tips & tricks you used to get your accounts up & running!

Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) and Social Media Intelligence (SOCMINT) are extremely power tools that can be used in law enforcement & professional investigations.  From gathering intelligence, to identifying suspects, both OSINT & SOCMINT should be skills every analyst and investigator has in their toolbox.  For investigations involving social media, an in-depth understanding of what platforms are being used, how each of them function, as well as knowing how users are posting and sharing information are necessary.  Knowledge of where to look, what to look for, and how to put together the intelligence gathered in order to garner leads and advance investigations is key.  Taught by Karie Nordland, Crime Analyst for the Lakewood Police Department, each monthly session will look into a different aspect of OSINT & SOCMINT, giving students an overall understanding of platform functionality and navigation, as well as using case studies to demonstrate the power of using OSINT & Social Media to advance & enhance investigations. 

Click here for a detailed outline and class materials (which will be added as the year progresses.)

All Social Media & Open-Source Series webinars will be recorded; if you cannot attend the live session, we will provide the recording the next day. All registrants who are IACA members will receive Continuing Education Credits and you may request a certificate if you want one. For non-registrants, the recordings will be posted to the webinar library after 45 days. Students can either “mix and match” individual sessions as necessary or can purchase a series pass for all 12 sessions at a 25% discount.  If you purchase the series pass after the series has started, the rate will be prorated, and you will immediately receive the recordings for the previous sessions.

Registration will close at 1700 Eastern Time the business day before the webinar. Late registrations will NOT be accepted.

Zoom invites will be sent out roughly 1 week before the webinar. If you have not received your Zoom invite by the morning of the webinar, check your spam folder and then email us. 

If you have questions about the webinar program, please view our FAQs page or email [email protected].