Open-Source Investigations for Law Enforcement

Open-Source Investigations for Law Enforcement is a 12-week online course that provides a structured introduction to conducting ethical, legally compliant OSINT investigations. Students will learn how to safely collect, verify, and document publicly available information using social media, search tools, and investigative workflows.

Topics covered include legal and ethical foundations of OSINT, operational security (OPSEC) and digital safety, investigative alias and persona development, social media searching and analysis, reverse searching, Google Dorks and advanced search operators, responsible use of AI, investigative workflow tools, and documentation, reporting, and defensible practices.

Instructor: Mary Kent

At a Glance

Upcoming Sessions

Select the session that works best for your schedule. Once a session has passed or is already in progress, registration is disabled.

Note: availability labels are updated manually as seats fill. If a session does not appear on the registration form, it should be treated as sold out.

Class Format

This course is appropriate for all experience levels and assumes no prior OSINT experience. It is designed for law enforcement officers, investigators, and analysts who are new to open-source intelligence or looking to build a structured, legally defensible approach to OSINT work.

Students should expect a time commitment of 3-5 hours per week to gain a passing grade. The course is graded as pass/fail. This class follows a weekly-structured online format, meaning the class advances through each topic together week by week.

Students can log in whenever it fits their schedule, and there are no live sessions. Participation throughout the course is required for a passing grade. As a rule, bulk submissions during the last week of class are not accepted unless prior authorization has been granted by the instructor.

Invitations to the learning platform are sent the week before class begins.

Course Outline

This course is organized into 12 weekly modules that build cumulatively, with each week introducing new OSINT techniques while reinforcing previously learned skills. Weekly projects are progressive and designed to mirror real-world investigative workflows.

Ready to Enroll?

Choose an upcoming session and complete your registration. If a session fills, students may contact [email protected] to ask about availability or future offerings. See the Training Policies page for information on transfers, participation rules, and refunds.