The scientific and pedagogical staff of the Department of Operational Investigation and Information Security of the Donetsk State University of Internal Affairs launched an extracurricular educational project “Implementing OSINT in the National Police units”, created according to the results of the European Union Advisory Mission (EUAM) training.
The aim of the initiative is to develop practical skills among higher education seekers in searching, analyzing, interpreting, and using open source data as well as to prepare them for the effective use of OSINT tools in their professional field.
The course program covers theoretical and practical parts.
Within the theoretical block, the participants work on sources of information collection, Internet resources, databases, search engines, and consider issues of personal data protection and cybersecurity.
The practical stage involves interactive exercises: creating special accounts for investigations, analyzing metadata, photo and video materials, searching for information about individuals, identifying electronic traces, digital evidence, and geolocation by image.
A special element of the program is the “Cash Register” exercise, aimed at developing logical thinking and the ability to make well-founded decisions in a short time.
Not only the department’s teachers, but also students who have completed the EUAM training of trainers on the use of open sources of information in criminal investigations are involved in moderating the classes.
Implementation of the project increases digital literacy of police officers, improves their analytical skills, and ensures practical readiness to work in modern information space.
