Open-source intelligence turns publicly available information into verified, documented conclusions. The skill isn't finding data — there's an ocean of it — it's corroboration: turning "I found a profile" into "three independent sources place this account at this event on this date."
The three failures that ruin an investigation:
- Assuming instead of verifying. One matching username is a lead, not a fact.
- Contaminating the target. A like, a follow, a login attempt tips them off and can be illegal. Passive first, always.
- Not documenting. An unrecorded finding didn't happen. Timestamp and screenshot as you go.