Modern information warfare is fought as much on screens as it is on the ground. This course gives True Observer OSINT agents a mission-ready cyber mindset, combining the fundamentals of military cyber awareness with our own field experience in open-source investigations.

You’ll learn how to protect yourself, your unit and your sources while working in hostile digital environments – whether you’re monitoring extremist channels, analysing disinformation campaigns or preserving online evidence for later legal use.

Who is this course for?

1. True Observer volunteers and agents working on sensitive OSINT missions
2. Analysts supporting military, defence, law-enforcement or humanitarian operations
3. Anyone who needs a disciplined security culture around devices, accounts and data

What you’ll learn

By the end of the course, you will be able to:

1. Understand the core principles of military cyber awareness: confidentiality, integrity, availability and accountability
2. Apply OPSEC and PERSEC to your daily OSINT workflow: protecting identity, routines and physical location
3. Recognise and avoid phishing, malware, spoofing and social-engineering attacks targeting analysts
4. Handle removable media and external drives safely (USB, SD cards, phones) without compromising the mission
5. Use mission-ready software and hardware setups (e.g. Linux-based “CSI” environments, virtual machines, burner devices) in a safe and controlled way
6. Protect evidence and intelligence with strong passwords, MFA, encryption and secure backups
7. Manage secure communications with teammates and partners (Zello, email, messaging apps, VOIP) following a clear radio-style discipline
8. Respond correctly to suspected compromise: who to inform, what to isolate, how to document

Course structure

Module 1 – Cyber Threat Landscape for OSINT Agents

Module 2 – Military-Style OPSEC & Digital Footprints

Module 3 – Devices, Networks and Removable Media Discipline

Module 4 – Secure Tooling: Linux, VMs and “CSI” Workstations

Module 5 – Communications, Passwords & Encryption Basics

Module 6 – Incident Response & Lessons Learned

This is not a hacking course. It is a defensive, ethics-driven programme designed to keep our people, our partners and our investigations safe in an increasingly contested information space.

Certification

Participants who complete all modules, pass the final exercise, and maintain full attendance will receive a True Observer Certification and eligibility for inclusion in the Active Operations Roster as verified external intelligence contributors.