To mark World Anti-Counterfeiting Day, we’ve decided to share some insights on how brands can leverage OSINT to combat the growing issue of counterfeiting in the digital age.
Although the origins of open-source intelligence (i.e., the collection and analysis of information gathered from open sources) can be traced to at least 80 years ago, there is no doubt that the development of OSINT as we know it was only possible due to the staggering growth of the internet over the past 30 years and the subsequent wide availability of data.
Open-source intelligence is a dynamic discipline that moves fast. Despite its young age, Governments, media, and private enterprises have increasingly recognised its value as a means of collecting valuable intelligence.
To illustrate the importance and enormous potential of this field, one can hardly find a better example than Bellingcat, an independent collective of researchers, investigators, and journalists that shed light on several high-profile conflicts, crimes, and human rights abuses through the innovative use of open-source investigations (if you do not know it yet, you really should have a look at their fantastic work: https://www.bellingcat.com/).
Open-source intelligence can be applied to various fields, from military to investigative journalism, academic research, and business development.
Brand Protection is no exception, as open-source intelligence can help in several ways, including:
- Attribution
Infringers knowingly trading in counterfeit goods online often use fake personal information or anonymous accounts. An open-source investigation can help uncover the identity of these traders. The starting point of the inquiry is usually a test purchase, which allows the gathering of crucial information (such as email addresses, payment accounts, and return addresses) in addition to publicly available details. Each piece of information is checked via Google searches and queries on dedicated databases, often leading to the disclosure of the entity running the accounts.
- Localisation
Similarly, an investigation with open-source intelligence can help uncover the location of a business, which is a critical element in the context of offline brand protection enforcement. Furthermore, the simple use of tools such as Google Maps can help establish whether an address is residential (with the prospect of sending a C&D letter, for example) or else if it has the potential to host a large stock of goods (possibly leading to a Law Enforcement raid). In certain jurisdictions, public records such as electoral rolls can also confirm whether our subject of interest resides at a given address.
- Verification of business registration
In many jurisdictions, company registers are partially or entirely public, allowing for queries to be conducted based on names, addresses or business registration numbers. If our investigation leads to a company as the primary entity running the infringing activities, consulting these records can help verify the business registration details, identify the main actors, establish whether a company is solvent and often uncover further registered legal entities controlled by the same directors.
- Clustering
Systematically investigating each piece of information collected on the infringer often leads to identifying further linked accounts. For instance, a reverse IP search can lead to additional websites controlled by the same entity; a search based on an email address or phone number can lead to other accounts held by the target on different marketplaces; the analysis of the social media connections of the main actors involved can reveal links with potential suppliers or clients.
- Evidence gathering
Depending on the listing configuration, some marketplaces (such as eBay) publicly display the quantity of items in stock and sold for each listing. Gathering and analysing this data allows not only the identification of high-priority sellers but also the collection of evidence that can be used for off-line enforcement purposes, such as requesting damages based on the turnover generated by the account or referring the case to Law Enforcement based on a potential large stock of counterfeit items held by the infringer.
- Supply chain intelligence
An area often overlooked is the availability of trade data in many jurisdictions made public by Customs Agencies. These records are based on the details stated on the official shipping documents of large consignments and include information such as the importer, exporter, product category, shipping route, etc., allowing for a detailed analysis of specific markets, products or companies of interest and the uncovering of shipping routes, trading partners and other valuable intelligence.
As open-source intelligence for brand protection often requires a significant investment in time and resources, its purpose must be carefully evaluated in advance and encompassed within the wider brand protection strategy. Nevertheless, if implemented wisely, it can bring significant advantages to an organisation.
Claudio De Nardo, Contributor
Claudio De Nardo is a passionate Brand Protection and Intelligence professional with extensive experience in the Technology sector. His career started at eBay, where he covered roles within the Trust and safety environment. Subsequently, he moved to Facebook in a Law Enforcement liaison capacity, assisting Judicial Authorities in relation to a wide range of criminal investigations.
In 2014, he joined the anti-counterfeiting organisation React, where he set up and led the Global Intelligence Unit, a new function responsible for open-source investigations, test purchases and intelligence gathering. Claudio founded Gluon Insight, an intelligence-driven enterprise providing brand protection and online investigations services.
About GreyScout
GreyScout provides sophisticated scanning of online marketplaces in real-time to detect threats such as unauthorized selling, Intellectual Property (IP) infringement, grey market activity, and more to stay one step ahead of bad actors.
