29 November 2024, Islamabad – The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), with the support of the Government of Denmark, successfully conducted two advanced training sessions on Digital Literacy, Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT), and Social Media Intelligence (SOCMINT) for officials from the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) in Balochistan. Held from 3-5 September and 26-28 November 2024, these sessions aimed to equip participants with cutting-edge tools and techniques to counter the growing threat of terrorism in the digital sphere.
A total of 50 law enforcement officials including 14 females benefitted from this initiative, which emphasized developing an understanding of OSINT and SOCMINT to combat the misuse of the internet by terrorist groups.
The training sessions were carefully designed to address the unique challenges faced by Balochistan’s CTD officials in identifying and mitigating online threats. Officials were introduced to tools for digital reconnaissance, including advanced search methods like Google Dorking, and strategies to detect vulnerabilities online. The sessions provided insights into analyzing social media networks, leveraging tools like Gephi and NodeXL to identify and trace connections within online ecosystems. In addition, the officials learned best practices for safeguarding sensitive data, forensic analysis, and investigating cybercrimes using tools such as Burp Suite and Nessus.
The September training laid the groundwork, introducing participants to OSINT principles and basic cybersecurity strategies. The November session built on this foundation, introducing advanced investigative techniques and real-world applications.
