Do you know how to use open source information to prepare and better protect your business?

Open source information gathering can be a powerful aid in helping a business to prepare accordingly for any type of adversity, whether it is a natural disaster or criminal activity. Between 80 and 90 percent of intelligence information can be legally gathered through public sources.

Other examples of open source information can be obtained from Internet websites, newspapers, magazines, periodicals, official publications, radio and television. Many industries, such as the retail industry, have created their own information gathering operation centers. An example is the National Retail Federation (NRF). The NRF launched the Retail Loss Prevention Intelligence Network, which is a secure, Web-based computer database that allows retailers and law enforcement to share organized retail theft information.

Another worthwhile open source is the Really Simple Syndication (RSS) that is a Web-based document that contains headlines, summaries and links to the most up-to-date content from a website, such as a news source. RSS feeds will bring you the latest Web content, allowing you to avoid time-consuming website searches or minimize the use of news search engines.

Many of the major corporations throughout the world have intelligence analysts who work in their respective corporate intelligence centers. These intelligence analysts legally search open source information sites available to anyone. Corporate intelligence centers monitor open source information worldwide. What happens in another country may indicate a trend of what might happen to a business here in the United States or to a U.S. facility on foreign soil.

Most now know that major corporations throughout the world have intelligence gathering operations.  But, how does that help the local businesses on main street America? Local businesses need to have a basic knowledge of how to glean information from open sources. Besides the open source sites mentioned above, do not overlook government websites, which can provide an abundance of information that can be valuable to your business.

In 2009, Michigan suffered several floods because of heavy rains, causing many rivers and creeks to overflow their banks. Businesses as well as the general public can utilize the Internet to access the FEMA Map Service Center to monitor flood threats in their local community. Knowing when a river will overflow its banks will help in determining what actions need to be taken to protect life and property.

While open source information can provide valuable knowledge to a business, the same open source information is available to someone who wishes to use the data in an adversarial manner against your business. To illustrate my point, a criminal can access a company’s website, learn the company’s organizational structure and identify the key principle leaders of the business. A criminal can utilize Google Earth to obtain an aerial photograph of the buildings and determine road access points as well as other critical nodes, such as fuel storage facilities, generators and loading docks.

Federal, state, local and tribal security professionals have placed a high priority on the use of open source information for years. The value of open source information to the business community cannot be overstated. Knowing how to access and use open source information may provide the crucial information and open a window into activities that may threaten your business.

		James R. Kus, CPP is the owner of Kus & Associates, LLC, Security Consulting Services, located in Grand Ledge since 1998. Kus is a retired Lansing Police Department detective and retired from the Michigan National Guard as the State Physical Security NCO.