In 2025, the landscape of cybersecurity and investigations is evolving rapidly with the emergence of new and improved OSINT tools. These tools play a crucial role in gathering open-source intelligence for various purposes, ranging from cybersecurity defense to law enforcement investigations.
One of the notable additions to the arsenal of OSINT tools for 2025 is the FBI Watchdog. This tool, available for free, tracks domain seizures and DNS record updates in real-time, alerting users about law enforcement actions and other DNS changes. It also captures screenshots of seized domains, providing valuable insights for investigators and cybersecurity professionals.
Another essential tool in the OSINT toolkit is VenariX Ransomware Alert Bot. This next-gen tool automates threat intelligence and reconnaissance by scanning public data sources, dark web forums, and social media for indicators of compromise and threat actor activities. With a tiered pricing structure ranging from free to enterprise levels, VenariX keeps users informed about the latest ransomware attacks in real-time.
TheHarvester, a free open-source tool, specializes in gathering information such as email addresses, subdomains, and domain names from various public sources. This tool is particularly useful for reconnaissance during penetration testing and vulnerability assessments, providing critical data for identifying potential security risks.
SpiderFoot, another free automated OSINT collection tool, stands out for aggregating intelligence from over 100 different sources. By scanning domains, IP addresses, and email addresses, SpiderFoot generates detailed reports on potential risks and threats, aiding investigators in making informed decisions based on the collected data.
Recon-ng, a web reconnaissance tool, automates data collection from multiple sources, streamlining the intelligence-gathering process. With modules designed for gathering information on domains, IPs, and social media profiles, Recon-ng simplifies the task of collecting crucial data for investigations and cybersecurity operations.
OSINT Framework offers a structured approach to organizing and streamlining the process of gathering open-source intelligence. This tool focuses on utilizing free tools and resources available on the internet, providing a comprehensive view of publicly accessible data for thorough analysis and investigation.
Shodan, dubbed the “search engine for the Internet of Things,” helps users discover internet-connected devices, including servers, routers, and webcams. By identifying exposed devices and potential vulnerabilities within networks, Shodan aids in strengthening cybersecurity defenses and mitigating risks associated with insecure IoT devices.
Wayback Machine is an invaluable archive of old versions of websites, allowing users to access historical data and uncover outdated or sensitive content that may have been removed but still exists in the archives. By preserving web snapshots over time, Wayback Machine serves as a valuable resource for retrieving historical information for investigative purposes.
Mitaka, a browser extension, provides intuitive access to diverse intelligence-gathering features for efficient reconnaissance and investigative tasks. By integrating multiple OSINT modules, Mitaka enables comprehensive analysis of target entities, aiding investigators in profiling targets and uncovering valuable insights from online activities.
XposedOrNot, a privacy-focused tool, allows users to check whether their email addresses or passwords have appeared in known data breaches. By scanning a vast database of leaked credentials, XposedOrNot helps identify compromised information and provides details about the breaches involved, enhancing user awareness of potential security risks.
BuiltWith serves as a comprehensive profiler for identifying the various technologies deployed on websites, from server frameworks to analytics and content management systems. By delivering in-depth analysis of web setups, BuiltWith is instrumental for competitive intelligence and technology strategy development, providing essential insights for decision-makers in various industries.
Telegago is an OSINT tool focused on analyzing Telegram channels and groups, tracking public and private chats, monitoring message trends, and performing sentiment analysis. Ideal for tracking cybercriminal groups and gathering intelligence from Telegram communities, Telegago offers valuable insights for investigators and cybersecurity professionals.
GHunt is an OSINT tool designed for gathering information from Google accounts, extracting data like public photos, YouTube channels, and connected services using just an email address. GHunt aids investigators in profiling targets and uncovering linked accounts, facilitating thorough analysis of online activities for investigative purposes.
FOCA, or Fingerprinting Organisations with Collected Archives, is an OSINT tool that extracts metadata from publicly available documents, analyzing files like PDFs, Word documents, and images to uncover sensitive information such as usernames, software versions, and server details. Ideal for footprinting and vulnerability assessment, FOCA provides critical insights for cybersecurity professionals and investigators.
SkopeNow is a modern OSINT tool designed for social media intelligence gathering, collecting and analyzing data from multiple social platforms to track user activities, posts, and interactions. With tools that assist with various investigative and security needs, including Analyst Help, Pre-Check, Workbench, Link Analysis, and Grid, SkopeNow offers comprehensive insights for profiling individuals and detecting fake accounts.
Metagoofil is an OSINT tool that extracts metadata from publicly accessible documents such as PDFs, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files, gathering information like usernames, software versions, and file paths. By identifying potential vulnerabilities and system configurations during reconnaissance, Metagoofil aids investigators in understanding the information contained in documents and files found on the web.
Paliscope, a comprehensive OSINT platform, is designed for law enforcement and intelligence professionals, assisting in collecting, analyzing, and visualizing data from open sources and social media. With a focus on victim recovery efforts, Paliscope has been instrumental in tracking victims of human trafficking and aggregating data from diverse sources to create link analyses for investigations.
Hunchly is a web capture tool for investigators, automatically saving and organizing web pages during OSINT investigations to maintain an audit trail and preserve evidence. Ideal for building cases and tracking changes on monitored pages, Hunchly ensures investigators have a reliable record of online activities for thorough analysis and reporting.
Lullar is an OSINT tool focused on searching for social media profiles associated with a given email address or username, scanning multiple platforms to find linked accounts and piece together a target’s online presence. By providing insights into a target’s social network activities, Lullar aids investigators in gathering intelligence from various social media platforms.
The advent of these advanced OSINT tools in 2025 marks a significant milestone in the field of cybersecurity and investigations, empowering professionals with enhanced capabilities for gathering, analyzing, and leveraging open-source intelligence for various purposes. As these tools continue to evolve, their role in enhancing security, transparency, and understanding in the digital landscape becomes increasingly crucial. To stay updated on the latest developments in the world of cybersecurity and OSINT, continue following the updates and resources provided by platforms like HackRead.com. Remember, while harnessing the power of these tools, it is essential to use them ethically and responsibly, respecting privacy and legal boundaries in all investigative activities.