It’s hard to scope
Without defined criteria, research drifts beyond the purpose it was authorized for.
Government & Public Sector OSINT
Public-Source OSINT Research for Public-Sector Teams
For an authorized purpose, Ferretly can review available public content associated with named individuals relevant to your team’s work. Your organization determines the lawful scope and reviews the findings.
Book a demoThe challenge with manual open-source research
Public-source research is often done by hand, one search at a time. That creates problems that matter more in the public sector:
It’s inconsistent
Different analysts search differently, which makes the process harder to explain and review.
It collects what it shouldn’t
Raw searches surface protected expression and personal characteristics alongside anything relevant.
What your team gains
Scoped research tied to a defined purpose
Your team defines named subjects and configures behavioral flags and keywords. Reviewers assess the available findings for relevance.
Coverage across public sources
The research covers public content across social platforms, news, forums and the open web, in text and images, across multiple languages.
Human review and restraint built in
Your organization sets purpose-relevant criteria, reviews findings and applies required privacy and protected-expression safeguards.
How it works
Document authority and purpose
Your team records the authorized purpose and the legal authority it relies on. Ferretly doesn’t provide investigative powers or authorization.
Configure criteria
Choose from Ferretly’s 13 behavioral risk classifications and add custom keywords relevant to the purpose.
Ferretly reviews public content
The review covers social platforms, news, forums and the open web. Content research uses publicly accessible sources and does not provide private-account access.
Your team reviews
People on your team review the findings. Nothing is decided automatically. Optional Analyst Assistant support for eligible initial reviews depends on your plan and service agreement.
What reviewers receive
- Findings labeled with applicable behavioral flags and keyword matches
- The underlying public content, for context
- Public information only
- No determinations, conclusions or automated decisions
Why Ferretly
Configurable criteria
Configure purpose-relevant screening criteria and keep protected beliefs and characteristics out of decisions.
Public sources only
Content research uses publicly accessible sources and does not provide private-account access.
Structured, not ad hoc
The same categories and process apply to every review.
Where it could fit
The examples below are illustrative scenarios, not customer results and not specific agency deployments.
Procurement due diligence
A public-sector procurement team reviews public content about the key people at a prospective contractor.
Facility and event security
A security office reviews available public posts associated with authorized named subjects, using permitted facility or event terms. If there’s an imminent safety risk, follow emergency procedures first.
Public appointments
A team reviews public content about a nominee to a board or commission under the appropriate purpose-specific process.
Safeguards
Your authority governs
Research happens under your organization’s own legal authority and documented purpose. Ferretly doesn’t provide authorization or investigative powers.
Protected expression respected
Criteria should target defined conduct, not political views, religion, assembly or other protected expression or characteristics.
Public sources only
Content research uses publicly accessible sources and does not provide private-account access. No pretexting.
Not for legal proceedings or evidence
Ferretly’s Terms prohibit using service data in legal proceedings or as evidence.
Employment-purpose rules where relevant
When a review serves an employment purpose, apply the applicable purpose-specific screening requirements.
Records and privacy
Before collecting or sharing findings, confirm applicable privacy, retention and disclosure duties and that the proposed handling is permitted by the customer agreement.
Questions, answered
Frequently asked questions
Does Ferretly access classified, restricted or private data?
Content research uses publicly accessible sources and does not provide private-account access.
Does Ferretly give our team investigative authority?
No. Research happens under your organization’s own authority and documented purpose.
Can findings be used as evidence?
No. Ferretly’s Terms prohibit using service data in legal proceedings or as evidence.
Does Ferretly decide what the findings mean?
No. Your designated reviewers assess relevance and determine any follow-up.
How is this different from screening government job candidates?
This page covers public-source research for authorized public-sector purposes. Screening candidates and employees falls under Ferretly’s Hiring & Workforce Screening solution and its employment-screening safeguards.
Talk through public-source research for your team
See how a documented public-sector purpose would be researched from public sources, with the findings left for your team to assess.
Book a demoProtect Your Brand. Prevent the Fallout.
Discover how Ferretly can help you make informed decisions about who you work with, partner with, or hire.