What is the Open Source Intelligence Exchange (OSIX)?
The Open-Source Intelligence Exchange (OSIX) Lab is a great opportunity for students to gain real-world experience and help in the fight against human trafficking. The OSIX program uses selected and vetted college students to provide open-source intelligence collection and analysis for law enforcement and other customers. One of these customers is Operation Underground Railroad (O.U.R.). O.U.R. is a non-profit organization committed to fighting human trafficking around the world.
“OSINT stands for open source intelligence, which refers to any information that can legally be gathered from free, public sources about an individual or organization. In practice, that tends to mean information found on the internet, but technically any public information falls into the category of OSINT whether it’s books or reports in a public library, articles in a newspaper or statements in a press release.
OSINT also includes information that can be found in different types of media, too. Though we typically think of it as being text-based, information in images, videos, webinars, public speeches and conferences all fall under the term.” – SentinelOne
What is Operation Underground Railroad?
Operation Underground Railroad is a United States-based nonprofit organization involved in the rescue of human trafficking and sex trafficking victims, with a special focus on children, and a wider goal of eliminating sex trafficking worldwide. O.U.R. partners with local law enforcement agencies around the world to save children from human trafficking.
O.U.R. and OSIX Together
Marshall University’s CFS Program is “just so grateful for this opportunity to serve this cause. Our students get to directly contribute to helping the victims of this terrible crime. In the process, they gain invaluable real-world experience that they can take with them for the rest of their careers.” – John Sammons, Associate Director for the Marshall University Institute for Cyber Security.
Marshall’s OSIX in the News
Marshall, State Police hope to better combat sexual exploitation with newly expanded lab
October 26th, 2022
Marshall University holds ribbon cutting for expanded West Virginia State Police digital forensics lab
October 24th, 2022
Digital Forensics program partners with company for Open Source Intelligence
November 1st, 2018
Students and staff help in liberation of sex trafficking victims
February 19th, 2018
Take Them Back: Fighting Human Trafficking
May 1st, 2018