Using OSINT and HUMINT for Sustainability Reporting: A Beginners Guide

Introduction

Sustainability continues to be a crucial topic for organisations globally. As climate change, social inequality, and corporate governance issues continue to gain prominence and impact economies and societies, stakeholders, including workers, investors, customers, and regulatory bodies, demand that companies do more to demonstrate how well they deal with environmental issues, worker welfare, and ethical and responsible business management[1]. Alternatively, while it could in its simplest form be considered a report card showing just how good a corporate citizen a company is, companies that take this to heart obtain vital operational and strategic insight.

This demand for information has led to the development of several comprehensive frameworks for sustainability reporting, with the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) at the forefront[2]. SASB’s framework structures report areas around five primary dimensions: environment, social capital, human capital, business model and innovation, and leadership and governance. Other regulatory regimes have also previously published standards, and there are now efforts underway to unify these to make it easier for companies to comply.

This is where Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) and Human Intelligence (HUMINT) can add real value and help enrich existing capabilities.

OSINT involves gathering publicly available information from sources such as news articles, social media, and public databases. HUMINT collects information from real people, such as employees, customers, and community members. HUMINT often provides valuable additional context to the information gathered from OSINT.

Combining these approaches to gather information can help determine a company's sustainability performance across the five SASB dimensions and surface opportunities, insights and data that may not have been previously available.

Additionally, it can be used to gather information on other companies in the same market, enabling peer or competitor comparisons.

This article suggests that a more investigative approach combined with integrating OSINT and HUMINT techniques into the data gathering process brings several benefits. It provides illustrative use cases across SASB’s five sustainability dimensions and simple tips for companies looking to start their OSINT and HUMINT sustainability discovery and reporting journey.

Dimension 1 - Environment

OSINT can be a powerful tool in this dimension, as companies must gather the necessary information and report on their environmental impact. OSINT could include a variety of valuable sources enabling companies, for example, to leverage satellite imagery to help track changes in forest coverage or monitor higher-risk areas such as conservation zones to assess deforestation levels. Other prominent examples include monitoring multiple environmental databases to track local pollution levels or analysing weather patterns, which could impact the timing of operational activities. Environmental Impact Reports (EIRs) provide another rich source of information and are produced by a variety of public and private sector organisations, including:

• Government agencies, such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)[3] [4] in the US, the Environment Agency (EA)[5] in the UK, and the Environmental Management Bureau (EMP)[6] of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)[7] in the Philippines.

• International organisations, for example, the World Bank[8], the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)[9], or regional development banks such as the Asian Development Bank (ADB)[10]; or

• Private sector organisations, for example, companies developing large-scale infrastructure projects, utility companies, or real estate developers.

Deploying OSINT tools and techniques could enhance an organisation's capability by helping them identify and gather a wider set of information, tracking report progress, and alerting companies when updates or amendments may require further analysis or consideration.

HUMINT can help determine the tangible impact of operations on the environment and provide valuable context to existing data. For example, companies could engage with local communities to better understand their concerns and perceptions about environmental issues and to surface evidence that may contradict the official data being provided. Interviews with local people can provide information on their experiences, thus revealing evidence not documented in reports populated with remotely gathered data. Field workers in hazardous areas could provide an on-the-ground perspective on risk and help identify improvement opportunities, and stakeholder feedback from non-government organisations (NGOs) and local communities could help raise awareness of their environmental concerns and expectations. Examples of this ‘citizen science’ type contribution are well established in areas such as air and water quality, biodiversity and carbon footprints.

Imagine a scenario where carefully sourced information from whistleblowers revealed previously unidentified concerns and patterns, enabling the company to take early action to address blind spots before they escalate into significant issues. HUMINT experts could also suggest safeguards and protections such as those proposed by Transparency International[11] to put sources at ease so further actionable data can be gathered

Dimension 2 - Social Capital

This dimension focuses on a company's impact on its community and customers. It could also be thought of as how good a neighbour a company is.

This is an important dimension reflecting an organisation's ability to build trust, foster goodwill, and leave a positive impression on the customers and communities it serves and operates in.

OSINT has a significant role to play in this dimension by helping companies monitor the social impact of their operations and local initiatives, and analysing publicly available data, for example:

• Social media platforms to help track public sentiment[12] and identify recurring or emerging themes hidden in customer feedback.

• Online reviews[13] to help understand the extent of customer satisfaction and surface areas where improvements could be made.

• Local news coverage to help determine how a company is perceived in the community and provide indicators suggesting previously unreported controversies or concerns have arisen.

In particular, Social Media Intelligence (SOCMINT)[14], a specialised subset of OSINT that gathers and analyses data from social media platforms, can provide real-time insights into public sentiment, trends, and emerging issues. For example, companies could use SOCMINT techniques to:

• Monitor hashtags, mentions, and keywords related to their brand to help them understand the underlying public sentiment with which they are being discussed online. This type of information can help surface issues that may impact their social capital earlier so that corrective actions can be taken.

• Help identify influencers or community leaders who actively shape public opinion about the company or are particularly vocal on critical sustainability issues, such as the company’s environmental impact.

• Detect early warning signs of potential crises, such as negative viral posts, campaigns, or environmental protest group activities. It can also be used to help alert stakeholders in a crisis, for example, analysis of Google searches and social media were able to identify COVID-19 hotspots before medical confirmation[15].

• Analyse sentiment trends over time to help determine the effectiveness of community engagement initiatives.

Moreover, a company could use SOCMINT tools to track how sustainability initiatives are received on platforms like ‘X’ (Twitter)[16], Bluesky[17], Facebook[18], Instagram[19], or LinkedIn[20]. By analysing the tone and content of posts, they can quickly identify areas where they need to gather more information, improve communication or address concerns. SOCMINT tools can also be configured to generate alerts if, for example, there is a spike in negative sentiment regarding a particular issue.

HUMINT can add context to existing data by providing first-hand insights from those directly affected by the company’s operations. This can include:

• Data gathered from community meetings where the concerns and suggestions of residents can be surfaced through discussion.

• Conducting in-person surveys with community groups and residents.

• Engaging with local business leaders to understand the broader economic and social impact of the company’s activities.

• Developing Apps so that individuals can submit data directly to the company.

Imagine the impact if a company embedded OSINT, SOCMINT, and HUMINT techniques to the extent that they routinely monitored Facebook comments about their negative and positive impact in the localities where they were operating (OSINT). Further, they could add context and first-hand insights by hosting monthly community breakfasts to hear directly from customers or residents (HUMINT). This could help improve their understanding of how to serve their community better, address local concerns, build stronger relationships with their neighbours, and help them achieve their social capital objectives.

Dimension 3 - Human Capital

This dimension is centred around how companies treat their workers and the extent to which they create a positive workplace environment. It is crucial as organisations that perform well in this dimension tend to be better at attracting and retaining talent, fostering innovation, and as a result, ensuring long-term success.

OSINT can, for example, provide valuable insights into workforce trends and employee satisfaction by analysing:

• Job websites and forums to determine market salaries and benefits, ensuring that they remain competitive within their sector.

• Monitoring websites and forums focusing on the workplace, such as Glassdoor[21], to help identify common employee concerns[22].

• Industry employment trends[23] to anticipate challenges and improvement opportunities regarding their workforce management approach.

SOCMINT can also significantly help determine staff attitudes by analysing the social media sentiment of employees, workforce support, and social groups.

By applying structured HUMINT techniques, companies can engage directly with their employees to understand their needs and concerns, gather actionable insights, and surface previously unidentified concerns. This can include:

• Conducting anonymous employee surveys to gather honest feedback.

• Introducing staff suggestion schemes.

• Holding team meetings to discuss challenges and brainstorm solutions collaboratively.

• Having one-on-one conversations with staff to build trust and address individual concerns.

• Conducting an annual survey on employee whistleblowing attitudes to determine if staff genuinely believed that the corporate whistleblowing mechanism was truly anonymous, that they would never be disadvantaged by making a whistleblowing disclosure, and that reports would be treated seriously. Further valuable guidance can be found in ISO 37002: Whistleblowing Management Systems[24].

Imagine the impact that a tech start-up could generate by regularly checking industry salary data online (OSINT) and combining this with monthly employee feedback sessions (HUMINT) to ensure they’re creating a workplace where people want to stay. Immediate feedback on issues or areas where they are falling short, can then be more quickly addressed. This approach can play a significant role in helping them reduce turnover, improve employee satisfaction, and better achieve their human capital objectives.

Dimension 4 - Business Model and Innovation

This dimension focuses on how companies adapt and improve their business to stay relevant. Innovation and adaptability are key to long-term success, especially in industries facing disruption and those that are already on a rapidly evolving trajectory.

OSINT can help companies to stay ahead of the curve by monitoring a variety of publicly accessible information, such as:

• Industry news on both local and global scales to help identify emerging trends, opportunities and potential challenges that the industry or competitors are facing.

• Competitor announcements to gain deeper insights into market dynamics and discover opportunities for differentiation.

• Developments and research in new technologies to explore potential applications and partnerships, for example, Gartner Hype Circle[25] and CB Insights[26].

HUMINT offers a deeper understanding of market needs and opportunities through directly engaging stakeholders. This can involve:

• Talking to customers about their preferences and surfacing unmet expectations.

• Creating industry relationships to capture peer feedback and identify successful initiatives in the market that a particular company had not previously considered.

• Gathering reactions from salespeople who interact with customers daily.

• Providing structured feedback channels and whistleblowing system access for suppliers.

• Meeting with industry experts to gain insights into future trends and challenges.

Imagine a retail company that uses OSINT tools and techniques to follow tech news and trends online while regularly chatting with customers about their needs (HUMINT). This company can, therefore, factor in this information when making decisions about which new products to stock, helping it stay competitive and responsive to customer demands.

Dimension 5: Leadership and Governance

This dimension examines how effectively a company is managed and led. It is a critical area as it reflects how well the business builds trust with stakeholders and can indicate the propensity for long-term success and greater profitability[27]. It focuses on issues such as board oversight, executive compensation, business ethics, managing risk, and compliance with laws and regulations. As sustainability reporting becomes increasingly scrutinised, organisations and stakeholders can benefit from integrating different methods to gather and verify data.

This is where OSINT and HUMINT techniques offer potent techniques to enhance and enrich data quality in the governance and leadership domain.

OSINT can provide valuable insights into governance practices, for example:

• Identifying publicly available data from corporate filings, annual reports, and LinkedIn profiles to help reveal a company’s board composition, including diversity metrics such as gender, ethnicity, and expertise. This exercise can also target competitors, assisting businesses to benchmark themselves against their peers.

• Reviewing data such as regulatory filings, news articles, or whistleblower reports to identify compliance issues and surface potential problems around adherence to legal and ethical standards.

• Keeping up with business news to identify potential risks and opportunities and generating alerts when significant events occur.

• Comparing publicly available data from your company with competitors to identify key differences and trends.

• Identifying excessive churn of those in leadership or non-executive director roles.

Structured HUMINT techniques can help companies create mechanisms for gathering qualitative inputs from key stakeholders and identifying improvements in governance practices.

This could include:

• Gathering employee feedback about management behaviours and company culture, for example, through interviews or anonymous surveys. These first-hand accounts can often identify discrepancies between reported governance practices and the actual reality.

• Talking to board members to understand their perspectives and priorities.

• Meeting with industry leaders to benchmark governance practices and identify areas for improvement.

• Surfacing previously unidentified industry trends by creating informal peer group networking mechanisms.

• Integrating HUMINT techniques to understand whistleblower concerns better and providing HUMINT-driven safeguards for those who wish to make disclosures.

• Gathering internal data to check whether existing policies, procedures and systems are working as intended.

Imagine a multinational organisation reporting strong governance practices, but OSINT analysis reveals media reports of regulatory violations in an emerging market subsidiary. Early identification of discrepancies through OSINT techniques can act as an early warning system, enabling more accurate reporting or providing time for introducing corrective measures.

Operationalising OSINT and HUMINT

OSINT and HUMINT are increasingly becoming essential components of an investigator's toolkit.

In October 2021, Sir Mark Rowley pointed out the benefits of incorporating OSINT into investigation strategies[28]. The Coalition of Investigators[29] firmly believes this investigative principle can be extended to other data gathering requirements, such as sustainability reporting.

In this regard, the real power comes from combining OSINT and HUMINT.

Even small companies can benefit significantly from leveraging OSINT and HUMINT techniques. While many powerful commercial OSINT tools are available, many are free, such as Google alerts[30], social media monitoring, and LinkedIn.

Recommendations

To begin leveraging OSINT and HUMINT techniques, here is a simple way to start:

1. Start small - pick one area to focus on first and expand in line with your capabilities.

2. Begin by gathering OSINT data to get the big picture and, where necessary, delve deeper into specific factors that require further information.

3. Use HUMINT to dig deeper into what you've found and provide more nuanced and richer context to existing data. You can start with simple conversations with employees and customers and become more structured as the process evolves.

4. Review and analyse what you learn from combining existing reporting data, OSINT and HUMINT.

5. Use this combined knowledge to make better decisions and surface further areas of focus or concern.

6. Keep good records of your actions and the information you gather. This includes having proper evidence management processes.

7. Ensure you have access to legal advice so you can properly manage any actions related to legal or regulatory obligations.

8. Ensure that OSINT and HUMINT activities are properly governed and subject to regular audit and ethical codes of conduct[31]. There are a number of publicly available guidance documents on this topic, for example, the Guidelines for Public Interest OSINT Investigations[32].

9. Provide proper training to those involved or consider outsourcing OSINT and HUMINT to a specialist third party.

10. Consider developing programmes and initiatives that can address shortcomings in existing OSINT and HUMINT sources.

Conclusion

Sustainability reporting can be enriched and made more valuable by combining online research (OSINT) with honest conversations (HUMINT). Even small companies can use these techniques to help gather and deepen their understanding of sustainability data, strengthen their operational and market position, as well as improve their standing with investors and consumers.

Integrating OSINT and HUMINT can be a compelling approach for enhancing sustainability reporting across SASB’s five dimensions.

Companies can achieve faster, deeper, more cost-effective, and higher-quality sustainability data by combining OSINT's broad, scalable data capabilities with HUMINT's richer, more nuanced, and qualitative insights.

This approach not only helps meet investors' and stakeholders' increasing demands for transparent and accurate sustainability disclosures but also fosters a more ethical and responsible business environment. The investigative nature of OSINT and HUMINT can also serve as an early warning system for companies, surfacing previously unidentified issues and giving them time to take corrective actions and report more accurately.

As sustainability continues to evolve as a cornerstone of corporate strategy, companies that do not integrate OSINT and HUMINT into their sustainability data gathering activities will be flying blind.

Authored by: The Coalition of Cyber Investigators with contributions from guest author Gus Schellekens, Sustainability and Climate Change Leader and Mentor.

© 2025 The Coalition of Cyber Investigators. All rights reserved.

The Coalition of Cyber Investigators is a collaboration between

Paul Wright (United Kingdom) - Experienced Cybercrime, Intelligence (OSINT & HUMINT) and Digital Forensics Investigator; and

Neal Ysart (Philippines) - Elite Investigator & Strategic Risk Advisor, Ex-Big 4 Forensic Leader.

With over 80 years of combined hands-on experience, Paul and Neal remain actively engaged in their field.

They established the Coalition to provide a platform to collaborate and share their expertise and analysis of topical issues in the converging domains of investigations, digital forensics and OSINT. Recognising that this convergence has created grey areas around critical topics, including the admissibility of evidence, process integrity, ethics, contextual analysis and validation, the coalition is Paul and Neal’s way of contributing to a discussion that is essential if the unresolved issues around OSINT derived evidence are to be addressed effectively. Please feel free to share this article and contribute your views.

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