Elodie Collins 
- The CIA noted that OSINT often surpasses classified intelligence in speed, quantity and accessibility
- China and North Korea are trying to infiltrate American organizations
- The 2026 Intel Summit on Sept. 24 will host a dedicated panel on OSINT for counterespionage
Adversaries are trying to infiltrate American organizations to steal the trade secrets, proprietary research and technology that underpin the nation’s economic and military advantage. At the same time, the increasingly connected world has created a wealth of data that intelligence officials can use to detect foreign nation-state activities before they compromise American companies and research institutions.
As threats to American ingenuity grow, open source intelligence, known as OSINT, has become an essential resource for uncovering foreign espionage efforts before they inflict lasting damage.
The Potomac Officers Club’s 2026 Intel Summit on Sept. 24 will host a panel on the role of OSINT in detecting and uncovering foreign nation-state activities. The Open Secrets: The Power of OSINT in Counterespionage of Intellectual Property Secret and Protection of the U.S. RDT&E Enterprise panel will feature intelligence leaders and experts from government and industry to examine the threat landscape and identify strategies to safeguard American companies from foreign spies. Sign up today to join the conversation!
What Is OSINT?
The intelligence community’s OSINT Strategy for 2024 to 2026 defined OSINT as “intelligence derived exclusively from publicly or commercially available information that addresses specific intelligence priorities, requirements or gaps.”
Sources of OSINT may include traditional mass media, which deliver structured reporting and official narratives, alongside internet platforms providing real-time, user-generated content and rich metadata. Additionally, commercial sources such as satellite imagery, transit tracking and corporate filings enable analysts to map global movements, ownership structures and supply networks, the Center for Strategic & International Studies said.
According to the CIA, “OSINT often surpasses classified information” in terms of speed, quantity, quality, clarity, accessibility and costs. In a crisis, for instance, policymakers and intelligence analysts may turn to television or the internet to quickly gather information. In areas where the presence of intelligence assets is limited, journalists, bloggers and think tankers can provide robust coverage.
Dave Drawdy, a former U.S. Army OSINT leader who joined Leidos as a senior OSINT subject matter expert, shared that OSINT serves as “the first resort” that guides subsequent intelligence collection efforts.
What Is Economic Espionage?
Under U.S. federal law, economic espionage involves the theft, reproduction or alteration of protected trade secrets. According to the FBI, it costs the U.S. “hundreds of billions of dollars per year” and creates serious national security risks. Moreover, foreign spies are now targeting companies, big or small, across any industry for proprietary products or processes.
China
China is a leading threat actor orchestrating economic espionage. Former FBI Director Christopher Wray, in a speech in 2020, called China the “greatest long-term threat” to U.S. information and intellectual property and economic vitality.
Former Google software engineer Linwei Ding, also known as Leon Ding, was convicted of economic espionage and theft of trade secrets related to artificial intelligence technology in January. In a statement, Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg said Ding’s actions “put U.S. technological leadership and competitiveness” in AI at risk.
Members of the Five Eyes intelligence alliance, including the United States, recently issued a joint bulletin warning the public against China’s nefarious activities on professional networking sites and online job platforms. The Safeguarding Our Secrets bulletin revealed how Chinese intelligence personnel pose as recruiters representing fake companies to contact people with access to classified information.
The FBI has also been cracking down on covert foreign intelligence operatives on U.S. soil.
In a video shared on the social media site X, FBI Director Kash Patel said the agency has arrested 113 active spies associated with foreign nations, particularly China. In 2026 alone, he shared that the FBI enacted 62 forced removals of Chinese spies, The Epoch Times reported.
At the 2025 Intel Summit, Dennis Wilder, a former China military analyst at the CIA, warned about the insider threat posed by Chinese intelligence operators to American companies.
Wilder is one of the speakers on the OSINT panel at the 2026 Intel Summit on Sept. 24. An assistant professor in Asian studies and a senior fellow for the Initiative for U.S.-China Dialogue on Global Issues at Georgetown University, he will bring to the panel expertise on the threat of Chinese intelligence operations to American innovation. Secure your seat today!
North Korea
North Korea has also been trying to infiltrate American organizations. In 2022 and 2023, the FBI issued an alert on the attempts of North Korean IT workers posing as non-North Korean nationals to obtain employment in American companies. The workers not only seek to generate income to support North Korea’s nuclear and weapons of mass destruction programs, but also exfiltrate sensitive and proprietary code.
How Is the Government Expanding OSINT Capabilities?
The U.S. government has, over the years, recognized the value of OSINT in strengthening national security and has increased its investments, policy frameworks and technological capabilities to integrate open-source data into operations.
Legislative Support
The House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence recently approved the fiscal year 2027 Intelligence Authorization Act, which includes provisions to strengthen the IC’s use of OSINT for analysis and mission planning. The legislation calls for the continued development of interoperability and enterprise services for the collection, processing and dissemination of OSINT.
Procurement Reform
Former Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said in 2025 that she wanted to streamline the process for open-source contracting, Breaking Defense reported. She shared that archaic procurement laws are limiting the IC’s ability to integrate OSINT into other intelligence capabilities.
AI Use
Many agencies are increasingly adopting AI and machine learning to more effectively leverage OSINT to advance various missions.
The Department of War’s most recent OSINT strategy, released in October 2023, directs the use of AI capabilities to enhance and expand the collection of OSINT to support situational awareness and decision-making. The Defense Intelligence Agency also consolidated the National Media Exploitation Center and the Open Source Intelligence Integration Center, both organizations responsible for providing OSINT, in February to coordinate activities and investments in data analysis and artificial intelligence, Federal News Network reported.
Similarly, the IC’s OSINT strategy recommends testing of generative AI tools to deliver insights from OSINT, including through the identification of patterns or themes and summarizing text.
Hear more about how the U.S. government is leveraging OSINT to protect intellectual property from China, North Korea and other threats at the 2026 Intel Summit on Sept. 24. Tickets are available here!
