View on GitHub

SANS ICS Summit 2025

OSINT Workshop ~ Using the power of OSINT to protect critical infrastructure and operational environments.

OSINT Workshop

Agenda

Task 2: ICS / OT Passive Geolocation Reconnaissance By Sector

Industrial control environments have large footprints. These facilities can be large. Google Maps provides satellite views of public areas. These views provide information about ingress and egress from industrial sites. Understanding the address of a site allows the area to be searched using a top-down view. It also may provide a street view of the location which can show parking areas, guard shacks, cameras, and other details about the site. While this information can be dated it is often current enough make basic assumptions about physical security.

The complexity of critical infrastructure and the societies dependency on the delivery of many services means that information needs to be shared across organizations. There are public and private services that can provide details about different types of infrastructures. Information about private industries is often publicized through media, business research, and governmental oversight. If it is on the internet, it is available to everyone. Some of these sites require accounts and may require approval to access the information. Other sites are maintained as open project that may not require accounts. These services vary but the can provide interesting details about the size, scope, and deployment of technologies in different sectors. While this information may be dated, it is a starting point.

Self-paced Questions

Review the following resources in the maps and data section to understand some of the internet accessible geolocation resources for each sector. Consider for some of these questions during your analysis. If these are too basic, come up with your own questions.

AI Analysis Query

Using an AI tool of your choice, such as ChatGPT or Gemini, run the following query to help identify areas of focus. These results should be used to help organize your thoughts and also remind you of some of the online resources you may have forgotten or did not know about. Modify this statement by changing chicken ranches to a different area of focus and Texas to the geolocation of your choice.

Provide me recommendations for online mapping resources to understand the distribution of large chicken ranches in Texas.

NOTE: Why is this important to understand? Be sure to listen to the Bytes and Bites Podcast S2E28: Agroterrorism & Cyber Threats: How Farms Are Under Attack after the workshop.

Google Maps

Google Maps offers three different layer views: map view, satellite view, and street view. The satellite view may show features in and around a specific site in an overhead view. Check the site for dumpsters, guard shacks, fence lines, trees, creeks, and other areas that are good for access or monitoring. When in street view, the tool may provide additional (older) versions of the site. Reviewing the street view on different dates may illustrate what has changed with the building over time. It could help you understand when equipment, such as cameras and badge readers, were added or removed.

HINT: Do not forget to angle the street view up to see cameras on fence and pole tops.

Industrial Resource Maps and Data Sites

Electrical

Pipelines

Roadways

Airport Maps

Chemical Manufacturing

Food Supply

Oil and Gas

Water

Next Step

When you are done, move onto Task 3: Student Target Identification.