In February 2021, Extinction Rebellion activists filmed themselves vandalizing the Elbit factory in Oldham, UK. We performed a Social Media Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) investigation with the aim of establishing the identity of the perpetrators.
All we knew at the start of this investigation was that the people of interest were Extinction Rebellion and Palestine Action activists.
To find information on the targets and uncover their digital footprints, we had to first identify their “professional” and social networks.
For this and similar types of investigations to be effective, a manual collection of information is required. Remember, it is beyond the control of the subject of an investigation what others in their circles divulge online.
At the end of the investigation, the main perpetrators of this act of vandalism were traced and identified:
- Lizzy_Haughton
- Adam_Haigh
- Andrew_Mcmaster
