OSINT for job candidates

Want to know what employers know about you from your web footprint?

Go beyond googling yourself with these tools and suggestions.

Sure, here are some recommendations on how a candidate can check their own footprint outside of Googling their own name:

• Use a tool like OSINT Framework to search for information about yourself across the web. This tool will allow you to search for information on social media, news websites, and other public records.
• Use a tool like Spokeo to get a more comprehensive view of your online footprint. This tool will search for information about you across a variety of sources, including social media, public records, and even criminal records.
• Use a tool like TinEye to search for images of yourself that have been posted online. This can be helpful for finding images that you may not be aware of, such as images that have been used in online dating profiles or social media posts.
• Use a tool like Have I Been Pwned? to check if your email address or other personal information has been compromised in a data breach. This is important because if your information has been compromised, criminals could use it to commit identity theft or other crimes.

Here are some OSINT tools that I recommend for amateur OSINT users:

• Google Dorks are advanced Google search queries that can be used to find specific information. For example, you could use a Google Dork to find all websites that mention your name.
• Social media monitoring tools can be used to track mentions of your name or other keywords on social media. This can be helpful for identifying negative or harmful information about you that is being posted online.
• Public records search tools can be used to search for information about you that is publicly available, such as property records, court records, and voter registration records.

It is important to note that OSINT is a powerful tool but can also be used for malicious purposes. It is important to use OSINT responsibly and ethically.

Before we get into the details of how to OSINT yourself, let's look at Why an employer may look into your personal details and What they would look at.

The hardest part to comprehend for non-cybersecurity experienced people is the concept that someone would check up on them. Pry into their lives.

Employer:

An employer might feel they have the right, perhaps the obligation, to look into your criminal history. Can we agree on that? Who wants to work in the office with a multiple-time convicted sex offender? Easy question. Another easy one is if someone has a history of employee theft. Don't want that person.

It becomes hard to understand when the employer wants to validate that you have lived at your current address for at least 3 to 5 years. Now, is that any of their business? Perhaps not. But to the future employer, it shows them consistency and reliability.

Let's you and I agree on something right now. I agree that employers should not pry into your personal information, past or current. You are right.

But employers disagree with us. And will delve into information you do not think they should have. Write Congress and introduce another privacy bill. I'm with you. But until then, should we not look at our information and edit or delete it in our best interest?

Background data of interest to Employers:

• Name: This is the most basic piece of information, but it can be used to find other information about you, such as your social media profiles, your online resume, and your criminal record.
• Address: Your address can be used to find out where you live, where you work, and where you have lived in the past. This information can be used to assess your suitability for a job, such as if you must travel frequently or have a criminal record.
• Phone number: Your phone number can be used to contact you, but it can also be used to track your movements or to spam you with unwanted calls and text messages.
• Email address: Your email address is a gateway to your online accounts, so it is important to keep it secure. Employers may also use your email address to contact you about job opportunities or to conduct background checks.
• Education: Your educational background can be used to assess your skills and qualifications for a job. Employers may also look at your grades and transcripts to see how well you performed in school.
• Work experience: Your work experience can be used to assess your skills and abilities in a particular field. Employers may also contact your former employers to get a reference.
• Skills: Your skills can be relevant to the job you are applying for. Employers may ask you to list your skills on your resume or during an interview.
• Criminal record: A criminal record can be a red flag for employers, as it may indicate that you are a risk to their business. However, not all employers will consider a criminal record a deal-breaker.
• Social media profiles: Your social media profiles can give employers a glimpse into your personal life. They may look at your posts and photos to see if you fit their company culture well.
• Online resume: Your online resume can be used by employers to learn more about your skills and experience. It is important to keep your online resume up-to-date and accurate.
• LinkedIn profile: LinkedIn is a professional networking site that can be used by employers to learn more about your work experience and skills. It is important to have a complete and up-to-date LinkedIn profile.
• Credit report: Your credit report can be used by employers to assess your financial responsibility. A poor credit score may be a red flag for employers, as it may indicate that you are a risk to their business.
• Driving record: Your driving record can be used by employers to assess your driving skills and safety. A poor driving record may be a red flag for employers, as it may indicate that you are a risk to their business.
• Online activity: Your online activity can be tracked by employers, even if you are not using your work computer or phone. This information can be used to assess your suitability for a job, such as if you are posting inappropriate content online.
• References: Employers may contact your references for a more in-depth look at your skills and abilities. It is important to choose references who will give you positive reviews.

It is important to be aware of the background data that employers may be interested in. By understanding what information is available about you, you can take steps to protect your privacy and manage your online reputation.

Before you read another 30 lines of text. Lets do a Sample OSINT of yourself to see what the technical side is.

OSINT tool True People Search:

On a desktop computer, open up a second window at www.TruePeopleSearch.com

Type in Your first and last name AND your city, Select from the city/state dropdown.

This is a website input validation thing, it fixes spelling errors etc.

Hit the magnifying glass and select the correct name. If you are searching someone else sometimes you can improve your guess by matching the age.

If we know that our Mickey is retired or used to live in Rockport. I'd view Details on the first name.

OSINT tool Google Dork:

A Google dork is a search query that uses special operators to narrow down the results. You can use Google dorks to find websites that mention your name by using the following operators:

• site: This operator tells Google to search only on the specified website. For example, site:linkedin.com yourname will search for all websites that mention your name on LinkedIn.
• inurl: This operator tells Google to search for websites that have the specified word or phrase in the URL. For example, inurl:yourname.com will search for all websites that have your name in the domain name.
• filetype: This operator tells Google to search for websites that have the specified file type. For example, filetype:pdf yourname will search for all PDF documents that mention your name.
• allintitle: This operator tells Google to search for websites that have the specified words or phrases in the title tag. For example, allintitle:yourname resume will search for all websites that have the words "yourname" and "resume" in the title tag.
• allintext: This operator tells Google to search for websites that have the specified words or phrases in the text of the website. For example, allintext:yourname experience will search for all websites that have the words "yourname" and "experience" in the text of the website.

You can combine these operators to create more specific search queries. For example, site:linkedin.com allintitle:yourname resume will search for all LinkedIn profiles that have the word "resume" in the title tag and the word "yourname" in the text of the profile.

It is important to note that Google dorks can be used to find sensitive information about people, so it is important to use them responsibly. If you are concerned about your privacy, you can use a privacy-focused search engine, such as DuckDuckGo, instead of Google.

Here are some additional tips for using Google dorks to find information about yourself:

• Be specific. The more specific your search query, the more accurate the results will be.
• Use multiple operators. Combining operators can help you to narrow down the results even further.
• Use quotation marks. Quotation marks will tell Google to search for the exact phrase that you specify.
• Use "-" to exclude results. The "-" operator can be used to exclude certain words or phrases from the search results.
• Use wildcards. The "*" wildcard can be used to match any number of characters.

By following these tips, you can use Google dorks to find information about yourself and protect your privacy.

Specific google dork> allintitle:BrettLong

Like many people I have an Internet nickname: BLong206B

Let's google dork that.

Jackpot.

So, to find info on someone, look at their LinkedIn, Pinterest, Email, Factbook names and puzzle out their common nickname. [email protected] would be... WndyCtyBkrCh1k on pinterest as well (probably).