Where is Gary? | OSINT Challenge #4

Introduction

Gary Ruddell is a Cyber Threat Intelligence professional operating at the front lines of cyberspace, he is also a veteran of the Royal Navy and Army Intelligence.

Find out more about Gary here.

Reason for Sharing

LinkedIn is for me, all about thought provoking content, Gary has recently started to share OSINT challenges. Below I shall outline a little bit about OSINT, and how I was able to get my head around this challenge posted last night (10/09/2023).

What is OSINT?

Open-source intelligence (OSINT) is the collection and analysis of data gathered from open sources (covert sources and publicly available information ''PAI'') to produce actionable intelligence.

OSINT is primarily used in national security, law enforcement, and business intelligence functions and is of value to analysts who use non-sensitive intelligence in answering classified, unclassified, or proprietary intelligence requirements across the previous intelligence disciplines.

The Challenge

OSINT Challenge #4 by Gary Ruddell .

“When the sun goes down, the lights turn on”.

If you want verification, DM me a screenshot of satellite mode in Google Maps etc showing the bridge I am on AND the direction I’m facing.

#GarysOsintChallenge

Step 1: Photo Analysis

I have never been, but I have seen Amsterdam captured in photos over the years, I immediately knew this was in fact Amsterdam. Instead of pulling meta data from the image, or using tools like 谷歌 Lens, I prefer to use my most valuable assets first, my eyes, and my brain.

Step 2: Identification of Key Elements

When you first look at the photo, you immediately try and look for signs, or building names, you cannot see any present in this photo, apart from a few, which are common, especially in Amsterdam, so instead I looked for other key elements that stood out, I found two.

Keep in mind, Amsterdam has 1753 bridges.

If you look at the building's squared in yellow, they both have black facades, although not unique to Amsterdam, it is a good place to start.

Admittedly, without much effort, I produced the wrong location first, although close to the correct location, it was not precise, which motivated me to find the exact location Gary was stood.

Step 3: Google Earth

Based on Gary's hint ''When the sun goes down, the lights turn on'', I automatically searched for the Amsterdam Red Light District. This alone did not give me the location, so I needed to search Google Earth by zooming in and out using the 3D tool.

You will also be able to see that the waterway in Gary's photo is narrow, unlike the others, which also help to narrow down the search.

Step 4: Identification of Possible Location

Upon investigation, I reduced the possibilities to several locations, at first, I was focusing on the wrong location, so began to investigate further.

The yellow arrow indicates the direction in which Gary might have been standing from initial investigation, a review of surrounds, and buildings.

Step 5: Confirmation of Location

To confirm this as the location, I needed to investigate the buildings in depth, why? buildings in Amsterdam, from a construction perspective rarely change, however signage, colours, and facades do.

It is also hard to determine when Gary took the photo, I assumed recently, so I needed to expand my investigation on Google to get a 100% accurate location.

Building Analysis

The building on the right of the photo has a unique roof window, so I looked closer using 谷歌 Maps.

Below I have used Google Earth to inspect this roof window from the opposite side of the canal.

You will also see within the same red frame, the building on the right, which has a white emblem, also shown in Gary's photo below.

Location Analysis

I then proceeded to go through imagery available online, and found the below, taken in July 2023 by a tourist. I was able to see the name of the venue on the left, named ''Moulin Rouge'', which aligns the initial Google Earth location.

To confirm I found the correct location, I zoomed in on the left of the image, on both Gary's and the sourced image above, to the left you will see a white painted wall, which looks like an alleyway. You will also see the black line three-quarters of the way up the wall, and again just below.

In Gary's image you can see them within the yellow box, along with two CCTV cameras, along with what looks like an alleyway, and within the green box two signs.

I then took the image from Google and aligned these observations; you will also see the two signs within the green box.

I then used Google Earth and street view, and re-confirmed the location, you can clearly see the black pipe, CCTV cameras, and the signage within the yellow box.

Step 6: Where Was Gary Standing?

The below is the location where Gary was stood, however, not the exact location. The green box indicates the venue ''Moulin Rouge'', the red box indicates the alleyway, and the yellow box indicates the roof window of the building opposite.

Below you will once again see Gary's photo, you will see that the photo was taken more to the left than the right.

Based on the above, and the assumption Gary also had a zoom on his phone/camera, I have outlined what I believed to be his location when taking this photo, he is also stood facing Southwest.

Step 7: Google Coordinates and Location

• 52.374499739340756, 4.900168943328822.
• Bet van Beerenburg Bridge.
• The Bet van Beerenbrug (bridge no. 210) is a bridge over the Oudezijds Achterburgwal in the Red-Light District in Amsterdam. The bridge connects the Korte Niezel with the Stormsteeg.

Follow Gary Ruddell to test your investigational skills.

Regards,

Adam