Unlocking Information Advantage with Echosec Systems and Maltego

Intelligence teams support a variety of mission objectives—from counterterrorism to monitoring disinformation, war, and developments in areas of interest. These applications require a combination of classified data and open-source intelligence (OSINT), which leverages publicly-available information (PAI) from sources like social media. 

However, the advent of low-cost battlefield sensors, digital transformation, and growing demand for OSINT is flooding analysts with data. Connected IoT devices are expected to grow to 125 billion by 2030, and open-source social media data expands daily.

Addressing Intelligence Challenges with Technology Partnerships

For analysts, this can mean siloed data feeds, alert fatigue, and clunky workflows. For leaders higher up the chain of command, it means delayed decision-making, information gaps, and jeopardized national security interests. 

How can intelligence teams make sense of varied data sets like PAI efficiently? In today’s information environment, an abundance of valuable data isn’t enough on its own. Analysts must also use tools that combine and analyze data sets to glean more powerful, timely insights necessary for gaining an information advantage. 

Intelligence teams rely on data and technology providers to build these solutions collaboratively. Let’s look at how these kinds of partnerships give intelligence teams an information advantage by reviewing a recent integration between Echosec Systems and Maltego.

How Are Echosec Systems and Maltego Partnering?

The companies are partnering to offer Echosec Systems Transforms in Maltego. Maltego users with a commercial plan can now graph Echosec Systems data either via a flexible data subscription purchased on the Maltego Webshop or out-of-the-box Enterprise allowances of 50 Transform runs per month.

With the Transforms, users can map connections across a variety of international and alternative social networks, defense forums, and paste sites. Other functions include:

• Drawing connections between post authors
• Mapping usernames across social networks
• Cross-referencing Echosec Systems data with other Transforms and PAI

Echosec Systems social data mapped in Maltego

Who Is the Integration For?

The integration is built for OSINT investigators and all-source analysts, particularly those in the intelligence community who require global PAI access. The integration is valuable for users who need to interact with multiple data sets simultaneously. It’s also intended for investigative applications that combine cybersecurity with physical security.

You’ll likely benefit from the Echosec Systems/Maltego integration if you:

• Need to investigate trending topics and keywords for disinformation monitoring.
• Access niche and hard-to-find online communities to support counterterrorism.
• Generate geopolitical assessments for target regions, like APAC and EMEA.
• Require location-based link analysis for situational awareness and asset protection.

How Do Analysts Benefit from the Integration?

The Maltego Transform Hub already covers several North American PAI sources across a limited number of Transforms—specifically ShadowDragon, Social Links, Digital Shadows, and Flashpoint. 

The new integration’s biggest value-add is the addition of regional data sources. Echosec Systems’ data complements existing PAI Transforms with sources unique to Asia-Pacific, Middle Eastern, and African regions—many of which aren’t offered by other commercial data providers.

These data sets are crucial for intelligence applications—especially for defense analysts who investigate target regions of interest. The integration enables users to cross-reference regional data with other social feeds to get more nuanced insights into specific geographies. 

Analysts also save a significant amount of time with the integration. Instead of manually inputting Echosec Systems data into a link analysis program like Maltego, the integration makes it easy to visualize Echosec Systems data alongside other inputs with no manual setup.

Partnerships Drive Information Advantage

Today’s intelligence analysts don’t lack information—they lack the ability to process and analyze it efficiently. The growing demand for PAI has only added to data overwhelm as new social networks emerge, providing a constant stream of open-source content. 

Data providers like Echosec Systems make it easy for analysts to access a range of PAI, from mainstream social media to regional networks and the dark web. However, technology partnerships help make these data sets readily available to analyze and cross-reference with other feeds.

The Echosec Systems/Maltego integration is just one example of the value of technology partnerships. By combining in-demand data sources with industry-standard analysis capabilities, intelligence teams can generate the insights needed to make proactive, informed national security decisions and stay ahead of adversaries. 

Connect with us to learn more about partnership opportunities to enhance your intelligence solutions.