The Ultimate Guide to Sockpuppets in OSINT: How to Create and Utilize Them Effectively
Introduction
Open-source intelligence (OSINT) investigators often need to go beyond publicly available information. This is where sockpuppets come into play. Sockpuppets are social personas used to engage with targets and gather intelligence. In this comprehensive guide, we will explore the art of sockpuppets, from planning their creation to effectively utilizing them in OSINT investigations.
Section 1: Understanding Sockpuppets
What are Sockpuppets?
Sockpuppets can be defined as social personas worn when engaging the targets of an investigation. These fully fleshed-out personas have a credible social history across social media channels. They are designed to appear as real individuals, allowing investigators to gather information and engage with their targets.
The Role of Sockpuppets in OSINT
While OSINT primarily relies on publicly available information, it often reaches a limit in specific investigations. This is where sockpuppets come in. By adopting a sockpuppet persona, investigators can go beyond public signals and gather more in-depth information through human intelligence (HUMINT) methods such as social engineering.
Section 2: Needed Tools
Password Manager
Get a password manager to ensure you can manage your different accounts with strong passwords. I use KeePassXC as it comes with my preferred VM that I use for investigations, which is CSI Linux.
Burner Phone
Yes, this is an important part of your setup; nowadays, most platforms make signing up without a phone number impossible, and you certainly don't want to use your personal number when creating a Sockpuppet Account for obvious reasons.
SIM Card
To go with your Burner Phone, get prepaid SIM cards that do not point back to you if that is legally possible in your country. I know that many countries now require registration of prepaid SIM cards, so you will have to weigh the risk yourself.
MFA Tool
You should be using this anyway, but you will need one not tied to you, so get a new one using your Burner Phone. Authy is one service that I frequently use.
Email Address
We will need a central email address. While some now may think, hey, let’s use one of those disposable email addresses or ProtonMail, that will not work well; it probably won't work. The reason for this is simple: most, if not all, social media platforms will flag those and not allow account creation with them, or at least make it harder than it needs to be.
You will want an email service that looks legit and won't raise any red flags of AI systems deployed to watch for shady user creation.
My service of choice here is Gmail, yes, Gmail. You may find that crazy, considering it is Google, but hear me out here.
If you follow proper Opsec and use the approach and tools I detailed here, it won't matter; it won't point back to you.
Internet Use
It seems obvious, but this part has much to be said. First, NEVER do OSINT research/investigations from your own Home; whenever possible, find a public Wi-Fi for that, or, if that is not an option, make sure you practice as much Opsec as possible. Some good pointers around this topic can also be found in my article on the Dark Web and my Video about using CSI Linux via the Whonix gateway.
Section 3: Planning Your Sockpuppet Persona
Establishing a Credible Persona
Creating a successful sockpuppet requires careful planning. Start by determining the basic details of your persona, including name, age, and gender. Tools like FakeNameGenerator can assist in generating authentic and realistic-looking identities. You can also generate photos on sites like This Person Does Not Exist. Zoom in closely to check for flaws, and use online image editors like Photopea if necessary.
Developing a Social Presence
To enhance the credibility of your sockpuppet, it’s crucial to establish an actual social history across different platforms. If a profile is empty and has no history of use, it is easily unmasked as being a Sockpuppet. Create social media accounts with a credible work history on platforms like LinkedIn, share photos and activities on Facebook, and engage with the community on Twitter. Remember to maintain a consistent, authentic voice and regularly participate in visible activities. Your activity should also be aligned between different social profiles of your Sockpuppet to make it more realistic.
Section 4: Long-Term Approach
The art of the sock is a long-term game. Creating a new social media account that screams “sock puppet” is a surefire way to raise suspicion. To avoid detection, it is crucial to cultivate and nurture sock puppets long before they are needed. Additionally, multiple sock puppets should be developed as they are disposable and only used once.
Credible social history is pivotal for a sock puppet. This means the sock must behave consistently over an extended period, with a breadcrumb trail of regular, publicly visible activity on various platforms. While the sock doesn’t need to be an exceptionally prolific poster, it should engage in authentic interactions to maintain credibility. Keeping sock puppets separate from other accounts, contacts, and peers is essential. Each sock must be a standalone entity.
A credible history across platforms involves creating a LinkedIn profile with a believable work history, a Facebook profile with pictures showcasing the sock’s hobbies and interests, and an active Twitter account that genuinely engages with the community. Socks that have been grown and nurtured over time by experienced individuals are far more convincing and credible. Sock masters never automate actions; they infuse authenticity into every publicly visible interaction.
Age your accounts
To reduce the risk of accounts being shut down, it is advisable to age them before engaging with targets. Let your accounts rest for a few days or weeks to minimize suspicion. After this period, log in to each account from the same public Wi-Fi location used during their creation. Engage with other users, follow relevant topics, and gradually build up the activity of your sockpuppet accounts to appear more natural and less suspicious.
Section 5: Gender Dynamics and Deception
Men Are Vulnerable: The Power of a Pretty Face
Being a woman can be advantageous when it comes to effectively engaging targets. Men, unless savvy, are often susceptible to direct approaches from attractive women. It is astonishing how easily men share information with strangers online, especially with women they find appealing. However, exercising caution and never trusting a cute girl online without validating her existence through a webcam session is essential. Social metadata validation can be unreliable; even video validation may involve hired actors or prostitutes.
It is crucial to be aware that the cute girl you are conversing with on Twitter, who connected with you on LinkedIn and shared her private Facebook profile, is likely a man attempting to social engineer information or manipulate you for nefarious purposes. Blackmail may even be a possibility. Men must be cautious and avoid trusting attractive strangers online.
The Power of Deception
Deception only works if your target has a reason to believe your sockpuppet is real. Developing a unique personality for your sockpuppet is crucial for building trust and credibility. Emulating a unique character rather than imitating an existing one can make your sockpuppet appear more genuine. Tools like remote browser services and remote browser isolation play a vital role in maintaining online security while conducting research. A pretty good option for this can be KASM — KASM is a container streaming service that you can access via a web browser; it has many uses for OSINT research and also has its place in Sockpuppet Operations.
Check out this Video I did about KASM some time ago (it works on any other public cloud provider as well as on any Linux Server).
Section 6: Softly Softly Catchee Monkey: The Power of Personality
“Deception doesn’t work if your target has no reason to believe you’re real, so having a personality is important.” — @S4BOT4GE
Experienced sock masters understand the importance of adopting a softly softly approach to engage their targets. Personality and a touch of uniqueness are key to successful interactions. According to @S4BOT4GE, targets must have a reason to believe the sock puppet is real, and cultivating a distinct personality is crucial.
To emulate a unique character, it is essential to immerse oneself in the role. The trick is to create a persona that stands out and differentiates itself from existing characters. @S4BOT4GE recommends using a remote browser service to conduct online research. If the endpoint is the new perimeter, then remote browser isolation is the future of endpoint security.
Developing an authentic voice is vital to catching the attention of targets. By following and interacting with accounts related to the target’s field, one can stay updated on their activities. Reposting their content, especially if it hasn’t been widely shared, can attract their attention. This approach allows social media algorithms to work in your favor by increasing the chances of your activity being shown to the target. Authenticity is key; if the target notices and believes in the sock puppet’s activity, they may initiate contact themselves.
Section 7: Welcome to the Jungle: Socks Among Us
According to retired sock master @an3rka0s, sock puppets are likely already present in your social spaces, connected to you without directly targeting you. Seasoned operators can recognize adversarial sock operators through their personas, using intuition and instinct to sniff out other socks.
In the crypto world, where targets often operate their socks, it is imperative to recognize when your followers are adversarial socks. To survive in the infosec jungle, fresh socks must be entirely separate from other accounts, believable entities that can credibly navigate the jungle. This skill is an art form in itself.
Spotting Other Sock Operators
To catch sock operators, it is crucial to understand their tactics. Identifying sock puppets generally involves analyzing their writing style, posting activity, and relationships with other users across social networks. Fortunately, the OSINT community provides powerful toolsets for investigating social accounts and their public activities. These tools allow for the analysis of behavior and activity in various ways.
One of the easiest methods to detect sock accounts in a conversation is to check their login times and IP addresses. Sock operators often need to improve their operational security practices, neglecting to conceal their IP addresses or establishing predictable login and posting patterns. However, more sophisticated sock operators refrain from creating detectable patterns, concealing their IP addresses, and engaging in unpredictable login and posting behavior. To catch these advanced operators, machine learning algorithms must be developed to identify similarities in behavior across multiple social accounts.
Research has shown that sock puppets contribute poorer quality content, write shorter posts often downvoted or reported by other users, engage in more controversial topics, spend more time replying to other users, and are more abusive. Machine learning tools can accurately distinguish between real social accounts and socks. The development of these tools aims to counter information warfare and combat trolls, abusers, and fake news spreaders on social media platforms.
While spotting and identifying even the most experienced sock operators is becoming easier, skilled OSINT investigators with well-maintained sock accounts will likely remain undetected. They can avoid detection by behaving like regular individuals, engaging in authentic activities, and keeping their socks dry until needed. After all, nobody likes wet socks.
Section 8: Evading Detection
Staying Under the Radar
Avoiding detection is crucial for the success of your sockpuppet operations. You can fly under the radar by behaving normally and engaging in authentic activities. Maintain a balance between engaging with your targets and not arousing suspicion. Building a believable persona and following the steps outlined in this guide will increase the chances of staying undetected by adversaries and social media platforms.
Final words
The art of sock puppets in the world of OSINT and HUMINT integration is a complex and intriguing subject. From cultivating a credible social history to engaging targets with authenticity, each step requires careful attention to detail. While detecting sock puppets is becoming more sophisticated, skilled investigators can still navigate the infosec jungle undetected. By mastering the art of the sock, they can unveil the secrets hidden within the vast expanse of social media conversations.
So, if you ever find yourself delving into the world of OSINT investigations, remember the importance of socks and their power. But tread carefully, for the line between deception and authenticity is thin. Embrace the art of the sock, and may your investigations lead you to the truth hidden in the shadows of the digital realm.
