Information System in the Arsenal of Investigative (Search) Activities of Subjects of Disclosure and Investigation of Crimes of Previous Years: Objects, Means, Techniques, Technologies (Based on Foreign Publications)
Shurukhnov N.G. Information system in the arsenal of investigative (search) activities of subjects of disclosure and investigation of crimes of previous years: objects, means, techniques, technologies (based on foreign publications). Penitentiary Science, 2026, vol. 20, no. 1 (73), pp. 46–53. doi 10.46741/2686-9764.2026.73.1.006.
the article considers situations of suspension of the preliminary investigation provided for by criminal procedure legislation, an information search system on the Internet, open sources in the disclosure and investigation of crimes of previous years. The levels of the Internet (visible network, deep network, darknet), objects, tools, tactics, methods, technologies for searching, collecting and analyzing information from publicly available resources are analyzed using OSINT (Open Source Intelligence) – intelligence based on legal sources. Purpose: to analyze the capabilities of the OSINT information system in investigative activities. Methods: system analysis, classification, and technology description. Results: the essence of active and passive data collection is revealed, their differences are shown, the main principle is to use open sources without restrictions, with mandatory compliance with the provisions of laws on personal data and copyrights. The content of the search, processing, analysis, and dissemination of the information received for the purpose of disclosing illegal acts committed in the past is analyzed. Special attention is focused on the complex of OSINT methods and techniques and search tactics. Attention is drawn to the requirements for tactical techniques aimed at ensuring the secrecy of designated activities that contribute to the search for the suspect, the accused. Conclusions: the article contributes to the development of criminalistic methods and tactics of investigative activities, adapting OSINT’s foreign experience to Russian realities. The materials can be used by investigators, operatives, and analysts in solving cold cases, as well as in the educational process of law schools.
Keywords: crimes of the past; investigative activities; information; open sources of intelligence; search; techniques.
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