Why you need this course

Every file—photos, documents, videos—contains hidden information that most people never see. That's metadata, and it's incredibly useful for OSINT work.

When you're investigating something, metadata can tell you a lot. When and where a photo was taken. What device created it. Who edited a document and when. Whether an image has been manipulated. You can use it to authenticate sources, establish timelines, link files to specific people or locations, and find details that people thought they deleted.

This course teaches you how to extract and analyze metadata from different file types, understand what each field actually means, and use it to strengthen your investigations. You'll learn the tools, the techniques, and how to spot when someone's tried to hide or alter metadata. It's the kind of skill that separates solid OSINT work from guesswork.

If you do any kind of investigative work—whether it's research, journalism, security work, or just digging into online claims—metadata analysis is a practical skill that pays off.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • This course has 145 minutes of instruction.

  • Earn 3 CPE/CEU for completing this course.

  • Micah Hoffman and Griffin Glynn authored and teach the course.

  • This course consists of online videos accessible from mobile app and/or web browser. Lecture, demonstration, and hands-on exercises.

  • This course is included in both the OSINT Immersion™ and All OSINT Course bundles.

  • A course completion certificate is automatically provided to students finishing this course.

  • To successfully complete this course, you must have access to the internet and a modern web browser.

  • Related courses include Careers Using OSINT Skills and Introduction to Social Media