Objectives:
The development of the Internet and the dynamic growth in the number of digital data sources have resulted in a strong need for appropriate tools to facilitate and streamline the collection and processing of information. The response to this need is the widely available Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) tools. The aim of this article is to identify the advantages and disadvantages of using widely available OSINT software to acquire, collect, analyse, pro-cess and share data.

Methods:
In order to address the above issue, an analysis of the subject literature, online publi-cations and press sources was carried out. The literature analysis consisted of compiling, or-ganising and interpreting the content contained therein with regard to the use of OSINT tools.

Results:
The right choice of tools, combined with a well-thought-out long-term strategy, can sig-nificantly support processes such as the rapid acquisition of necessary data and information, facilitating project management and key decisions relevant to the security of both small and medium-sized enterprises and multinational corporations.

Conclusions:
However, the use of this type of software also has certain limitations that should be taken into account when planning a long-term strategy. Data redundancy and difficulties in analysing and interpreting information are just some of them, so it is worth paying attention to both the advantages and disadvantages of OSINT tools.