(Wanaque, NJ) The OSMOSIS Institute Board of Advisors is pleased to announce the recipients of the second annual OSMOSIS Open Source Awards for the following categories:
Open Source Intelligence Champion of the Year: Jill Everitt
Open Source Rising Star of the Year: Crystal Nawaz
Open Source Diversity Trailblazer of the Year: Tracy Maleeff
Open Source Legacy Intelligence Officer of the Year: Patricia Guitard
Open Source Technology Innovation of the Year: PimEyes
Open Source Non-Profit of the Year: Endangered Species Protection Agency
The awards will be presented in person and streamed live on October 18th at the 8th Annual OSMOSIS Conference. Investigators and analysts rely on Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) to locate and monitor critical intelligence found online from publicly available sources such as newspapers, magazines, trade journals, blogs, non-classified government documents, and social media platforms. OSINT tools, technologies, and monitoring services are invaluable when conducting background checks, tracking down fraudulent activities, and exposing cybersecurity terrorist threats.
“We congratulate the recipients of OSMOSISCon’s 3rd Annual Open Source Awards,” stated Cynthia Hetherington, founder and president of The OSMOSIS Institute. “We were impressed with the number of top quality candidates this year. Our Board Advisors found the selection process rigorous, given the steep competition. We welcome this challenge, as it’s a signal that professionals and companies are achieving extraordinary innovations in open source and social media intelligence.”
Jill Everitt is recognized as the Open Source Intelligence Champion of the Year. Ms. Everitt is an Open Source Intelligence subject matter expert who currently supports the nation’s largest law enforcement agency, enabling the efficient and effective application of OSINT tools, techniques, tradecraft and information in the law enforcement and national security continuum. In her current role, Ms. Everitt is responsible for the initial review and assignment of requests for assistance related to the identification, collection and analysis of OSINT information used to support investigations of international drug trafficking, human smuggling and unlawful migration, international money laundering/acquisition of assets with illicitly-derived proceeds, the unlawful import and export of controlled commodities and sophisticated technology, and violations of commercial trade laws and regulations that negatively affect the U.S. economy and the viability of US-based industries. As a result of her expertise, Ms. Everitt is routinely sought out to develop and deliver training to domestic and foreign agencies engaged in OSINT-related activities. Ms. Everitt serves as a mentor to new OSINT analysts and provides desk-side and virtual instruction to assist in the creation of a more fully developed understanding of the criminal and terrorism-related landscape. Ms. Everitt’s accomplishments in mentoring her colleagues have ensured the benefit of the agency, its personnel, and its ability to interdict contraband and disrupt and dismantle criminal organizations. Ms. Everitt performs her professional duties and assignments in an outstanding manner, while at the same time maintaining her commitment to community in which she lives. In her time away from work, Ms. Everitt donates her time empowering young girls to achieve excellence and to pursue their personal and professional objectives in non-traditional environments. Ms. Everitt has established herself as a role model in both her professional and personal endeavors and is recognized as leader who is always available to provide advice and guidance when approached by members of her OSINT team.
Crystal Nawaz is recognized as the Open Source Rising Star of the Year. Crystal is new to the OSINT space and has risen as a technical expert and someone that everyone goes to for answers in her role as an Auditor, Trainer, and Capabilities Evaluator at SAIC. While fulfilling her full-time role, she has finished at the top of her class in all advanced technical and tradecraft OSINT training. Ms. Nawaz also conducts audits in efforts to evaluate new OSINT capabilities in support of a government collection program while only being in the OSINT discipline for a year.
Tracy Maleeff is recognized as the Open Source Diversity Trailblazer of the Year. Tracy comes from the truly untraditional path of library science into cybersecurity and OSINT. She has accomplished multiple awards for her prowess and ability to research in difficult circumstances and has developed OSINT content and maintained a steady audience throughout the COVID shutdown. She is a true example of being an OSINT breakout.
Patricia “Patty” Guitard is recognized as the Open Source Legacy Intelligence Officer of the Year. As the first Senior OSINT Advisor for the US Army, Patty shaped how OSINT is trained in not only the Army, but Department of Defense (DoD) and the intelligence community as a whole. Ms. Guitard served the Army for over thirty years, and was the only real voice for OSINT during her time there. She was the main advocate and driver for policy, and a program-run office now known as the Army OSINT Office. It was her vision, drive and determination that got OSINT written into policy, resulting in the advanced OSINT solutions, tactics, and strategies the DoD utilizes to this day. Most importantly, Ms. Guitard has made a lasting impact on many through years of mentoring to countless personnel.
PimEyes is recognized as the Open Source Technology Innovation of the Year. PimEyes is an advanced face recognition search engine, a reverse image search tool, and a photo search mechanism used to find out where your face appears online.
The Endangered Species Protection Agency (ESPA) is recognized as the Open Source Non-Profit of the Year. ESPA is a charity that specializes in providing bespoke conservation services to address a host of challenges faced by protected areas and endangered species worldwide. Their work includes investigations info wildlife crime and the international criminal gangs exploiting the world’s dwindling natural resources for personal profit — of which OSINT plays a vital part. Their in-house team is supported by intelligence specialists on a project-specific basis, allowing a targeted approach to intelligence gathering and analysis in a functional, cost-effective way towards pre-defined aims and objectives. OSINT forms a key part of their initial planning, feasibility studies, and investigation approach, from which they can draw early analysis of the investigative field and avenues of further exploitation.
“Today, our global connections demand a commitment to OSINT solutions, diversity, talent, and leadership. Our awardees and many of our nominees are exemplars of these traits and are the present and future of our online intelligence community,” stated Hetherington.
All recipients can participate virtually in the awards ceremony on OSMOSISCon’s Globalcast event platform.
About the OSMOSIS Institute
Founded by Cynthia Hetherington of Hetherington Group in 2015, the OSMOSIS Institute hosts the annual OSMOSIS Conference to educate, inform and protect investigators and analysts within the cybersecurity industry. Developed by OSINT investigators for the legal, law enforcement, investigative journalism, business and accounting community, the OSMOSIS conference brings together some of the world’s most recognized social media and open source investigative trainers into one valuable educational experience. This gathering of experts offers non-stop training on the dark web, the latest cellular and desktop social media investigations, open source searching, asset research, and borderless possibilities on the international front, plus the legal implications of this.
