Which OSINT activity is described as gathering publicly available information about the target?

• A. Performing active exploit development
• B. Exploiting zero-day vulnerabilities
• C. Physically breaching a facility
• D. Gathering publicly available information about the target

Answer: (D)

Open Source Intelligence gathering focuses on collecting information that is publicly available about a target. This means looking at data the target has already made accessible—such as company websites, press releases, public social media posts, news articles, public registries, and other open sources—without attempting to intrude, exploit, or physically access anything. The goal is to piece together a picture of the target from information that’s openly shown, not from breaking into systems or bypassing protections.

That’s why this description fits OSINT: it centers on gathering information that is publicly visible rather than performing any direct intrusion or exploitation. Activities like developing exploits, taking advantage of zero-day vulnerabilities, or physically breaching a facility involve interacting with or compromising systems or spaces, which goes beyond open-source information gathering.