Human Intelligence (HUMINT) in Cybersecurity

What is HUMINT?

HUMINT, or Human Intelligence, refers to the collection of information from human sources. It is one of the oldest and most fundamental forms of intelligence gathering, which focuses not on signals, logs, or sensors, but on people who have access to critical information.

Here is where both the intelligence officer and the target of intelligence activities are individuals.

Here’s what they do:

• Run source operations to collect intel directly from human contacts.
• Build relationships with host-nation officials and allied intelligence teams.
• Elicit information through informal conversations with select individuals.
• Examine captured documents, media, and equipment for immediate insights.

In the context of cybersecurity and threat intelligence, HUMINT involves direct engagement with individuals operating in underground ecosystems like dark web forums, encrypted chat platforms, black markets, and closed criminal communities. Threat intel analysts and operatives may infiltrate these spaces under assumed identities to observe behavior, collect chatter, or establish trust with actors who can provide the information.

In defense and national security, HUMINT officers work globally, build relationships, and collect intel from individuals with access to sensitive information. It takes fluency in culture, language, and human behavior, not to mention a sharp sense of judgment.

How Is HUMINT Used in the Intelligence Field?

Human Intelligence plays a critical role in modern intelligence operations by uncovering insights that are often invisible to satellites, sensors, or digital surveillance.

According to the Federation of American Scientists, the intelligence cycle consists of five key phases:

1. Plan
2. Prepare
3. Collect
4. Process
5. Produce

HUMINT squarely fits into the collection, and sometimes influences Phase 1, particularly in directing where to look or whom to target.

Interestingly, HUMINT is collected through interviews, interrogations, source debriefings, undercover infiltration, and sometimes covert operations. It might involve direct interaction with informants, defectors, double agents, or even unwilling participants under interrogation.

But HUMINT does not exist in a vacuum. Raw information gathered through human sources is cross-referenced with other intelligence disciplines, like:

• SIGINT (Signals Intelligence),
• OSINT (Open-Source Intelligence)
• IMINT (Imagery Intelligence)

This multidisciplinary verification is what makes the intelligence actionable.

Operation Disruptor (2020)

One standout example is Operation Disruptor, a global takedown of darknet marketplaces coordinated by agencies like the FBI, Europol, and others. While the operation leaned heavily on digital evidence and blockchain tracing, much of its early momentum came from HUMINT.

Investigators posed as buyers on dark web forums, built trust, and observed seller behaviors. Undercover operatives made small purchases to infiltrate invite-only circles where larger transactions and more sensitive information were exchanged.

This groundwork helped law enforcement identify the real individuals behind pseudonymous vendor accounts. They carried out

• Raids across multiple countries
• Arrested 179 suspects in six nations
• Seized over $6.5 million in cash and cryptocurrency, along with 500 kg of drugs

The Importance of Human Intelligence in Cybersecurity

The importance of human intelligence in cybersecurity is paramount because it helps you understand the threat actors’ motivation, psychological characteristics, and digital trails. Here is why:

1. Understand Motivation and Identify Attackers

Every cyberattack has a motive. It could be financial gain, political disruption, or ideological revenge. Hence, you need to understand the “why” behind an attack as it is just as critical as knowing the “how.”

HUMINT in this case helps your security teams to uncover attacker motivations by going directly to the source, like criminal forums, private chat groups, and underground marketplaces.

Cybercrime has surged in scale and complexity, with global damages expected to hit $10.5 trillion annually by 2025. HUMINT adds human context to this digital warzone by decoding intent and focus areas, especially when national critical infrastructure is involved.

For instance, a ransomware group claiming to be financially motivated is acting under state direction. Without HUMINT, that signal is often missed.

2. Understand the Psychological Characteristics of Attackers

HUMINT profiles the minds behind the keyboard by analyzing behavioral patterns such as

• How attackers write
• React to pressure
• Engage with others

A great example of this was observed during the takedown of the “LAPSUS$” group, where behavioral patterns such as attention-seeking posts and erratic communication helped law enforcement narrow down suspects, many of whom were teenagers operating in plain sight.

3. Map the Social Dynamics of Threat Groups

Cybercriminals operate in networks with their hierarchies, alliances, and rivalries. HUMINT helps untangle this web. This is done simply by infiltrating underground communities. Then, the operatives can see how threat actors communicate, who they trust, and how they coordinate attacks.

For example, forums are breeding grounds for new attack techniques. Analysts can anticipate group movements and identify internal power shifts that might lead to leaks or splinter groups.

4. Anticipating Changes in Attacker Behavior

Attackers evolve, and so should defense. HUMINT enables organizations to detect shifts in attacker motivation or strategy early. For example, a group that once targeted banks might suddenly pivot to healthcare systems.

Do note that there are many cases where chronic HUMINT underfunding is blamed for security failures as well.

5. Understand Digital and Social Lives of Attackers

Attackers leave behind social trails. With HUMINT, security analysts can track a threat actor’s online behavior, how they interact, what aliases they use, and even what digital habits give them away. This intel allows security teams to warn potential victims proactively.

6. Validate Data Collected from Automated Intelligence

AI tools are powerful, but attackers know how to trick them. HUMINT bridges the gap by providing context that automation often misses. Threat actors might hide domains or redact victim names in leaked data, but human operatives can probe further.

Validation becomes especially vital during mass data leaks like the RockYou2021 list, where over 8 billion credentials surfaced. HUMINT helped verify which ones were real, fresh, or already being abused.

7. Substantiating the Attacker’s Capabilities

When attackers boast during ransomware negotiations, not everything they say is true. HUMINT helps separate bluff from reality.

For example, a threat actor might claim to have exfiltrated terabytes of sensitive data to demand a bigger ransom. With proper HUMINT, defenders can assess if those claims match what’s been seen in chatter or data samples and respond strategically.

8. Support Law Enforcement with Actionable Leads

Here’s where HUMINT becomes a real force multiplier. When cybercrime crosses borders (and it usually does), local law enforcement often hits jurisdictional walls. But threat intel teams like Group-IB collect names, wallet addresses, domains, and behavioral clues that can help unmask actors.

Group-IB has actively supported major international takedowns, such as OPERA1ER Takedown (2023): HUMINT insights helped INTERPOL and AFRIPOL coordinate arrests of a fraud group that stole over $11 million from banks and telecoms.

Want to explore how Group-IB’s Threat Intelligence can support your security team?

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Human Intelligence Cybersecurity Investigations

Here are the top human intelligence in cybersecurity investigations conducted by Group-IB:

1. Operation Synergia II – INTERPOL Phishing & Malware Takedown

Group‑IB contributed as a threat intelligence provider in Operation Synergia II, a global INTERPOL operation combating phishing, ransomware, and malware across 95 countries 

Together with law enforcement, more than 22,000 malicious servers were taken offline; 41 individuals were arrested across jurisdictions.

2. Operation Nervone – OPERA1ER Financial Fraud Syndicate

During Operation Nervone, Group‑IB collaborated with INTERPOL and AFRIPOL to dismantle OPERA1ER. OPERA1ER is a French-speaking cybercriminal syndicate responsible for coordinated attacks on financial services across Africa and beyond.

• Analysts tracked the threat group since 2019, collected alias-linked evidence, and helped identify a key member detained in Côte d’Ivoire.
• OPERA1ER executed 30+ attacks, stole at least $11M from banks and telecom companies in multiple countries, including the Cote d’Ivoire, Cameroon, Niger, and Paraguay.

3. Operation Secure – Infostealer Malware Disruption

In Operation Secure, Group‑IB joined INTERPOL to take down infrastructure linked to infostealer malware in Asia.

The operation led to the arrest of 32 suspects, the shutdown of 20,000+ malicious IPs/domains, and the seizure of 41 servers with over 100 GB of data.

HUMINT vs RUMINT: What’s the Difference?

HUMINT refers to information gathered directly from human sources. RUMINT (Rumor Intelligence), on the other hand, refers to unverified information, essentially rumors circulating within communities, forums, or networks. RUMINT can originate from public chatter, online speculation, or street gossip. It’s not always false, but it’s not confirmed.

Here are the main differences at a glance between HUMINT and RUMINT:

Functions of HUMINT in Security Teams

Here are the key functions of HUMINT within security teams:

1. Threat Actor Profiling. HUMINT helps build rich profiles of cybercriminals by infiltrating forums, dark web markets, and private chat groups. Analysts observe behavior, aliases, language patterns, and motivations, information you won’t get from automated scans alone.
2. Attribution Support. One of the biggest challenges in cybersecurity is identifying the attacker. HUMINT adds the human context: details like real names, location clues, social relationships, and past activities that can support confident attribution and legal action.
3. Early Threat Detection. Threat actors often discuss tools, exploits, or planned campaigns long before launching them. HUMINT operatives monitor these conversations in closed communities, allowing teams to prepare or alert potential targets in advance.
4. Validating Technical Intelligence. Automated tools may pick up indicators of compromise or leaked data, but are they real or part of the noise? HUMINT fills that gap by validating whether credentials, exploits, or leaks are legitimate and actionable.
5. Incident Response & Forensics. After a breach, HUMINT contributes by tracing attacker communication, locating the breach announcement, or tracking resales of data. This accelerates containment and supports forensic investigations.

Why We Still Need Humans in a World Full of Automation

For all the algorithms and automated alerts in cybersecurity, it’s the human layer, HUMINT, that often makes the critical difference. Machines can tell you something happened. But only humans can tell you why. And in this era of credential dumps, Telegram threat groups, and dark web marketplaces, knowing the “why” can mean stopping an attack before it starts.

It’s not glamorous work, but it’s the kind of work that disrupts attacks before they hit the headlines.

What’s next?

If your current strategy only looks at logs and IOCs, you’re flying half blind. It’s time to add the human lens to your threat visibility, because attackers aren’t scripts. They’re people, and people leave patterns.

Through its Threat Intelligence platform and global Digital Crime Resistance Centers, Group-IB turns raw indicators into actionable insights, backed by technical forensics, attribution expertise, and partnerships with law enforcement.

Here’s how Group-IB brings HUMINT into action:

1. Group-IB’s analysts infiltrate closed forums, private groups, and dark web networks to surface attacker plans and stolen data, before it’s weaponized.
2. Through alias tracking and behavioral analysis, Group-IB helps law enforcement and enterprises build real profiles of real threat actors.
3. Group-IB’s Threat Intelligence platform equips your team with verified data from underground forums, dark web sources, and global investigations.

In short: if you want to outthink cybercriminals, watch them. And that’s what HUMINT, done right, is all about.

Contact us to see how it works.