EPCYBER
← All Posts SOCMINT · Session

Sneak peek: finding Chinese SOCMINT tools and methods

Twelve minutes inside an investigative session — how a search goes from wrong to right inside China’s ecosystem.

October 14, 2024 | 11:41 WATCH
By the EPCYBER Intelligence Team

Twelve minutes from the October 2024 lessons, so you can see how detailed they actually are.

We call these investigative sessions — an inside view of the step by step. How we explore, how we search, how we find something and pivot off it inside China's ecosystem.

Including how we go from searching wrong to searching right.

That part matters more than it sounds. Searching in Chinese as a Western investigator is where most of the time gets wasted, and the fix isn't translation — it's knowing what a correct query looks like before you type it.

This is a sneak peek. The full sessions are on the training platform.

What to take away

  • The sessions are step-by-step investigations, not lectures: explore, search, find, pivot.
  • Most time is lost searching in Chinese incorrectly, and the fix is not translation.
  • Knowing what a correct query looks like before you type it is the skill being demonstrated.
Written by

The EPCYBER Intelligence Team

We run China-focused OSINT and dark-web investigations for government, defense, and corporate clients — and teach the same tradecraft through the EPCYBER Training Platform. Everything we publish comes out of real casework.

See how we work →
Subscribe

New investigations, in your inbox

Redacted findings, China OSINT methods, and dark-web intelligence — straight from real casework. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.

Keep reading

RELATED INVESTIGATIONS

Guide

Ultimate Guide to China OSINT

What QQ, WeChat, Weibo, Xiaohongshu, Zhihu, Douyin, Baidu, QCC and Tianyancha each expose, and how analysts extract it.

Read post → SOCMINT

You need to know this Weibo OSINT trick

A manual route from a Weibo image to the account behind it. One episode of Bytes of Clues — and a drop in the ocean, by our own admission.

Read post → Training

What skills you gain from our trainings

For team leaders asking what their analysts will actually be able to do afterward. The full rundown — and an honest note on who it isn't for yet.

Read post →
← PreviousWhy CTI platforms fail to deliver Next →Cyber threat identification in China

GOT A QUESTION ABOUT OUR TRAININGS?

Not sure which program fits, or whether we cover what you need? Just ask.

We're happy to tell you whether a specific platform, or focus area is included in a given course — and if it's not, whether we can build it in.

Reach out to sales@epcyber.com about:

  • Whether we cover a specific platform (Weibo, Xiaohongshu, Douyin, CSDN, or anything not listed)
  • A particular focus area you need
  • Group rates, team enrollment, and custom corporate bundles
  • Eligibility — if you're unsure whether your organization qualifies
  • Payment options — wire transfer and other methods for organizations
  • Custom or tailored training built around your team's mission
  • Whatever you're trying to accomplish, tell us where you're headed and we'll point you to the right program.
All contact routes →

WHY EPCYBER FOR CHINA OSINT?

Read Post →