OSINT Solutions - Open Source Intelligence Center

J. Patrick Enderson is an accomplished serial entrepreneur, business executive, and inventor with extensive experience developing and implementing start-up businesses in a wide range of markets. As an inventor he currently holding both patent pending and R&D stage intellectual property assets which include, but are not limited to: OSINT integration solutions; Social Media Systems and OSINT training and education curriculums.

Mr. Enderson has founded, co-founded and put management teams together for a number of successful start-up firms including: OSINT Solutions, Inc., which is one of a very small group of fully operational, privately held Open Source Intelligence Centers in the United States; providing information based products, knowledge strategy and integrated technology solutions to public and private sector clientele. 

He is a recognized OSINT subject matter expert and presenter and has previously presented at the Defense Intelligence Agency, where OSINT Solutions, Inc. was honored to be the first commercial firm in their history to facilitate an Open Source Intelligence training day. In addition; OSINT Solutions, was honored to be chosen as the lead tech firm on CBS Hunted. We have conducted an interview with him.

What does your firm "OSINT Solutions" do and how long have it been in business?

Our firm OSINT Solutions, Inc. is a U.S. based, full-service Open Source Intelligence or “OSINT” Center. For those who may not be familiar with the term “OSINT” or Open Source Intelligence it encompasses a distinct five step process which utilizes “Open” or “Unclassified” information which is available to the public on the internet or via open communication between individuals whom are discussing non-classified information. OSINT Solutions is one of very few, fully operational Open Source Intelligence firms in existence today. My firm has been in business for about 9 years; but I have been working in the commercial intelligence business for about 30 years of my life.

What is OSINT Solutions’ mission and what makes it somewhat unique in the global commercial intelligence space?

The firm’s mission is to transform the way the world shares intelligence. OSINT Solutions is not just an open source intelligence company. We are in the business of helping public agencies, private agencies and corporations expand their local, regional and global situational awareness by becoming accurately informed via the utilization of actionable intelligence products, supported by training and education, provided by world class analysts and subject matter experts. What makes us a bit unique is that we are the center point for a global consortium of privately held commercial intelligence firms and our reach is extremely broad in terms of both access to information and access to a global network of individuals who provide us with information as we need it and as a task may require.

Tell us a bit about your firm’s most current endeavor in the primetime television industry with the CBS and Endemol Shine North America show “HUNTED” which airs on Wednesday nights at 8:00 pm EST (Primetime) in the U.S., and how this opportunity came about?

We we’re approach by an Endemol Shine Producer in November, 2015 and asked if we would be interested in assisting them with both their casting and technical efforts with Hunted. Quite frankly, we did not believe that he was really a producer and we took his number and checked him out a bit before calling him back. Once we were satisfied that he was who he said he was and that the opportunity was a real one, we proceeded. This process involved referring a number of potential cast members to the same Endemol Shine North America producer – 3 of which ultimately made the cut and are currently on the show as intelligence team members. Our understanding is that he and his team conducted around 2000 interviews to ultimately cast around 60 people, 13 of which made it to the intelligence team cast. So our success rate on the cast side was pretty good. We were also asked to submit a proposal to a firm working directly with Endemol Shine for the technical contract for HUNTED. My understanding, which came quite a bit later is that it was unusual for CBS to reach out to vendors outside existing production company for tech support and that our opportunity came because the nature of the show and the specific technical expertise needed to pull this off in a realistic way which would also take into account current U.S. Law Enforcement and Intelligence Community practices and pay careful attention to the existing privacy laws to assure that the casted fugitives and their families were being protected from unnecessary privacy risks.

We felt as though this opportunity was perfect for OSINT Solutions as we have many years of experience in these fields and are very conscious of individual’s rights to privacy. So we gave it a shot and submitted the proposal. Several weeks later we received a call from another Endemol Shine Producer who informed us that we had made the cut to the final few firms and that we needed to fine tune the terms with them in order to proceed. We did and we won the contract, which quite frankly was a surprise because we guessed that there were quite a few very well qualified firms in the running who probably were much larger than our firm.

Tell us a bit about the 3 people you got casted on CBS HUNTED and why you thought they would be great for the show?

The three people we got casted on the show are: Theresa Payton, who was the former CIO of the White House under George W Bush in 2006 and was casted as “Head of Intelligence”; Landon Stewart, who was a former US Army Veteran and worked at the National Security Agency (NSA) and was casted as “Cyber Analyst”; and finally, Charles DeBarber, who is also a US Army Veteran who worked as a Senior Signal Intelligence (SIGINT) Analyst and was casted as “Cyber Analyst”. All three of these individuals worked for Endemol Shine North America and CBS within the Intelligence Operations Center for HUNTED.

Tell us a bit about the technology vendors you suggested for the show, what they do and why you thought they would be a great fit for the CBS Hunted?

There were quite a few technology vendors which we brought in to support the show. One of my favorites was Panthera Training Center, which owns and runs an extremely adept scenario based training facility in West Virginia. Not only are they one of less than a handful of large training facilities specializing in security and operations, scenario-based training; but they also have a very nice direct connection to specialized UAV (Drone) technology vendors. These guys were fantastic, were willing to work very long hours and came with a very little notice to support the HUNTED show’s UAV activities. They were and are true professionals in every sense of the word. Other technology vendors which we brought into the show involved the facial recognition technology and all the digital forensics technology. Not sure if these guys are “OK” with being mentioned in an interview, show I will refrain from giving their firm’s names.

Did you find working with the firm Endemol Shine North America and CBS and their Producers challenging and rewarding?

Yes, this was an unforeseen opportunity in an industry which OSINT Solutions had not previous supported at this level. The Endemol Shine North America team was fun to work with and willing to listen to us as subject matter experts. They understood their limitations and were willing to seek out qualified vendors to make the show a success. The CBS people we met which on the set of the Intelligence Operations Center we kind, humble and more than appreciative of the hard work.

Was there anything you wish could have been done differently in the Season 1 “HUNTED” show, that you will suggest for “HUNTED” Season 2 if the show gets renewed for another season?

Our suggestion would be for Endemol Shine North America to look for the small business people out there who have been in Law Enforcement and the Intelligence Communities; bring them out to Los Angeles for a nice event and ask them for help with Season 2. There were quite a few very talented and professional people and firms who did not get a chance to be heard because they may not have heard of HUNTED. God willing, the show will be renewed and word will have gotten out to these fine men and women who work for and own these small businesses by March 2017. Everything we have learned and believe whole heartedly as a company centers on collaboration and transparency. We only hope that our lessons fall on ears that can hear and are willing to listen to the individuals who “have been there and done that” in the real world.

What one piece of advice would you give to any company or individual who wishes to work in the television or movie industry?

Be true to yourself and do not lose yourself in the shiny lights, “razzle dazzle” and promises of big stardom without hard work and a willingness to pay your dues. Understand that the industry is like any other industry and you are only as good as your last event, show, etc. Do not be lead into a place that makes you forget where you came from and who you are. Understand that each opportunity may be your last one and enjoy the journey. Finally, don’t forget those who got you there and don’t forget to pay it back to those who helped you along the journey. Take nothing for granted and enjoy!

More info:

Website: http://www.osintsolutions.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OSINT-Solutions-Inc-1582354362065229/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/osintsolutions
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/492908