METHODS AND MEANS OF PROTECTING CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE FROM OSINT INTELLIGENCE IN WARTIME

Abstract

The article addresses the pressing scientific and practical issue of improving the cyber resilience and physical security of Ukraine's critical infrastructure (CI) in the context of warfare. It analyzes the transformation of open source intelligence (OSINT) from an auxiliary analytical tool into a key element in the targeting of high-precision weapons and the planning of destructive cyberattacks. Based on an analysis of recent incidents, critical threat vectors have been identified and systematized: technical indexing of industrial system (OT) vulnerabilities through IoT search engines (Shodan, Censys), geospatial monitoring of infrastructure changes using commercial satellite imagery, and leaks of sensitive information through social engineering (SOCMINT). The main focus of the work is on developing a comprehensive countermeasure methodology that goes beyond traditional perimeter protection. The feasibility of applying a digital footprint reduction strategy in accordance with NIST SP 800-82r3 standards, which includes deep network segmentation, the use of data diodes, and equipment banner obfuscation, is justified. The implementation of deception technology is considered in detail – the introduction of a layered system of traps (honeytokens, honeypots) to disrupt the enemy's cognitive decision-making cycle (OODA loop). Organizational measures for counterintelligence monitoring and regulation of public information are proposed, which can significantly reduce the effectiveness of enemy intelligence at the data collection stage. The practical value of the research lies in the creation of an adaptive protection algorithm that complicates the verification of targets by the aggressor.