What is OSINT and How Is It Used in Cybersecurity?

This report provides a high-level overview of OSINT in cybersecurity, explaining offensive and defensive use cases, common tools (Shodan, Censys, Maltego, theHarvester), real-world applications such as leaked credential monitoring and brand abuse detection, third-party risk considerations, legal/ethical boundaries, and recommended best practices for integrating OSINT into security operations; it is a general informational piece rather than an incident or threat report.