What Is Geofencing? Enhancing Physical Security with Location Data

Open-source intelligence (OSINT) isn’t new. Professionals in the intelligence industry have been leveraging open-source data such as search engines, social media, and other public platforms for years. However, the technology that OSINT tools are using to gather data is changing, and quickly. A capability not to be overlooked is geofencing.

What is Geofencing?

Geofencing is the process of using open source intelligence to determine where people are when they are posting on social media. OSINT tools should have geofencing capabilities, and you’re likely already using social media in some fashion as part of your OSINT strategy.

Social Media Intelligence, or SOCMINT, as it’s being called, can provide unfiltered access into what people are really saying about a given topic, keyword, or hashtag. 

As little as 7% of social media posts contain hashtags. That means that if you’re analyzing 10,000 posts per day looking for hashtags, you could be missing as many as 9,300 posts that could be important to your intelligence. This is a gap that intelligence professionals need to close, and geofencing technology can help close it. We discussed the use of searching geotagged photos for the security industry in another blog post:

Rather than monitoring social media channels the traditional way, by looking at pages of interest to see what people are up to, searching geotagged photos allows a security professional to look at an area of their choice to see what’s happening on the ground.

Drawing a Geofence

The possibilities with a geofencing OSINT tool are endless. Here’s what it looked like when we used Echosec to draw a geofence around MIT:

Drawing a geofence is simple. It begins with entering a location into the search bar (as in the above MIT example) or using a drawing tool to physically select an area on the map. In both situations, you are pinpointing the exact coordinates that matter to you to see what’s happening on the ground in real-time.

Taking Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) to the Next Level

Geofencing opens up a whole new dimension for intelligence professionals to explore. Searching hashtags and keywords is only useful in cases when you know exactly what you’re looking for, which, in intelligence, is quite rare. With geofencing, you don’t need to know what you are looking for, only where. The best OSINT tools give you hyperlocal location intelligence. This adds an integral layer of information by creating a window into any situation, anywhere on the ground. As many organizations continue to use outdated tools, you have the opportunity to see and react to more information than ever. OSINT tools with geofencing technology are the future. Are you going to be part of it?

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is geofencing and how does Flashpoint Ignite use it for security?

Geofencing is a location-based technology that creates virtual boundaries around physical sites to monitor digital activity. Flashpoint Ignite uses geofencing to aggregate public social media posts, news, and crisis data from specific GPS coordinates. This allows security teams to filter out irrelevant global information and focus solely on threats, such as protests or accidents, that are happening in the immediate vicinity of their corporate offices or retail locations.

Geofencing Component	Security Application	Flashpoint Ignite Benefit
Virtual Perimeter	Defining a digital border around a high-value asset.	Ensures alerts are only triggered by hyper-local events.
Real-Time Monitoring	Tracking live social media and news feeds.	Provides immediate awareness of incidents as they unfold.
Keyword Filtering	Combining location with specific threat terms.	Reduces noise by focusing on high-fidelity security alerts.

How does Flashpoint help protect facilities during civil unrest using geofencing?

Flashpoint helps protect facilities during civil unrest by providing on-the-ground intelligence through geofenced social media monitoring. When a protest or strike is organized, participants often share live photos and updates. Flashpoint’s geofencing tools allow security teams to see this content in real time, helping them determine the size of a crowd, the mood of the protesters, and whether they are attempting to enter a private building.

• Early Warning: Detects the gathering of crowds before they reach a facility gate.
• Visual Intelligence: Surfaces photos and videos from people on the scene.
• Resource Deployment: Helps leaders decide where to send guards or when to close an office.

Why is Flashpoint’s geofencing vital for executive protection and travel?

Flashpoint’s geofencing is vital for executive protection because it provides a mobile layer of security for leaders traveling to unfamiliar or high-risk areas. By drawing a geofence around an executive’s hotel or event venue, protection teams can monitor for localized threats that would not appear in broader news reports. This ensure that any signs of stalking, scouting, or nearby crime are identified immediately, allowing for a proactive change in travel plans to ensure the safety of the individual.

Protection Goal	Geofencing Strategy	Flashpoint Integrated Response
Travel Safety	Monitoring the area around a foreign meeting site.	Alerts teams to local crime or unrest during the visit.
Event Security	Creating a digital border around a large public gathering.	Identifies potential “bad actors” posting from within the crowd.
Residential Privacy	Monitoring for doxing or scouting near a home address.	Detects if an executive’s location is being targeted or shared.