Our specialist consultants are experts in utilising a both open and closed source intelligence, and our provision of satellite imagery is just one tool clients are finding increasingly useful. We can pull imagery that is several years old to carry out a historic and/or comparative assessment, or even a day old to investigate a recent development.

By using this form of intelligence, we can even better assess whether there is intent or capability from any threat actor to attack a client’s specific industry type or sites, or indeed whether there is at risk of them being caught in the crossfire of an ongoing conflict. More regular satellite imaging analysis allows us to carry out more 'pattern of life' analysis.

An example of how we have used satellite imagery to form a comprehensive threat and risk assessment for a client was for an international corporation with sites throughout Ukraine. Many of these sites were situated in close proximity to the ‘line of contact’, in the Donbas region, where an armed conflict between Ukrainian and pro-Russian forces has continued since April 2014. Our intelligence consultants pulled the most up to date, relevant data on the conflict and overlaid this with recent satellite imagery. Alongside useful open source information, such as pro-Russian militant communications and social media accounts, this was used to geolocate the current line of fighting.

Comparing both past and more current satellite images allowed us to identify where farmland had disappeared and grass grown in its place, meaning it was highly likely to be an area continuous contact, and also to identify where trenches were dug. Their intent and capability to attack client sites was also analysed and assessed. The information was provided to the client in a very visual format, including the use of mapping showing attack hotspots and their sites, to aid them in understanding the threat level.