FAQs

Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) is at the heart of what makes Videris different.OSINT is the practice of extracting intelligence from publicly available or licensable data, (also known as open source data).

OSINT taps into a wealth of dynamic, up-to-date data from sources that investigators may not usually have time to look into. This allows investigators to find connections and identify risks that would have otherwise been missed.

The use of OSINT is increasingly recognised as an essential practice by governments and regulators around the world.

Because it’s drawn from publicly available data, OSINT is inherently more ethical than intelligence drawn from many other sources. However, to ensure ethical practice, investigators should ensure that their investigations are carefully targeted.

To ensure that we work as ethically as possible, especially in our AI-enabled solutions, Blackdot applies several guiding principles to our business.

• Videris can only be used to research publicly available or licensable information. It can’t be used to gather non-public information or to interact with a third party.
• Videris does not collect bulk or non-targeted data to ensure that investigations remain proportionate.
• Videris supports, but does not replace, a human investigator. It does not take investigative decisions.
• Videris enables legal and policy compliance to support consistency, auditability and accountability.
• Blackdot only sells Videris to responsible customers with legitimate use-cases, often required by law or a regulator.

We integrate with a range of sources that you probably already use - as well as some that you may not. These include:

• Search engines
• Corporate records providers
• Social media providers
• Website and domain information
• Phone number information
• Mapping data
• Risk data e.g. OpenSanctions, dark web

Premium data sources are sources provided by external suppliers at an additional cost. We select them specifically to provide high-quality data that is valuable to many of our customers and cannot be found using free online sources. 

We also offer the Videris Extension Builder which is a low-code route for organisations to build their own integrations where an API is available.

If you’d like a full list of data sources, please get in touch.

Videris is language and script-independent. In addition to English, the Videris interface is also available in a number of other languages. Please get in touch for further information.

Videris allows investigators to import their own data from a CSV file - whether internal, or from an external system or data source. 

The Videris Extension Builder also offers a low-code way for customers to build their own integrations. Investigators can take advantage of the opportunity to combine internet and internal data, with the added benefit of Videris analytics and visualisation tools.

Yes, there are a number of ways to export data from Videris, including PDF charts, CSV data export and the ability to generate document-based reports with sourcing. The system is designed to match the majority of sharing and reporting requirements.

We offer personalised demos and workshops so that you can see the Videris features you’re interested in in action. You can also get in touch with your sales representative to discuss the possibility of a short trial.

Videris is a multi-tenanted SaaS web application hosted on AWS servers in the UK and EU. All that is required is an up-to-date browser such as Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge. Organisations can deploy Videris to users in seconds and have the ability to authenticate users via Single Sign On and multi-factor authentication for enterprise scaling. 

Blackdot has no visibility of search terms queried by an analyst or the results of the search.

Blackdot’s focus is on harnessing the best available technology to enhance – but not replace – the investigator. Videris uses a combination of AI and automation to deliver efficiency and effectiveness gains without sacrificing quality or explainability.

No, customer data is never used to train AI.

AI features in Videris Investigate are optional. The platform still provides significant time savings and increased effectiveness through automation without AI features.

Videris Automate is built on agentic AI, configured through customisable playbooks, which allows it to collect and analyse huge volumes of online data in seconds. It also uses GenAI to automate report creation. It is not possible for organisations using Videris Automate to opt out of AI features.