🔗 Link Analysis in Intelligence Training: Why I Recommend Maltego

Words by Nikki Ramos - Founder & Director of Savanna Strategy

When I left my role as an intelligence officer in UK law enforcement, I knew I wanted to teach intelligence and investigations in a way that would stick. Not just theory-heavy lectures. Not just static case studies. I wanted learners—whether students, law enforcement professionals, or career changers—to think like real investigators from day one.

It was not until I left my career as an investigator in the private sector, that I built a murder mystery. This was inspired by my mountain climbing adventures. 

In Summit Secrets: Kilimanjaro, learners follow Evelyn, a fictional investigator, through a high-stakes disappearance on Africa’s most iconic mountain. The case is fictional—but the skills are real: Open Source Intelligence (OSINT), Human Intelligence (HUMINT), critical thinking, timeline analysis… and crucially, link analysis. These are just some of the skills I teach. 

🕸️ What Is Link Analysis?

Link analysis is a core intelligence technique used to map relationships between people, entities, events, or data. It helps uncover patterns, detect influence, and understand networks in fields ranging from financial crime to national security.

In my course, learners start manually—using narrative evidence to build their own diagrams and explore:

Key players in a network

Hidden connections or unknown links

Event sequencing and movement

Structure and flow in a threat network

🧠 Why Story-Based Learning Works

Instead of just reading about the theory, learners live the investigation. They care about solving the case. That emotional investment makes technical concepts easier to retain and apply in real-world scenarios.

By the final chapter/episode, they’re not just learning link analysis—they’re doing it.

💻 Why I Recommend Maltego

While the course is focused on foundational tradecraft, I also highlight tools that professionals use to go further. One I always recommend? Maltego.

Maltego is a powerful OSINT tool that allows users to:

Pull publicly available data from various online sources

Map and visualise complex networks in seconds

Explore relationships between people, organisations, and digital assets

It’s an excellent next step for learners who want to extend their manual skills into live investigative tools. I mention Maltego in our link analysis module as a trusted and widely used platform in the field.

If you’re exploring OSINT tools yourself, it’s well worth a look: https://www.maltego.com

This isn’t a paid partnership—I just genuinely think Maltego is one of the most effective OSINT tools out there, and it fits naturally into the real-world workflows I teach.

🎓 Ready to Learn?

If you're in law enforcement, compliance, military, or just intelligence-curious, Summit Secrets was built for you.

📺 Watch the free first episode of Summit Secrets:
👉 https://youtu.be/eUkuLnYW7F0

🌐 Explore the full course and other training formats:
👉 https://savannastrategy.com