The role of WebSDR usage in open source intelligence gathering during geopolitical events

WebSDR platforms allow users to tune in to a radio receiver simultaneously through a website. At the start of the war in Ukraine in 2022, we observed a sharp increase in user numbers on the platform, leading to the hypothesis that the platform is of extra interest during geopolitical events. By creating and analyzing a network of usage patterns of the platform, we find evidence of a group of users visiting the platform with the intention to gather intelligence surrounding multiple geopolitical events in the years before the war. Surrounding the war in Ukraine, we also observed a sharp increase in bot-like behavior which we speculate comes from users that are systematically gathering data for intelligence purposes. Not only do our findings suggest a widespread usage of WebSDR under users intending to gather intelligence on geopolitical events, but the clustering of users also shows promising possibilities to more effectively analyze radio communications to assist in gathering intelligence during geopolitical events.