Maltego

Maltego is a platform for open-source intelligence (OSINT) and cyber investigations, developed by Maltego Technologies GmbH, a company headquartered in Munich, Germany.

Maltego Platform

Developer(s)	Maltego Technologies GmbH
Initial release	October 23, 2007; 17 years ago (2007-10-23)
Stable release	4.9.0[1] / 15 January 2025; 3 months ago (15 January 2025)
Website	maltego.com

Maltego is used by organizations across both the private and public sectors to support OSINT investigations, especially by cyber threat intelligence teams and law enforcement. It is employed by organizations such as the FBI, INTERPOL, financial institutions, and several DOW 30 companies.

The platform supports both basic OSINT investigations for novice users and advanced analysis of large datasets for experienced analysts. It offers the ability to integrate internal data with a broad array of external data sources provided by Maltego. It also features tools for real-time collection, monitoring, and preservation of social media intelligence for public safety efforts, risk management, and legal prosecutions.

History

Maltego was originally developed by Paterva,^[2] a company based in Pretoria, South Africa. In 2019, Maltego Technologies, headquartered in Munich, Germany, assumed responsibility for all global customer-facing operations and later technology development and management.

Certification and compliance

In 2023, Maltego Technologies received ISO 27001:2022 certification,^[3] an international standard for managing information security. The certification was renewed in 2024, to reflect the company’s ongoing commitment to maintaining internationally recognized standards of information security. Prior to obtaining ISO 27001:2022 certification, Maltego had already been compliant with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Charlesbank acquisition

On April 18, 2023, Maltego Technologies was acquired by Charlesbank Technology Opportunities Funds, managed by Charlesbank Capital Partners, for an undisclosed amount.^[4] As part of this acquisition, Charlesbank committed to investing over $100 million USD into the company to support its growth and development.

Philip Mayrhofer, Managing Director of Maltego, commented on the acquisition, stating, "The Maltego platform is all about empowering investigators. Charlesbank shares our vision. They have made a significant investment in the company to accelerate product development and sales internationalization. This enables us to add more features and data sources and to improve usability for even more investigators."^[5]

Following the acquisition, Maltego introduced new browser-based investigation capabilities and simplified data access, aimed at serving both novice and advanced investigators. The platform's expanded features were designed to facilitate collaboration in various settings, enhancing its utility for a broader range of users.

Caleb Barlow, an industry expert who advised Charlesbank on the acquisition and joined Maltego's board, highlighted the platform's importance, stating, "I have known Maltego for over a decade, and it has been a staple in every cyber operators toolbox."^[6]  The investment was facilitated by Robert W. Baird, who served as the exclusive M&A adviser to Maltego and its selling shareholders.

Acquisition of PublicSonar and Social Network Harvester

In March 2024, Maltego Technologies acquired PublicSonar and Social Network Harvester to provide more capabilities to its all-in-one investigation platform.^[7]

PublicSonar, developed in the Netherlands, offered a tool that leverages OSINT for large-scale, real-time monitoring, particularly in the context of physical security and public safety. It was widely used by organizations to manage public safety operations by analyzing and acting upon data from various open sources. By integrating PublicSonar into its platform, Maltego expanded its capabilities beyond cyber intelligence to include real-time public safety management. After the acquisition, PublicSonar, was rebranded as Maltego Monitor, reflecting its new role within the suite of tools of the German company.

Social Network Harvester was designed for social network analysis, enabling investigative teams to collect, analyze, and preserve social media data that can be used as court-admissible evidence. It was particularly used by law enforcement and intelligence agencies that require robust tools for tracking and analyzing social media activities. After the acquisition, the German-developed Social Network Harvester was rebranded as Maltego Evidence and integrated into the platform offering.

These acquisitions were motivated by Maltego’s vision of creating a comprehensive platform that supports a wide range of investigative needs, from cyber threat intelligence to public safety and legal investigations.

By integrating these tools, Maltego strengthens its position as a platform for organizations involved in complex investigations with the ability to manage and interpret vast datasets.

Logo of Maltego

Product

In 2023, Maltego began its transition from a single link analysis tool to an all-in-one platform that supports a wide range of users, including novice investigators, trained OSINT analysts, and technical investigators at law enforcement agencies, government institutions, large cyber threat intelligence teams, and enterprises worldwide.

Tools

The Maltego Graph, previously known as the Maltego Desktop Client, has been widely used for conducting complex and large-scale OSINT investigations, with the flexibility to integrate with other tools via API.

In late 2023, Maltego introduced Maltego Search (originally released as OSINT Profiler), a browser-based tool designed to facilitate quick and automated preliminary OSINT searches, making it accessible to non-technical users.

Following the acquisition of additional capabilities in April 2024, the platform expanded to include Maltego Monitor (formerly PublicSonar) and Maltego Evidence (formerly Social Network Harvester). These tools enhance the platform by providing monitoring and social network analysis functionalities, thereby broadening the scope of investigative support offered by Maltego.

Data

Maltego Data is a component of the Maltego platform that provides access to both internal and external data sources. This offering includes the Maltego Data Pass, Connectors, and Connector Builders.

Maltego Data Pass offers users access to a curated and expanding collection of data sources relevant to a wide range of investigations, including those focused on persons of interest, threat intelligence, cryptocurrency, the dark web, and corporate intelligence. The Data Pass operates on a credit-based system, with allowances included in the user’s plan. Maltego serves as an intermediary, ensuring that data providers do not have visibility into the investigative activities of users.

Maltego Connectors are integrations that enhances the platform's capabilities by enabling seamless access to over 100 pre-built Connectors, allowing users to effortlessly integrate additional data sources into their investigations with a single click.

Connector Builders allow users to create custom Connectors to access internal data sources or external APIs for which they have API keys. This feature enables organizations to customize their data integration, utilizing Maltego's SDKs and Transform libraries. Users can also deploy Connectors developed and shared by the broader community, such as those available on GitHub.

Services

Maltego offers a range of services as part of its platform for customers on Professional and Organization plans. These services include:

• Maltego Academy with on-demand learning resources and custom live training sessions designed for investigators using the Maltego platform.
• Advisory services that offer guidance on workflow optimization and the development of new use cases to enhance the effectiveness of investigations.
• Technical custom engineering services that deliver specialized deployment and integration solutions tailored to meet specific organizational needs.
• Custom training services that include custom training sessions conducted by Maltego’s Subject Matter Experts.
• Maltego Admin for auditing and analyzing an organization’s Maltego usage, managing billing, and overseeing access authorization.