Maltego
Visual link-analysis and OSINT platform that maps relationships between domains, people, and infrastructure through transforms and data integrations.
Technical Architecture & Overview
Maltego is a visual investigation and link-analysis platform that uses transforms to query public and commercial data sources and map entity relationships. It is developed and maintained by Maltego Technologies. The desktop client is available for Windows, Linux, and macOS, and a browser-based version is also offered.
Targeted Technical Use Cases
Map an organization's public-facing infrastructure, digital identities, and relationships in a visual graph to prioritize exposures during an investigation.
Evaluation & Trade-offs
Core Strengths
- +Visual graph layout surfaces indirect relationships that tabular data can obscure.
- +Hundreds of pre-built and third-party transforms connect public, commercial, and internal data sources.
- +Workspaces and collaboration features support team-based investigations and reporting.
Trade-Offs & Limitations
- -Free Basic tier limits transform counts and data credits.
- -Useful results depend on subscription to paid data-source integrations.
- -Large-scale graphs can become slow and require manual filtering to remain readable.
Defensive Security Application
Map attack surface, correlate exposed infrastructure with threat indicators, and document findings for remediation and risk review.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Maltego?→
Maltego is a visual investigation and link-analysis platform that uses transforms to query public and commercial data sources and map entity relationships. It is developed and maintained by Maltego Technologies. The desktop client is available for Windows, Linux, and macOS, and a browser-based version is also offered.
What is Maltego used for?→
Map an organization's public-facing infrastructure, digital identities, and relationships in a visual graph to prioritize exposures during an investigation.
What are the strengths of Maltego?→
- +Visual graph layout surfaces indirect relationships that tabular data can obscure.
- +Hundreds of pre-built and third-party transforms connect public, commercial, and internal data sources.
- +Workspaces and collaboration features support team-based investigations and reporting.
What are the limitations of Maltego?→
- +Free Basic tier limits transform counts and data credits.
- +Useful results depend on subscription to paid data-source integrations.
- +Large-scale graphs can become slow and require manual filtering to remain readable.
How is Maltego used defensively?→
Map attack surface, correlate exposed infrastructure with threat indicators, and document findings for remediation and risk review.