What is cyber threat intelligence?

Why is threat intelligence important?

Accurate threat intelligence has many benefits, extending beyond conventional threat detection and response.

Firstly, threat intelligence allows us to understand what motivates threat actors. Security teams can make evidence-based decisions informed by context, mechanisms, key indicators, risk implications, and external advice. Previously unknown threats become understandable and manageable.

Threat intelligence boosts efficiency and security leadership. The knowledge provided by threat analysis tools enables risk planning and streamlines resource allocation. CEOs and COOs can mitigate critical threats and avoid unnecessary expenditures.

Threat intelligence is also proactive. Proactivity is critical in a constantly evolving threat landscape. The more we know about adversaries, the better prepared we are to respond. Threat data helps us identify the latest advanced persistent threats, ransomware, and browser attack techniques.

Organizations leverage data collection and analysis to meet threats before they compromise network endpoints or sensitive data. Security teams can anticipate threats and strengthen their security posture accordingly.

How does threat intelligence work?

Threat intelligence platforms aggregate data about threats and present this data in a usable format. Analysts assess data from global intelligence databases. They look for signatures and patterns to understand the nature of each threat, what adversaries want, and effective mitigation strategies.

Advanced threat analysis also draws on global databases of historical cyber-attacks. Machine learning tools leverage as much data as possible to triage emerging threats.

Analysts compile the results of their analysis in feeds or reports for the company's security management team. Security professionals use the data to make evidence-based decisions about critical threats and necessary defensive actions.

Types of threat intelligence

We can divide threat intelligence into four sub-categories.

Each category plays an important role in understanding the threat landscape and making informed decisions:

Strategic threat intelligence

Strategic threat data puts threats and vulnerabilities in context, enabling organizations to make correct decisions. This kind of threat information is often intended for executive-tier discussion.

For example, a business might consider a data-sharing partnership with a marketing company. Strategic threat intelligence advises about potential data loss risks resulting from the partnership.

Tactical threat intelligence

Tactical threat intelligence considers the nature of threats. Analysts ask how threats work, what they do, common threat vectors, who attackers target, and mitigation options.

This type of cyber threat intelligence helps organizations understand the most urgent cyber-attack risks. Businesses can make evidence-based threat protection decisions about implementing controls and defending against specific threats.

Operational threat intelligence

Operational threat intelligence considers how security teams should respond to specific cyber threats.

This threat intelligence type involves understanding the motivations of attackers. Security teams need data on the timing of attacks, attack durations, how cyber threats access resources, and their general intentions.

Threat hunting for operational intelligence is often challenging. Attackers conceal their activities via encrypted channels or private languages. As a result, decoding the intentions of adversaries requires experience and technical skill.

Technical threat intelligence

Technical threat intelligence is data about ongoing cyber-attacks. Analysts define and monitor indicators of compromise (IOCs) which identify suspicious activity and trigger incident responses. Indicators of Compromise are diverse but include:

• Suspicious keywords in emails that indicate phishing content
• IP addresses linked to threat actors
• Malware signatures from previous attacks
• Unusual login patterns, including repeated failed logins or strange times of day
• Spikes in database usage without a business justification
• Requests for privilege escalation
• App installations of unexplained changes to system configurations

Understanding the threat intelligence lifecycle

Threat intelligence is more than a collection of separate tasks. The best way to visualize it is as a continuous process or threat intelligence cycle.

This cycle creates a virtuous feedback loop, ensuring that incident responses feed back into security measures and detection processes. Threat analysis should be dynamic. Outcomes should improve over time, improving security outcomes.

The six stages of the cyber threat intelligence lifecycle include:

Requirements

The first step in a cyber threat intelligence program sets the foundations. Security teams define what the threat intel system seeks to achieve, and how it will do so.

Goals should fit overall business needs, and identify relevant cyber threats—avoiding unnecessary security tasks.

This stage should create a methodology to follow during the threat lifecycle. Analysts should know how to understand attackers' motivations, critical assets to defend, and how to make network security more robust.

Data gathering

The second stage in a cyber threat intelligence program is data collection. Analysts must identify appropriate data sources and create processes to gather information continuously.

Data sources could include (but are not limited to) network traffic logs, social media discussions, security forums, media content, and publicly available security data.

Processing

Security teams must organize and classify their data to enable comprehensive analysis. This stage requires formatting databases or spreadsheets (or sourcing specialist analytical tools). Analysts may also need to translate foreign language data and arrange decryption where necessary.

Analysis

This step answers critical questions and turns raw data into actionable insights. For example, analysts might assess new cyber threats targeting companies in their sector. Or they could seek evidence of exploit attacks relating to their cloud infrastructure.

The Analysis stage also makes recommendations. Security teams suggest concrete actions based on cyber threat intelligence to improve their organization's security posture.

Presentation

The next stage converts analytical insights into a format that colleagues can use. Security teams must disseminate findings across the organization to stakeholders and strategic partners. Analysts must simplify where necessary, use digestible language, and communicate technical information accurately.

Feedback

The final stage in the cyber threat intelligence lifecycle closes the loop. Analysts seek feedback from stakeholders. This information feeds into intelligence gathering—identifying areas of concern and shifting priorities. On a more mundane level, feedback may suggest ways to improve the communication process and make insights easier to understand.

Different threat intelligence tools

Cyber threat intelligence is a diverse field, and there are several ways to integrate intel into your security setup. Common threat intelligence tools include:

Threat intelligence platforms (TIPs)

TIPs are threat intelligence services that combine external threat databases with internally-sourced data.

Security analysts can leverage global databases when they receive internal alerts. With access to external and internal information, analysts can rapidly assess the nature of attackers, carry out risk assessments, and visualize attack outcomes.

TIPs can operate at a granular level—detecting cyber threats relating to specific economic sectors. However, you can also implement threat intelligence services on a general level, detecting threats that apply across all market areas.

Threat data feeds

Threat data feeds deliver continuous information about new attack groups, attack types, and exploits or vulnerabilities. Users can streamline data feeds to reflect their organizational needs (for example, by focusing on apps the organization uses).

Analysts can also customize the technical content of feeds. Common components include IP addresses flagged as malicious, fake website domains, file hashes associated with criminal groups, and malware artifacts or signatures.

Threat intelligence feeds often include trend reports, too. These reports highlight emerging attack vectors, alerting recipients to ransomware attacks before they materialize.

Artificial Intelligence and machine learning tools

The volume and complexity of threat data make analysis challenging. AI and machine learning tools simplify the task, empowering small teams or individuals to benefit from global data sources.

Threat intelligence teams commonly use AI to structure data. AI tools group data sets logically, making analysis easier. At the analysis stage, AI extracts patterns and insights humans struggle to see.

Artificial Intelligence also makes threat protection more efficient. Analysts use AI to assign risk scores to specific threats, allowing organizations to focus on critical challenges. Moreover, AI-based predictive models anticipate future cyber-attacks, suggesting ways to use scarce resources efficiently.

Threat intelligence use cases

Threat intelligence technologies are powerful allies in the fight against digital threats. But what applications do they have in the real world? As the use cases below show, there are many ways to integrate cyber threat intelligence into your security posture.

Streamlining incident responses

One of the most powerful uses of threat intelligence is triaging threat alerts. When they receive alerts, security teams need to know the nature of the threat, what assets are at risk, and the severity of cyber threats.

Cyber threat intelligence assesses the nature and scope of an attack, enabling faster containment and remediation. Tools correlate internal data with externally sourced Indicators of Compromise—enabling a rapid, efficient, and well-informed response.

Teams can also collect incident response metrics such as Mean Time To Detect (MTTD) and Mean Time To Respond (MTTR). This data helps them improve future responses.

Hunting critical threats

Threat intelligence plays an indispensable role in cybersecurity threat hunting (SecOps). SecOps teams can use threat intelligence to profile network users and applications. Profiling generates a baseline, and deviations may indicate emerging attacks.

In a broader sense, threat intelligence gives security teams access to diverse Indicators of Compromise and the ability to track IOCs in real-time. This data makes it easier to detect anomalies and suspicious patterns.

Managing application vulnerabilities

Vulnerable applications expose networks to the risk of exploit attacks. Adversaries leverage code flaws in internet-facing applications to gain network access and extract valuable data.

Threat intelligence enables proactive vulnerability management. Data feeds alert security professionals to known exploits. Organizations can update their software and devices to mitigate vulnerabilities.

Detecting and preventing compliance violations

Threat intelligence plays a role in preventing insider threats like fraud or data exfiltration. Blocking these activities helps companies comply with data protection and anti-fraud regulations, limiting their exposure to penalties or prosecution.

Threat intelligence detects identity theft or fraudulent use of corporate data. Brands can act before impersonators and data thieves, avoiding costly reputational damage.

Third-party assurance

Companies rely on third parties to provide cloud services, store data, maintain systems, and serve customers. However, external partners bring additional security risks. Threat intelligence mitigates these risks, providing insights into third-party environments.

Efficient decision-making

Making enterprise-wide security decisions is challenging. Leaders need high-quality information and insights to balance costs and security risks, alongside updates about current cyber threats. Threat intelligence supplies essential context to allocate resources effectively.

Use threat intelligence for a proactive security approach

In cybersecurity, knowledge is power. Cyber threat intelligence provides the knowledge needed to detect and mitigate critical threats before they damage business assets.

Robust threat intelligence provides actionable insights into the motivations, methods, and tactics of adversaries. It empowers security teams to make evidence-based decisions, streamline resource allocation, and strengthen their security posture.

Threat data also encourages a proactive approach. Companies can meet current and future cyber threats, staying one step ahead of cybercriminals.