Threat Intelligence is evidence-based knowledge about existing and emerging security threats that helps organisations make informed decisions about their cybersecurity defences. It provides context, mechanisms, indicators, and actionable advice about current and potential attacks.
Types of Threat Intelligence
Strategic Intelligence
High-level threat landscape information for executive decision-making: - Industry-specific threat trends and attack patterns - Geopolitical factors affecting cybersecurity - Long-term threat evolution and predictions - Business risk assessment and strategic planning
Tactical Intelligence
Technical details about threat tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs): - Attack methodologies and tools used by threat actors - Indicators of Compromise (IOCs) and attack signatures - Vulnerability information and exploitation methods - Attribution information about threat groups
Operational Intelligence
Real-time information for immediate security operations: - Active threat campaigns and ongoing attacks - Immediate indicators for detection and blocking - Situational awareness for security teams - Incident response guidance and recommendations
Threat Intelligence Sources
Internal Sources
Organisation-specific threat information: - Security logs and event data analysis - Incident response findings and lessons learned - Network traffic analysis and monitoring - Vulnerability assessments and penetration testing results
External Sources
Third-party threat intelligence feeds: - Commercial threat intelligence providers - Government and law enforcement agencies - Industry sharing groups and consortiums - Open source intelligence (OSINT) and public sources
Collaborative Intelligence
Shared threat information across organisations: - Industry-specific threat sharing initiatives - Information sharing and analysis centres (ISACs) - Public-private partnerships - Peer-to-peer threat intelligence exchange
Threat Intelligence Lifecycle
Collection
Gathering raw threat data from multiple sources: - Automated collection from threat feeds and APIs - Manual research and analysis activities - Social media and dark web monitoring - Honeypot and sensor network data collection
Processing
Converting raw data into usable intelligence: - Data normalisation and standardisation - Correlation and enrichment with contextual information - Quality assessment and source verification - Duplicate removal and data cleansing
Analysis
Interpreting processed data to generate insights: - Pattern recognition and trend analysis - Attribution analysis and threat actor profiling - Impact assessment and risk evaluation - Predictive analysis for emerging threats
Dissemination
Distributing actionable intelligence to stakeholders: - Automated IOC feeds for security tools - Executive briefings and strategic reports - Technical bulletins for security teams - Real-time alerts and notifications
Implementation and Integration
Security Tool Integration
Incorporating threat intelligence into security systems: - SIEM Integration: Enriching security events with threat context - Firewall and IPS Updates: Automated blocking of malicious indicators - Endpoint Protection: Enhanced malware detection and prevention - Email Security: Phishing and malicious attachment detection
Application Security Platforms
Threat intelligence for application protection: - Real-time threat feed integration for WAAP systems - Contextual analysis for behavioural detection - Enhanced anti-detect browser identification - Automated policy updates based on emerging threats
Threat Hunting
Proactive threat identification using intelligence: - Hypothesis-driven hunting based on threat intelligence - IOC-based hunting for known threat indicators - Behavioural hunting for TTP-based detection - Attribution-based hunting for specific threat groups
Threat Intelligence Formats
Structured Formats
Machine-readable threat intelligence standards: - STIX (Structured Threat Information eXpression): Standardised threat information representation - TAXII (Trusted Automated eXchange of Intelligence Information): Automated intelligence sharing protocol - MITRE ATT&CK Framework: Comprehensive threat behaviour taxonomy - IOC Formats: IP addresses, domains, file hashes, and other indicators
Unstructured Intelligence
Human-readable threat analysis and reports: - Threat landscape reports and analysis - Attack campaign documentation - Technical analysis and reverse engineering reports - Attribution reports and threat actor profiles
Benefits
Enhanced Detection
Improved threat identification capabilities: - Early warning of emerging threats and attack campaigns - Contextual information for better alert prioritisation - Reduced false positives through threat context - Enhanced anomaly detection through baseline enrichment
Proactive Defence
Preventive security measures based on intelligence: - Preemptive blocking of known malicious indicators - Security control tuning based on relevant threats - Risk-based security investments and priorities - Incident response preparation and planning
Improved Response
Enhanced incident response through threat context: - Attribution information for incident analysis - TTPs for forensic investigation guidance - Similar attack pattern identification - Recovery and mitigation strategy development
Quality and Evaluation
Intelligence Quality Metrics
Assessing threat intelligence value: - Relevance: Applicability to organisation's threat landscape - Accuracy: Correctness and reliability of information - Timeliness: Currency and freshness of intelligence - Confidence: Reliability and source credibility assessment
Source Assessment
Evaluating threat intelligence providers: - Track record and reputation assessment - Coverage and scope evaluation - Format and integration compatibility - Cost-benefit analysis and ROI evaluation
Threat Intelligence transforms cybersecurity from reactive response to proactive defence, enabling organisations to anticipate, prepare for, and defend against current and emerging threats. When integrated with machine learning and real-time response systems, it provides the context necessary for effective, automated security decision-making.