Cyber threats are evolving at an unprecedented pace. Businesses are facing relentless attacks from cybercriminals using increasingly sophisticated techniques. Whether it’s phishing, ransomware, or supply chain compromise, no organization is out of danger.
This is where Cyber threat intelligence (CTI) plays a vital role. CTI helps organizations identify, analyze, and mitigate cyber threats before they cause significant damage. You can use CTI to take a proactive approach to cybersecurity, allowing you to strengthen your defences and respond more effectively to incidents.
What is CTI?
CTI is collecting, analyzing, and applying information about potential or existing cyber threats. It transforms raw threat data into actionable insights that help cybersecurity teams make informed decisions.
Key types of information used in CTI include:
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Indicators of compromise (IoCs): Artifacts left behind by cyberattacks, such as malicious IP addresses or domain names.
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Indicators of attack (IoAs): Behavioral patterns suggest imminent attacks.
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Tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs): The methods cybercriminals use to infiltrate and compromise systems.
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Threat attribution: The process of identifying the actors behind an attack.
The goal of CTI is to enhance cybersecurity by:
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Enabling early threat detection and prevention.
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Reducing attack surfaces by taking proactive defense measures.
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Enhancing incident response and analysis to minimize damage and allow faster recovery.
Types of CTI
Strategic
Executives and senior decision-makers use strategic CTI, which focuses on long-term threat trends, geopolitical risks, and emerging attack techniques.
For example, a financial institution can use strategic CTI to prepare for potential nation-state cyberattacks.
Tactical
Tactical CTI helps cybersecurity teams implement effective security measures. It provides intelligence on attack methodologies and best practices for countering them.
For example, the MITRE ATT&CK framework can be used to model cybercriminals’ tactics and develop methods to stop them.
Operational
Operational CTI delivers real-time information about active threats and attack campaigns to help organizations defend themselves proactively.
For example, solutions that monitor compromised credentials can form part of your operational CTI. They alert you when a password belonging to someone in your organization has been leaked. This means you can block the password before cybercriminals try to use it against you.
Technical
Technical CTI includes technical indicators such as malicious IPs, malware hashes, and phishing domains. Analysts in security operations centers (SOCs) use technical CTI to fine-tune security measures, for example, by identifying a phishing website that mimics a company’s login page so that they can warn employees.
Where CTI comes from
The primary sources of CTI are:
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Open-source Intelligence (OSINT): Publicly available information from security blogs, social media, forums, and research reports. For example, Shodan can be used to identify exposed devices that are vulnerable to cyberattacks.
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Human Intelligence (HUMINT): Intelligence gathered from security researchers, informants, and cybersecurity experts, such as undercover operations in hacker forums, to study emerging threats.
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Technical Intelligence (TECHINT): Machine-generated intelligence from honeypot decoy infrastructure, malware analysis, and network traffic logs. For example, detecting a new malware strain through sandbox testing.
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Social Media Intelligence (SOCMINT): Insights from social media platforms and forums about emerging cyber threats. For example, monitoring Telegram and Twitter for ransomware gang announcements.
CTI is key to proactive cyber security
In today’s cyber threat landscape, a proactive approach to security is vital. Investing in CTI-driven security solutions can help your organization to anticipate, detect, and neutralize threats before they cause harm.
