Understanding Cyber Threat Intelligence: What It Is and Why It Matters

Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI) is a subsection of this cybersecurity realm that doesn’t get much attention, but it is critical for preventing and detecting cyber threats. Like the intelligence community, CTI collects, analyzes, and disseminates information about current and emerging cyber threats. It has an intelligence cycle of planning, collection, processing, analysis, dissemination, and feedback. The information can come from reliable sources such as open-source intelligence, log data, dark web, and classified information.

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Four distinctive types of CTI exist: tactical, operational, strategic, and technical. Tactical intelligence is short-term information that responds to immediate threats (e.g., malware signatures, IP addresses). Operational Intelligence deals with details about adversaries’ tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) and their current operations. Strategic intelligence is?a long-term trend and pattern in cyber threats, including geopolitical and economic factors influencing cyber threats. Finally, technical Intelligence addresses vulnerabilities, exploits, and technical aspects of threats.

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CTI plays a critical role in the success of a cybersecurity operation. When malware is introduced into a network, CTI can determine if this is an attack from a cybercriminal, a nation-state actor, or someone with malicious intent. It can even track down the person(s) responsible for the attack. CTI also manages a database of IoCs and other information that can help strengthen a company’s cyber defenses against future attacks. However, the most crucial aspect of a robust CTI unit is its ability to inform key stakeholders about current cybersecurity issues, empowering them to better protect their assets. Therefore, CTI is an indispensable part of every cybersecurity operation.?

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