What is cyber threat intelligence?
Cyber Threat intelligence, also known as cyber security intelligence, is evidence-based data about criminal activity that targets an organisation’s networks, devices, applications, and data. It provides businesses with a better understanding of past, present, and future cyber threats. Mechanisms, context, implications, indicators, and actionable advice about emerging or existing threats to information assets are all included.
Cyber Threat intelligence data can help businesses determine which of their cyber assets are most vulnerable to attack and where the impact of an attack would be most severe. It provides businesses with the knowledge they need to know what data assets to protect, how to protect them, and which mitigating tools to use. Threat intelligence provides the context for accurate, relevant, actionable, timely, as well as informed decision-making.
Cyber Threat intelligence is a simple concept to grasp. However, gathering and analysing the necessary information is far more difficult. The sheer number of threats that could compromise or cripple enterprise information technology can be overwhelming. Some of the context threat intelligence gathers include your vulnerabilities, who is attacking you, what their motivation is, what capabilities they have, how much damage they can inflict on your information assets, as well as what indicators of compromise you should be on the lookout for.
Types of Cyber Threat Intelligence
Cyber threat intelligence comes in many forms and can be divided into three categories: strategic, tactical, and operational. Each type of threat intelligence has its own distinct purpose and application, and when combined, they can provide organisations with a comprehensive overview of the threats they face.
Strategic Threat Intelligence (STI)
Long-term planning and identifying broad trends are central to strategic threat intelligence (STI). It can be used to assess an organisation’s overall risk posture and to develop risk-mitigation strategies. This type of intelligence assists organisations in identifying potential threats and vulnerabilities, as well as understanding adversaries’ motivations and capabilities. Organisations can develop countermeasures and reduce the consequences of future attacks by understanding current and future threats. For example, if strategic threat intelligence indicates that attacks against your industry are increasing, you may decide to invest in additional security measures or employee training. White papers, briefings, and reports are common forms of strategic cyber threat intelligence. The C-suite and board members are the primary audience.
Tactical Threat Intelligence(TTI)
Tactical threat intelligence (TTI) is the collection and analysis of information about potential threats to an organisation in order to identify and mitigate those threats. It is more immediate and actionable than strategic intelligence. Effective TTI necessitates a thorough understanding of the adversary’s capabilities and intentions, as well as the operating environment. It also necessitates the continuous collection and analysis of data from various sources, both human and technical.
TTI is typically used to assist specific operations or investigations, and it can be customised to meet the needs of a team or an individual. For example, if you’re investigating a possible phishing attack, tactical intelligence can aid you in comprehending the attackers’ methods and motivations, as well as the best ways to defend against them. In a nutshell, it helps to figure out the how and where of attacks.
Operational Threat Intelligence(OTI)
The most useful real-time information for responding to active threats is operational threat intelligence (OTI). It can be used to track adversary movements and respond quickly to avert an attack. This type of intelligence is critical for quickly identifying and responding to threats. It can assist organisations in understanding their adversaries’ motivations and capabilities, as well as their likely next steps. This intelligence can be used to strengthen security, defend against attacks, and investigate incidents.
The majority of OTI is made up of machine-readable data, also recognised as indicators of compromise (IOCs). It is made up of URLs, hashes, domain names, IP addresses, and so on. Its applications include everything from blocking attacks to triaging alerts as well as searching for threats within a network. It is most effectively consumed through tools such as firewalls, IDS/IPS, SIEMs, TIPs, and SOARs.
About DriveIt
The most complete cyber security services are provided by DriveIT Technologies in India. We turn cybersecurity problems into ground-breaking answers that satisfy the demands of our clients. Working closely with our clients to safeguard and optimise their vital IT infrastructure is one of our main strategies.
The client will be able to successfully manage their core businesses thanks to our assistance in making sure that their IT infrastructure is secure, redundant, dependable, and recoverable. In a world where threats are constantly changing, cyber threats can have detrimental effects on your company. By using reliable cyber threat intelligence, you can lower the risks that could damage your reputation and finances.
