Threat Intelligence

Threat intelligence refers to data collected about potential security threats that can inform an organization's understanding of cyber risks and protection strategies. 

As cyberattacks grow more frequent and complex, threat intelligence has become an increasingly vital component of security programs. Timely threat intelligence enables organizations to detect threats early, respond more effectively, and better allocate resources to secure critical assets.

Key Concepts

Definition

Threat intelligence incorporates analyzed data regarding emerging hazards, vulnerable systems, and the tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) of threat actors. It serves as evidence-based knowledge that provides context to enable better-informed security decisions.

Threat intelligence consists of four key attributes:

• Actionability - Directly applicable in detecting and averting threats
• Context - Insights into adversaries, their motives, and significance
• Specificity - Precise technical characteristics of threats
• Timeliness - Rapid delivery to those needing the intelligence

Purpose

The purpose of threat intelligence is to inform defensive strategies, improve detection capabilities, respond faster to confirmed threats, and predict likely future attack vectors. It serves as an early warning system regarding high-risk threats.

Specific goals encompassed within threat intelligence include:

• Identify active campaigns, threat groups, and new TTPs
• Reveal infrastructure/tools used by adversaries
• Uncover vulnerabilities targeted in the wild
• Enhance security monitoring for faster response
• Guide strategies to disrupt adversaries
• Provide decision support metrics for security investments

Relevance

Threat intelligence platforms integrate with security information and event management (SIEM) systems to enhance monitoring capabilities. The insights gained allow organizations to tailor responses to their unique risk profile based on the threats targeting their industry.

Components/Types

Threat intelligence informs security efforts at strategic, operational, and tactical levels:

• Strategic Threat Intelligence: Identification of long-term threats, targeted sectors, risk profiles. Helps guide budgeting, platform investments, staffing, and processes.
• Operational Threat Intelligence: Specific indicators of compromise, attacker TTPs, vulnerabilities. Improves situational awareness and response coordination.
• Tactical Threat Intelligence: Actionable threat data to intercept/prevent attacks. Drives immediate blocking, containment, and elimination actions by security teams.

Threat intelligence is also categorized into four main types based on analysis focus:

• Strategic: High-level assessments of threat actor motives, capabilities, and macro trends
• Technical: Deep-dive analysis of malware, exploits, infrastructure
• Operational: Insights into attackers’ TTPs and active campaigns
• Tactical: Specific indicators of compromise from incidents

Examples

• Strategic: Research determining healthcare sector faces elevated ransomware risks
• Technical: Malware reverse engineering revealing remote code execution vulnerabilities
• Operational: Report detailing latest phishing email lures used by advanced persistent threat (APT) groups
• Tactical: Hash values of malware variants gathered from infected networks

Importance in Cybersecurity

Threat intelligence helps identify:

• Active threats posing the greatest risk
• Critical vulnerabilities within the attack surface
• Gaps in detection capabilities

Without threat intelligence, organizations face much higher likelihood of breaches given limited resources and staffing. Substantial Time-to-Detect (TTD) advantages also go to attackers without intelligence informing defender visibility. Threat intelligence powers strategic planning and risk management based on validated threats and trends rather than assumptions. Enhanced awareness of cyber risk facilitates executive discussions and planning around:

• Optimal security architectures/controls fit to risk appetite
• Resource requirements for hardware, tools, and staffing
• Budget needed to manage risk vs. potential losses
• Insurance policies covering likely threat scenarios
• Incident response playbooks aligned to adversary behavior

Mitigation Strategies

Actionable threat intelligence leads to improved security through:

Risk-Based Budget Allocation

• Prioritize highest-probability threats in security programs
• Realign budgets to emerging threats

Enhanced Monitoring

• Expand detection rules based on latest attacker techniques
• Add new log sources in vulnerable areas

Improved Protection

• Eliminate detect gaps based on observed TTPs
• Update firewall rules/web filters for new infrastructure

Threat Hunting

• Proactively seek out signs of compromise per threat intelligence
• Detect active threats early in cyberattack sequence

Metrics Reporting

Quantifiable cybersecurity metrics help communicate program effectiveness and strategic progress to leadership teams and board directors. Threat intelligence informs helpful metrics reporting including:

Key Performance Indicators

• Percentage of detected threats mitigated
• Time from compromise to detection/response
• Percentage of infrastructure exposed to known threats

Key Risk Indicators

• Top threats ranked by severity
• Vulnerability trends quarter-over-quarter
• Percentage of risky users/assets

Best Practices

Effective use of threat intelligence involves:

• Continuous Updates: Maintain latest intel from both private and open-source feeds
• Correlate Threat Data: Link threat data with organizational event logs
• Promote Sharing: Ensure collaboration between security analysts and threat researchers
• Automate Dissemination: Distribute high-fidelity indicators across security controls
• Perform Gap Assessments: Use threat frameworks like MITRE ATT&CK to find detection gaps
• Intelligence-Driven Planning: Factor threat intelligence into risk management, budgeting, skill assessments, metrics reporting and more

Related Terms

• Cyber Threat Analysis - Assessment of tactics, infrastructure, and impact of threat actors
• ATT&CK Framework - Knowledge base of adversary enterprise TTPs
• Threat Modeling - Process determining application attack surface/vectors
• Threat Hunting - Proactive investigations aligned to threat intelligence
• Threat Actor - Person or group conducting malicious cyber activity
• TTPs (Tactics, Techniques, Procedures) - Methods used to conduct cyberattacks
• Indicators of Compromise - Signs of threat actor activity in networks
• Threat Feed - Machine-readable stream of threat indicators
• Threat Surface - Sum of vulnerabilities subject to cyberattack

Further Reading

• ENISA. (2017). Actionable Information for Security Incident Response [White paper]. 
• Mitre. (2022). MITRE ATT&CK Framework [Matrix]. 
• SANS Institute. (2019). Guide to Cyber Threat Intelligence [White paper].
• US DHS CISA. (2022). Cyber Threat Intelligence Guide [Web page].

Threat intelligence powers risk-based and intelligence-driven cybersecurity programs for organizations seeking to gain the upper hand over sophisticated, fast-moving threats. Transforming data into actionable threat insights better positions security teams to disrupt attacks and secure critical assets. With advanced persistent threats unlikely to dissipate anytime soon, threat intelligence will continue serving as a vital component of cyber defense.