Cyber threat intelligence: All you need to know

Introduction

Cyber threat intelligence is the eventual outcome of cyber threat analysis. Threat intelligence services offer a collection of information, and actionable insights that can be utilised by enterprises to act and guard against cyber dangers. 
Businesses may gain access to enormous threat databases and enhance the effectiveness of their solutions by leveraging cyber threat intelligence. At the end of the day, security solutions are only as effective as the threat intelligence that supports them.

Predictions for implementation of Cyber Security in the future

• Exploiting unencrypted flaws within systems is one of the key points of entry utilised by malicious hackers. According to a Ponemon Institute survey, 70 percent of breaches in 2021 were caused by unpatched vulnerabilities. As a response, patch management services have become a hot topic among C-suite executives. In a nutshell, patch management is the process of finding, prioritising, remediating, and reporting security vulnerabilities in systems on a continual basis. 
• According to a Sonatype analysis from 2021, supply chain attacks against open-source software increased by 650 percent. It doesn't matter how strong your security programme is if your vendor has been hacked in this type of assault. Supply chain attacks will continue to be a big concern to businesses in the future. Implementing Zero Trust Architecture is one approach to minimise these attacks.

What is cyber threat intelligence?

Threat intelligence, also known as cyber threat intelligence, is information that an enterprise uses to better understand the threats existing as well as potential ones and take necessary actions. 

Businesses can utilise threat intelligence to gather relevant information about these threats, build effective defensive systems, and mitigate risks that could adversely affect their bottom line and reputation. 

As focused threats necessitate targeted defences, cyber threat intelligence provides the capacity to defend more proactively. While the potential of cyber threat intelligence is intriguing in and of itself, it is critical to understand how it works so you can select the best cyber threat tools and solutions to safeguard your business.

The threat landscape is continually evolving, and organisations are under increasing pressure to manage security vulnerabilities. Threat intelligence feeds can help with this by identifying common indications of compromise (IOC) and advising on how to avoid an attack.

Benefits of cyber threat intelligence

Threat intelligence cyber security, when properly deployed, can assist in achieving the following goals:

• Cyber Threat Intelligence detects possible dangers to an organisation's security and details which threats require immediate attention, assisting the security team in effectively preparing. 
• CTI alerts businesses to any potential vulnerabilities in their cybersecurity systems, allowing them to take immediate action to prevent hackers from exploiting those flaws. The risk of data loss is reduced as a result, and day-to-day operations can continue as usual.
• CTI protects your company from data breaches by rigorously checking for any suspicious links, sites, or IP addresses attempting to access your network. If a suspicious IP address is discovered, the threat intelligence cyber security system will block it from entering your network, preventing data loss.

Types of cyber threat intelligence

There are three tiers of cyber threat intelligence: strategic, tactical, and operational.

• Strategic - Threat intelligence for strategic purposes is non-technical. Its purpose is to offer insight into the threats landscape's trends and reasons. Strategic CTI elucidates the motivations and reasons behind assaults, focusing on determining who is behind certain threats or campaigns and why they are engaged in a specific company or industry vertical.
• Tactical - Tactical CTI aids in determining how and where attacks will occur. Threat actors’ Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTP) are monitored to better comprehend the intricacies of cyberattacks.
• Operational - Machine-readable data makes up the majority of operational intelligence (IOCs). Its applications include everything from preventing assaults to triaging and validating alarms to searching for and removing specific dangers from a network. In most cases, IOCs become obsolete in a couple of hours. However, it's vital to remember that ageing indications aren't a smart idea because threats might remain active for months or even years, posing a hazard to businesses.

Cyber threat intelligence lifecycle

Direction, collecting, processing, analysis, dissemination, and feedback are the six steps of the cyber threat intelligence lifecycle.

Direction

The threat intelligence lifecycle's direction phase relates to the threat intelligence program's goals, which include identifying and asserting the corporate assets and processes that must be protected. 

Studying the effects of asset loss or process interruption, as well as the type of threat intelligence that a business requires, are among the other objectives. Once the intelligence requirements have been defined, a company can formulate queries that will drive the need for information as needed.

Related Read: Threat management platform: Everything you want to know

Collection

The process of gathering information to meet important intelligence requirements is known as collection. Information can be gathered in a variety of ways, including extracting logs and information from security devices and internal networks, subscribing to various threat data feeds, and contacting informed sources. In most cases, the information gathered is a mix of polished and raw data.

Processing

Processing is the process of converting acquired data into a format that organisations can use. All of the collected raw data must be processed, either by humans or by machines. For various collection methods, organisations use various processing strategies.

Also Read: Cyber security in 2022: Everything you need to know

Analysis

The process of converting processed data into intelligence for decision-making is referred to as analysis. 

Investigating a potential danger, taking actions to block an attack, enhancing threat intelligence to uncover meaningful and relevant data, reinforcing security controls, and more are all part of the decision-making process. 

The format is crucial when presenting the information. It's meaningless to deliver information in a format that the decision-maker doesn't understand. Some threat intelligence reports may require distinct formats to appeal to different audiences.

Dissemination

Threat intelligence can help diverse teams in any cybersecurity firm. Dissemination is the process of delivering completed intelligence products to organisations that require it.

Feedback

Understanding the intelligence goals and requirements of the teams who will consume threat intelligence is critical. Constant input is required throughout the threat intelligence lifecycle to understand the needs of security teams. Receiving feedback aids in the production of precise intelligence by allowing for fast judgements.

Keep your business protected with our cyber security solutions

Upgrading your cybersecurity can be costly, but with finances tightening as a result of the pandemic and other economic concerns, this can be an overwhelming challenge. With Tata Communications Managed Security Services, you can reduce complexity, manage cyber threats, and improve your cyber security maturity.