What to Look for in a Threat Intelligence Solution
Although threatintelligence is a necessary element of any cybersecurity approach to limit risk, make sure the system you implement is adequate for your requirements. Regardless of the size or nature of your organization, there are a few components of a threat intelligence solution you will need to have in place to contain risk.
Simplified access to diverse data
The more raw datafrom a variety of sources, the better, as each data collection point in a threat history dataset, if they come from the right sources, can be used to defend against a bad actor. Therefore, the more you have, the stronger your defenses will be. You will also need threat intelligence and analysis that incorporates machine learning capabilities because this directly impacts the size and quantity of your datasets.
Machine-learning capabilities
Machine learning has the ability to recognize patterns and use these in a threat intelligence solution to predict threats before they hit your network. Those in charge of IT security can leverage machine learning-generated datasets to detect and then evaluate a wide array of dangers, including advanced persistent threats (APTs), malware, ransomware, and zero-day threats, adding practicality to their threat intelligence.
Automated action
A cyberthreat intelligence program must incorporate automated responses to threats. Automation can serve several purposes. Automating threat intelligence data collection and detection relieves IT security teams of responsibilities involving targeting and logging every threat that engages the attack surface. Moreover, when cyber strategic intelligence incorporates automated action steps once a threat has been identified, the network and its connected devices are better protected.
While some threat behavior analysis is best done using human problem-solving and creative thinking, threats can be automatically contained and eliminated by the intelligence system. With the intelligence system, you can also automate measures to shield the rest of the network from the threat, such as malware analysis within a sandboxed environment.
Cross-industry support
While nothing can—or should—eliminate the competitive element within each industry vertical, in many ways, cyber threat intelligence security is a team effort on the part of the multiple analysts. A comprehensive cyber threat intelligence and analysis solution incorporates insights from various professionals and organizations within your industry, as well as within the cyber threat intelligence community.
Information regarding the types of landscape threats and how they behave can be shared, and a cyber threat intelligence program should incorporate this crucial information. Also, some threats are more likely to impact some industries than others. Therefore, within your specific industry, there should be information concerning the latest attacks, the malicious actors and software responsible, and how they have been defeated in the past.
A cyber threat intelligence professional may also have access to data regarding how these threats have impacted similar businesses, including how much downtime has resulted from a successful attack and the financial impact on the organization.
Speed
The speed at which a cyber threat intelligence program reacts to threats is a crucial factor in its success and an important factor in the efficiency of the intelligence lifecycle. A matter of minutes can make the difference between an expensive attack and a minor disturbance when tactical intelligence is properly leveraged. With a fast response, a threat can be detected and analyzed for intelligence info. Threat intelligence data regarding its behavior can be quickly put to work to prevent the next attack.
However, speed should not be used as an excuse to justify poor performance. A fast response also has to be an accurate one. Therefore, an adequate cyber threat intelligence system can filter out false alarms and identify threats with a lower likelihood of causing significant damage.
Ease of integration
Integrating a cyber threat intelligence system should be simple and easy to execute. While meeting the needs of each organization certainly takes time and careful thought, the cybersecurity infrastructure should integrate well with your network.
Ideally, all cyber threat intelligence data collection should be accessible via a single dashboard. If the dashboard is customizable, administrators can dictate who has access to what. Integration is also easier if the threat intelligence system is ready, out of the box, with infrastructure that enables it to cover common devices, making it a valuable tool virtually right away.
What Organizations are Getting Wrong about Cyber Threat Intelligence
Understanding the value to their business
Even though threat intelligence focuses on important business problems, it is easy for decision-makers to underestimate its value. This is often due not to a lack of comprehension on the part of stakeholders but insufficient explanation and presentation on the part of the cybersecurity team. A cyber threat analysis presentation can easily devolve into a showy and confusing display of graphics and statistics, losing its teeth along the way.
To prevent this kind of misunderstanding, it is crucial for the threat analysis team to outline the specific business problems that arise due to the threats described during the dissemination phase. Also, action steps should be detailed, including how they may benefit the business’s bottom line.
The wrong feed
Because there are so many feeds to choose from in a threat analysis system, it can be easy to pick one that is not relevant to your business. It is important to identify the best feed for your operation. This is often similar to the feed other businesses in your sector and of similar size use, but your infrastructure or products and services may sometimes require a different feed than very similar businesses.
Also, keep in mind that if your attack surface includes the personal data of specific executives or others in your company, a different feed may be necessary than if you were only trying to protect your digital assets, for instance. There are many factors that will determine how you choose your feed, but with careful planning, you can make the right choice.
