Cyber Security: Understanding Cyber Threat Intelligence
Cyber security involves the collection, evaluation, and analysis of cyber threat information, which then becomes cyber threat intelligence. The evaluation is done according to its source and reliability, whereas the scrutiny includes thorough and well-designed methods by professionals owning significant expertise as well as access to an abundance of information.
Similar to other forms of intelligence, cyber threat intelligence offers great value to cyber security data as it decreases dubiety for clients, while assisting them in the identification of risks and opportunities. The data cyber security intelligence offers allows analysts to determine resemblances and discrepancies in large amounts of data and uncover deceit to design precise and relevant intelligence.
Instead of being created through a comprehensive procedure, intelligence is developed via a circular process or intelligence cycle, where requisites are stated; data collection is strategized, applied, and assessed; the outcomes are studied to create intelligence; and the resulting intelligence is distributed and re-assessed with regard to new data and client feedback.
The research aspect of the cycle is what separated intelligence from data collection and distribution. Intelligence assessment depends on a thorough mindset that utilizes structured analytical methodologies to make sure doubts, perceptions, and preconceptions are determined and managed.
Rather than reaching straight to conclusions regarding complicated questions, intelligence professionals consider ways to reach inferences. This additional step plays an important role in reducing or including any biases or perceptions that the analysts may have, wherever considered necessary.
The circular nature of the process helps in the identification of loopholes in intelligence along with unaddressed queries, which calls for fresh collection requisites, thereby reinitiating the intelligence cycle. Those analyzing intelligence uncover the aforementioned loopholes during the analysis phase, whereas the distribution and re-assessment phase requires clients and analysts to identify the gaps in intelligence.
Analysis is a large part of cyber security threat intelligence, and it often revolves around three entities — threat actors, intent, and capacity. However, other aspects such as tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs), reasons, and admittance for the supposed objectives are also considered. Examining these three makes it possible to make educated, progressive, strategic, functional, and well thought out evaluations.
Strategic intelligence examines divergent pieces of data to create integrated views. It educates decision and policy makers regarding wide or long-term problems and/or gives a timely alert of potential security threats. This type of cyber security intelligence creates a general image of the objective and capacities of nefarious cyber threats.
This includes the participants, equipment, and TTPs, via the recognition of trends, patterns, and developing threats and cyber attacks. This is done to provide timely alerts to decision and policy makers.
Operational intelligence evaluates individual, potential occurrences connected to gatherings, searches, and/or tasks, and gives reflections that can steer and assist with response operations. Also known as technical cyber threat intelligence, it offers highly specialized, technically-focused, intelligence to help with the specific incident responses. This form of intelligence is typically connected with malware, threat hunting, and/or tools, and may be used through forensic reports.
Tactical intelligence assesses developments, investigations as well as tasks that take place in real time. It also offers operational assistance on a daily basis. This type of intelligence solution is useful for everyday activities and occurrences, like the indicators of compromise (compromise IOCs). Conventional intelligence analysis methodologies are seldom used in extracting this type of cyber security intelligence.
Several government entities and industrial fields have experienced the benefits of cyber threat intelligence, such as the CISOs or Chief Information Security Officers, policy and decision makers and police chiefs as well as IT professionals and law enforcement officers at various levels of power.
Moreover, it provides value to various specialists like security incharges, accounting professionals, and criminal as well as terrorism analysts. Cyber threat intelligence that’s applied properly can give significant details and insights and help with risk management, enabling a quicker, well-targeted response along with resource growth and distribution.
