Guide for Choosing the Right Threat Intelligence Platform

Cyber threat intelligence in 2024 once again showed how cybercriminals are able to adapt at lighting speed
to current news, so the topic of cyber security gains more popularity and significance.

What Is Cyber Threat Intelligence?

Cyber threat intelligence (CTI) is crucial for organizations because it provides critical insights into potential threats, enabling them to:

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Overall, CTI is essential for organizations to stay ahead of the ever-evolving threat landscape and safeguard their valuable assets.

Along with the new unique capabilities of the rapidly developing information technologies, there are increasingly serious challenges and cyber security threats that are of a global, cross-border nature. Attackers use the pandemic to their advantage to intrude systems and databases around the world. Many ransomware attacks have resulted in data breaches as cybercriminals raise their bids and sell sensitive data regardless of whether the victim has paid the ransom.

Scattered phishing emails and random malware quickly escalated into an avalanche of thousands of malicious URLs and serious threats. Malicious COVID-19 campaigns are characterized by the use of pandemic-related topics, including testing, treatment, and telecommuting. The cybercriminals used the people's need for information about the new virus as a breach, thanks to which it is possible to gain access to information and its processing systems around the world. Also, during the coronavirus spread, employees working from home became the main target of hackers. To protect their workers, companies have challenged security teams to develop an effective remote work model that didn't exist before the pandemic.

Why Cyber Threat Intelligence Is Important?

Cyber Threat Intelligence continues to be of utmost importance. In 2024, there was a trend towards a change in the information security model for critical infrastructure facilities. More and more companies are coming to understand that building completely invulnerable is almost impossible. Statistics show that any security systems have either already been attacked or may become victims with an increasing probability.

That is why it is of great importance to detect the attack and the attacker as quickly as possible, to narrow the window of his opportunities so that he does not have time to cause irreparable harm. In this regard, there is an increase in the demand for highly intelligent security tools that allow solving problems of timely detection of cyberattacks and incidents.

What Is a Cyber Threat Intelligence Platform?

A Threat Intelligence Platform (TIP) is a centralized system designed to collect, analyze, and distribute threat intelligence data. It acts as a hub for gathering information from various sources, such as open-source feeds, dark web monitoring, internal security systems, and threat intelligence sharing platforms.

Key functionalities of a TIP typically include:

• Data ingestion: Collecting threat intelligence data from diverse sources.
• Data analysis: Processing and analyzing the collected data to identify patterns, trends, and indicators of compromise (IOCs).
• Threat correlation: Relating different pieces of threat intelligence to create a comprehensive picture of potential threats.
• Threat prioritization: Ranking threats based on their severity, likelihood, and potential impact on the organization.
• Threat dissemination: Sharing threat intelligence information with relevant teams and stakeholders within the organization.
• Integration: Connecting with other security tools and systems to automate threat response and prevention processes.

By providing a unified view of the threat landscape, a TIP helps organizations stay informed, make informed security decisions, and proactively protect themselves from cyberattacks.

Why Choose a Cyber Threat Intelligence Platform?

A cyber threat intelligence platform is a powerful tool that can significantly enhance an organization's security posture. Here are the key benefits of it:

Proactive Threat Detection

• Early Warning Signs: By continuously monitoring the threat landscape, these platforms can identify potential threats before they materialize.
• Rapid Response: Early detection allows for swift response and mitigation of risks.

Informed Decision-Making

• Data-Driven Insights: Threat intelligence platforms provide valuable insights into the tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) used by cybercriminals.
• Strategic Planning: This information can help organizations develop effective security strategies and allocate resources efficiently.

Improved Incident Response

• Faster Incident Handling: By correlating threat intelligence with security events, organizations can accelerate incident response times.
• Enhanced Effectiveness: Threat intelligence can help identify the root cause of attacks and implement targeted countermeasures.

Enhanced Security Posture

• Risk Prioritization: By understanding the most critical threats, organizations can prioritize security efforts and allocate resources effectively.
• Vulnerability Management: Threat intelligence can help identify and address vulnerabilities before they are exploited.

Compliance and Regulatory Adherence

• Industry Standards: Many industries have specific security compliance standards, such as HIPAA, PCI DSS, and GDPR.
• Regulatory Compliance: Threat intelligence platforms can help organizations meet these standards by providing the necessary information and tools.

How Cyber Threat Intelligence Platform Works?

The methodology for assessing the cybersecurity threats to infrastructure is aimed at identifying risks, analyzing them quantitatively, ranking the objects under consideration according to established criteria, as well as indicators of certain types of risks. This method contains recommendations on risk description, qualitative and quantitative assessment, choice of assessment scales, and ranking of information objects. The technique includes 3 main stages:

• Description of risks;
• Qualitative risk assessment;
• Ranking of objects.

To support the method, a cyber threat intelligent platform for analyzing and assessing the risks of breaching the cyber security of critical infrastructure is being developed.

ImmuniWeb Discovery makes a complete inventory of all information assets of the company that can be under a threat and allows you to get a helicopter view of all your IT infrastructure. Learn more with ImmuniWeb Discovery

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Cyber Threat Intelligence solves the following tasks:

• Establishing context;
• Conducting a security audit, including questionnaires, identifying cyber vulnerabilities in the assets, assets valuation, identifying threats, identifying typical attack vectors.
• Formation of scenario concepts.

At the stage of cyber threat analysis, context is established. It includes description of the main characteristics of the object under consideration, identification and description of the information system assets which is also called Application Discovery. An early-stage security audit of an enterprise consists of identifying critical components and identifying existing vulnerabilities. The cyber threats intelligent in a system is carried out using the production expert system that is part of it.

Next, lists of critical assets and identified vulnerabilities are formed, the corresponding cyber threats, as well as typical attack vectors, which are a chain of vulnerabilities, threats, and target assets. On the basis of the result obtained, concepts and connections between them are formed for further scenario building.

Risk is considered as a combination of the consequences of an incident and the associated possibility of occurrence in accordance with the international standard concerning methods and means of ensuring security and risk management. The risks of implementing threat chains leading to an extreme situation are assessed by both qualitative and quantitative methods.

The risk assessment allows you to determine the list of critical assets in order to further justify the financial costs of ensuring security. Risk assessment is carried out taking into account the established assessment criteria.

The stage of ranking objects according to the established criteria and risk levels occurs in accordance with the magnitude of the risks of an extreme situation, covering a certain group of information assets in their relationship with other infrastructure objects, information about which is included in the scenario as concepts of consequences, external threats or factors.

Using Cyber Threat Intelligence Together with Other Tools

The task of analyzing vulnerabilities has the utmost importance. At the same time, in 2024, there was a tendency to change the model of ensuring information security of critical infrastructure facilities. More and more companies are coming to understand that building completely invulnerable defenses is almost impossible. Statistics show that any security systems have either already been attacked or may become victims with an increasing probability.

Read our research “The State of Application Security at Financial Times FT 500 Largest Companies” for the explicit statistics.

It is very important to detect the attack and the attacker in the system as soon as possible, to narrow the window of his possibilities so that he does not have time to cause irreparable harm. It can be achieved with the help of continuous security monitoring of your systems.

Cybercriminals are coming up with ever more sophisticated attack options. Remote work creates opportunities for this and requires new security measures from companies. Cyber threat intelligence demonstrates the importance of developing cybersecurity, whether employees work in the office or at home. The right mix must be found between technology and digital user education.

Due to the fact that the probable growth of global challenges in the field of cybersecurity requires additional mechanisms of protection, it is logical to predict the rise of importance of Cyber Threat Intelligence in the near future.

Key Considerations for Choosing a Cyber Threat Intelligence Platform

So how to choose a threat intelligence platform? When selecting a threat intelligence platform (TIP), it's crucial to consider several factors to ensure it aligns with your organization's specific needs and enhances your overall security posture. Here are some key considerations:

1. Data Sources and Quality

• Diverse Data Sources: The platform should leverage a wide range of sources, including threat feeds, dark web intelligence, social media, and open-source intelligence.
• Data Quality and Accuracy: The platform should have robust data validation and filtering processes to ensure accurate and reliable information.
• Real-time Updates: Timely updates are essential to stay ahead of emerging threats.

2. Threat Intelligence Types

• Tactical Intelligence: This focuses on current threats and incidents, providing actionable insights for immediate response.
• Operational Intelligence: This analyzes threat trends and patterns to identify potential future risks.
• Strategic Intelligence: This provides long-term insights into the threat landscape and helps shape your organization's overall security strategy.

3. Threat Modeling and Risk Assessment

• Advanced Analytics: The platform should use advanced analytics techniques to identify and prioritize threats based on their potential impact.
• Risk Scoring: It should provide a clear and consistent way to score and prioritize threats.
• Customizable Threat Models: The ability to customize threat models to match your specific organization and industry is crucial.

4. Integration Capabilities

• Seamless Integration: The cyber threat intelligence platform should integrate seamlessly with your existing security infrastructure, including SIEM, SOAR, and endpoint security solutions.
• API Integration: Robust API capabilities allow for automation and customization.
• Alerting and Notification: The platform should provide timely alerts and notifications for critical threats.

5. User Interface and Experience

• Intuitive Interface: A user-friendly interface can significantly improve adoption and effectiveness.
• Customizable Dashboards: The ability to create custom dashboards allows users to tailor the information to their specific needs.
• Reporting and Analytics: Comprehensive reporting and analytics capabilities can help track trends, measure the impact of threat intelligence, and identify areas for improvement.

6. Security and Compliance

• Data Privacy and Security: The platform should adhere to strict security standards to protect sensitive information.
• Compliance Certifications: Compliance with relevant industry standards (e.g., ISO 27001, SOC 2) ensures data security and privacy.

7. Vendor Support and Services

• Responsive Support: Reliable and timely technical support is essential.
• Training and Documentation: Comprehensive training and documentation can help users maximize the platform's value.
• Regular Updates and Enhancements: The vendor should continuously improve the platform to address evolving threats and customer needs.

By carefully considering these factors, you can select a cyber threat intelligence platform that empowers your organization to proactively defend against cyber threats and protect your valuable assets.

ImmuniWeb® Discovery reduces complexity and costs of cybersecurity compliance via continuous discovery of your external digital assets and attack surface enhanced with proactive dark web monitoring. Learn more with ImmuniWeb Discovery

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