Real-time cyber threat intelligence

Cyber threat intelligence (CTI) refers to the collection, analysis, and dissemination actionable information about potential or existing cyber threats that target an organization's digital assets. It enables organizations to proactively defend against cyberattacks and minimize their impact. CTI provides insights into the tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) of threat actors, allowing organizations to make proactive, informed decisions about their security posture and resource allocation.

CTI is not limited to technical indicators, such as IP addresses or malware signatures; it also encompasses contextual information, such as the motivations, targets, and capabilities of threat actors. By understanding the threat landscape and the specific threats targeting their organization, organizations can prioritize their security efforts and focus on the most critical risks.

The three main elements of CTI include:

1. Data Collection: This involves gathering threat data from diverse sources, including open-source information, proprietary feeds, threat sharing communities, and even data from internal logs.
2. Analysis: Once the data is collected, it needs to be processed, contextualized, and evaluated to determine its relevance, accuracy, and potential impact. This analysis transforms raw data into useful intelligence.
3. Dissemination: The intelligence must be communicated in a form that can be easily understood and acted upon by the intended audience. This can range from detailed technical reports for SOC teams to executive summaries for decision-makers.

The term deep web refers broadly to any internet content that is not indexed by search engines, requiring authentication to access. Most of the deep web is benign – yet personal – information, such as personal email threads, direct messages between friends on social messaging platforms, paid video subscription services, financial accounts, digital university libraries, and other protected sites that require a username and password for access. While deep web content requires authentication, it can be accessed through regular internet browsers like Safari, Firefox or Chrome.

The dark web, on the other hand, cannot be accessed by a regular web browser, and can only be accessed through a specific web browser (most commonly TOR & Freenet), which scrambles location and hides identity, using encryption to keep users anonymous. This emphasis on privacy and anonymity makes the dark web the perfect platform for anyone who seeks covert and unrestricted access to uncensored and unregulated information, such as whistle-blowers, journalists, political dissidents, and more.

Cyber Threat Intelligence is used by a wide range of stakeholders in an organization, from security analysts to executives. CTI is utilized to enhance detection and response capabilities, prioritize vulnerabilities, and proactively manage security risks. It empowers security operations centers (SOCs) with actionable insights to quickly identify threats, aids incident responders by providing context to ongoing incidents, and helps risk management teams understand emerging threats that could impact the organization.