Cyber threat intelligence

Cyber threat intelligence (CTI) is knowledge, skills and experience-based information concerning the occurrence and assessment of both cyber and physical threats and threat actors that is intended to help mitigate potential attacks and harmful events occurring in cyberspace. Cyber threat intelligence sources include open source intelligence, social media intelligence, human Intelligence, technical intelligence, device log files, forensically acquired data or intelligence from the internet traffic and data derived for the deep and dark web. In recent years, threat intelligence has become a crucial part of companies' cyber security strategy since it allows companies to be more proactive in their approach and determine which threats represent the greatest risks to a business. This puts companies on a more proactive front - actively trying to find their vulnerabilities and prevents hacks before they happen. This method is gaining importance in recent years since, as IBM estimates, the most common method companies are hack is via threat exploitation (47% of all attacks). Threat vulnerabilities have risen in recent years also due to the COVID-19 pandemic and more people working from home - which makes companies' data more vulnerable. Due to the growing threats on one hand, and the growing sophistication needed for threat intelligence, many companies have opted in recent years to outsource their threat intelligence activities to a managed security provider (MSSP). The process of developing cyber threat intelligence is a circular and continuous process, known as the intelligence cycle, which is composed of five phases, carried out by intelligence teams to provide to leadership relevant and convenient intelligence to reduce danger and uncertainty. The five phases are: 1) planning and direction; 2) collection; 3) processing; 4) analysis; 5) dissemination. In planning and directing, the customer of the intelligence product requests intelligence on a specific topic or objective.