Integrate Threat Intelligence into Your Security Operations


Ensure that your security operations are informed by actionable intelligence.

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Major Business Pain Points

  • Organizations have limited visibility into their threat landscape, and as such are vulnerable to the latest attacks, hindering business practices, workflow, revenue generation, and damaging their public image.
  • Organizations are developing ad hoc intelligence capabilities that result in operational inefficiencies, the misalignment of resources, and the misuse of their security technology investments.
  • It is difficult to communicate the value of a threat intelligence solution when trying to secure organizational buy-in and the appropriate resourcing.
  • There is a vast array of “intelligence” in varying formats, often resulting in information overload.
Integrate Threat Intelligence into Your Security Operations-Pain Points

Recommendations

Key Points

  • Information alone is not actionable. A successful threat intelligence program contextualizes threat data, aligns intelligence with business objectives, and then builds processes to satisfy those objectives.
  • Your security controls are diminishing in value (if they haven’t already). As technology in the industry evolves, threat actors will inevitably adopt new tools, tactics, and procedures; a threat intelligence program can provide relevant situational awareness to stay on top of the rapidly evolving threat landscape.
  • Your organization might not be the final target, but it could be a primary path for attackers. If you exist as a third-party partner to another organization, your responsibility in your technology ecosystem extends beyond your own product/service offerings. Threat intelligence provides visibility into the latest threats, which can help you avoid becoming a backdoor in the next big data breach.
Integrate Threat Intelligence into Your Security Operations-Recommendations

Approach

  • Assess the needs and intelligence requirements of key stakeholders.
  • Garner organizational buy-in from senior management.

  • Identify organizational intelligence gaps and structure your efforts accordingly.

  • Understand the different collection solutions to identify which best supports your needs.

  • Optimize the analysis process by leveraging automation and industry best practices.

  • Establish a comprehensive threat knowledge portal.
  • Define critical threat escalation protocol.
  • Produce and share actionable intelligence with your constituency.
  • Create a deployment strategy to roll out the threat intelligence program.
  • Integrate threat intelligence within your security operations.

Methodology and Tools

Executive Brief

Read the concise Executive Brief to find out why you should implement a threat intelligence program and review the methodology.

  • Integrate Threat Intelligence into Your Security Operations – Executive Brief
  • Integrate Threat Intelligence into Your Security Operations – Phases 1-4

1. Plan for a threat intelligence program

Assess current capabilities and define an ideal target state.

  • Integrate Threat Intelligence into Your Security Operations – Phase 1: Plan for a Threat Intelligence Program
  • Security Pressure Posture Analysis Tool
  • Threat Intelligence Maturity Assessment Tool
  • Threat Intelligence Project Charter Template
  • Threat Intelligence RACI Tool
  • Threat Intelligence Management Plan Template
  • Threat Intelligence Policy Template

2. Design an intelligence collection strategy

Understand the different collection solutions to identify which best supports needs.

  • Integrate Threat Intelligence into Your Security Operations – Phase 2: Design an Intelligence Collection Strategy
  • Threat Intelligence Prioritization Tool
  • Threat Intelligence RFP MSSP Template

3. Optimize the intelligence analysis process

Begin analyzing and acting on gathered intelligence.

  • Integrate Threat Intelligence into Your Security Operations – Phase 3: Optimize the Intelligence Analysis Process
  • Threat Intelligence Malware Runbook Template

4. Design a collaboration and feedback program

Stand up an intelligence dissemination program.

  • Integrate Threat Intelligence into Your Security Operations – Phase 4: Design a Collaboration and Feedback Program
  • Threat Intelligence Alert Template
  • Threat Intelligence Alert and Briefing Cadence Schedule Template

All resources on this page are provided to Cyber Leadership Hub members under license from third parties including Info-Tech Research Group Inc, a global leader in providing IT research and advice.