Gathering threat intelligence involves collecting information about potential and existing cyber threats from various internal and external sources.
Websites: Monitor cybersecurity news websites, blogs, forums, and social media platforms for information about emerging threats, vulnerabilities, and cyberattacks.
Publicly available reports: Access reports from cybersecurity research firms, government agencies, and industry organizations that provide insights into the latest cyber threats, attack trends, and malware campaigns.
Security blogs and forums: Follow security researchers, analysts, and experts who share insights, analysis, and observations about cyber threats and security incidents.
Closed-Source Intelligence (CSINT):
Commercial threat intelligence feeds: Subscribe to commercial threat intelligence services that provide curated feeds of indicators of compromise (IOCs), threat actor profiles, and actionable intelligence tailored to your organization’s industry, geography, and threat landscape.
Security vendors and partners: Collaborate with security vendors, managed security service providers (MSSPs), and industry partners to access proprietary threat intelligence data, threat feeds, and threat research reports.
Technical Intelligence (TECHINT):
Network logs and traffic analysis: Analyze network traffic logs, firewall logs, DNS logs, and other network telemetry data to identify suspicious or anomalous activity indicative of cyber threats, such as malware infections, command and control (C2) communications, or data exfiltration.
Endpoint detection tools: Use endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions to monitor endpoints for signs of compromise, malicious activity, and behavioral anomalies, such as fileless malware, lateral movement, or privilege escalation.
Security appliances: Leverage security appliances, such as intrusion detection systems (IDS), intrusion prevention systems (IPS), and web application firewalls (WAF), to detect and block known threats and malicious traffic.
Human Intelligence (HUMINT):
Incident responders and threat hunters: Tap into the expertise of your organization’s incident response team, threat hunters, security analysts, and cybersecurity professionals who possess specialized knowledge and skills to investigate and analyze cyber threats.
Information sharing communities: Participate in information sharing and analysis centers (ISACs), threat intelligence sharing platforms, and industry-specific forums where organizations exchange threat intelligence, share insights, and collaborate on cybersecurity issues.
Regulatory and Government Sources:
Government agencies: Monitor cybersecurity advisories, alerts, and publications from government agencies such as the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) for information about critical vulnerabilities, cyber threats, and best practices for securing systems.
Regulatory bodies: Stay informed about regulatory requirements, industry guidelines, and compliance frameworks related to cybersecurity, data protection, and privacy, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
By leveraging these diverse sources of threat intelligence, organizations can gather comprehensive insights into the cyber threat landscape, identify potential risks, and take proactive measures to protect against cyber threats effectively.
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