Malware is a tool that an enemy uses, but the real threat is people. So, cyber threat intelligence focuses on empowering and training people to defend against these flexible and persistent individuals who pose a threat. During a targeted attack, an organization needs a high-quality, cutting-edge threat-hunting or incident response team equipped with threat intelligence to know how the attackers work and how to stop them. So read on and learn more about, cyber threat intelligence, cyber threat intelligence analysts, analyst salary, their tools, and their training.
Cyber Threat Intelligence
This is a dynamic, adaptable technology that uses big data about past threats to stop and fix future attacks on a network before they happen. Cyber threat intelligence is an important part of security architecture, but it is not a solution in and of itself. Since threats change over time, security solutions are only as good as the intelligence they use.
Using threat intelligence, you receive knowledge that allows you to prevent or mitigate network threats. The cyber threat intelligence system is built on the collection of hard, actionable threat data, such as who or what is attacking your network, why they have chosen you as a target, and how to detect signals that your system has been infiltrated. The IT team, analysts, and administrators aren’t the only ones who can benefit from cyber intelligence and analysis. The whole organization can benefit from a threat intelligence system that is thorough and driven to take action.
Cyber Threat Intelligence Analyst
A cyber threat intelligence analyst identifies cyber threats and malware and assesses the level of threat in order to advise corporate decisions regarding cybersecurity. They must understand which cybersecurity threats pose the greatest concern to the organization, which assets must be secured, and how to prioritize threats in order to prioritize their efforts.
This is not an entry-level job; you need to know both cybersecurity and computer networking.. Even though threat intelligence analysts don’t directly work on IT infrastructure, having worked as a network administrator or network engineer in the past helps them understand threats better. A cyber threat intelligence analyst may also be in charge of:
- Predicting cybercrime trends based on present activity
- Explaining threats to stakeholders and executives in layman’s terms
- Analyzing emails, blog postings, and social media profiles in depth to establish the amount of threat posed by something or someone
Analysts in cyber threat intelligence must be skilled in analytics. This employment varies from in-house positions to consultant work. The position of a threat intelligence analyst, in whatever capacity the organization has employed one, is critical. Threat intelligence analysts are responsible for three things: technical research, intelligence research, and disseminating the findings to the appropriate parties. Analysts of cyberthreat intelligence may be part of an in-house team or employed by a managed service provider (MSP) that offers cybersecurity services to clients.
How to Become a Threat Intelligence Analyst
Most firms seeking a cyber threat intelligence analyst have a bachelor’s degree in computer science, cybersecurity, programming, or a related profession. But if you have several years of experience, this may not be necessary.
Threat intelligence analysts require a “very particular set of skills,” to quote Liam Neeson in Taken. They must maintain attention, manage a large workload, and understand when to pursue something and when to let it go. Threat intelligence analysts will encounter false positives; therefore, they must persevere and avoid becoming discouraged.
As mentioned above, threat intelligence analysts also need to be good at analyzing data and have experience with computer networking. They also need to be able to explain their findings to people who aren’t tech-savvy and make suggestions to help businesses make decisions. They also have to try to figure out what a threat actor might do next by thinking one step ahead of them. Knowing other languages can also help when looking for global threats.
The following certificates can verify the necessary skills for becoming a threat intelligence analyst:
- CompTIA Network+
- CompTIA Security+
- CompTIA Cybersecurity (CySA+)
- CompTIA PenTest+ Examination
- Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
- Global Information Assurance Certification (GIAC)
- Offensive Security Certified Professional (OSCP)
- Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)
Cyber Threat Intelligence Analyst Salary
In comparison to earnings for other positions within the larger field of cyber security, the salary for a cyber threat intelligence analyst is significantly higher. Thus, according to the salary comparison website PayScale, the annual salary for a cyber threat intelligence analyst is an average of $74,262 dollars. The highest-earning 10% of people in this position earn an average of $107,000 each year.
The total income of an individual is subject to change from a number of different sources. Those with more experience as cyber threat intelligence analysts typically earn higher compensation than those who are just beginning their careers in the industry. Also, it’s possible that those who work for companies make a higher salary than those who work for the government. However, It is possible for a cyber threat intelligence analyst to earn a greater salary and acquire the essential abilities to become an industry leader if they have an advanced degree in cyber security.
Cyber Threat Intelligence Tool
These tools continuously scan external sources such as the dark web, social media, and cybersecurity research feeds to provide you with actionable intelligence
#1. Top 10 Threat Intelligence Tools
Statista says that the value of the global cyber threat intelligence market was $392,2 million in 2020 and is expected to reach $981,8 million by 2023. There are a few top companies in this field, and they can give you the tools you need to deal with sophisticated threats. Here is our list of the top 10 threat intelligence tools to think about.
#1. Cisco Umbrella
This is one of the largest producers of cybersecurity and networking solutions on the planet. Cisco Umbrella is a cloud-based security solution that utilizes threat intelligence to protect endpoints, remote users, and office locations.
#2. DeCYFIR
This is a cyber threat intelligence tool made by CYFIRMA, a security company based in Singapore. It helps find threats and figure out how to stop them, right where hackers work.
#3. Echosec
Echosec is a Canadian company that makes tools for open-source intelligence (OSINT). Its main platform uses data from social media and the dark web to protect your business.
#4. GreyNoise
GreyNoise is a cybersecurity startup in the United States that helps reduce the number of false positives when analyzing threat intelligence data. It gathers information that a security analyst might not notice because it is just noise.
#5. Intsights’s External Threat Protection (Etp) Suite
Rapid7, a cybersecurity company that trades on the NASDAQ, makes the IntSights ETP Suite, which is a 360-degree cyber threat intelligence tool. It gives you deep and useful information in 24 hours.
#6. Luminar by Cognyte
Cognyte is a security analytics business that was previously a subsidiary of Verint Solutions. Luminar is a cyber threat intelligence tool developed by Cognyte that enables proactive, research-based cybersecurity strategies.
#7. Recorded Future
Recorded Future is a cybersecurity company based in the United States that provides predictive cyber threat intelligence. This also includes data concerning the company, SecOps, fraud, vulnerability, and geopolitical threats.
#8. Threat Intelligence AP
Threat Intelligence API is a set of cyber threat intelligence interfaces offered by threatintelligence.com, an American cybersecurity company. It belongs to Whois API Inc.
#9. ThreatFusion
ThreatFusion is one of the cyber threat intelligence tools made by SOCRadar, a company based in the United States. It helps with threat investigations by using artificial intelligence and a lot of data.
#10. ZeroFox
ZeroFox is a company established in the United States that provides security information to prevent phishing, impersonation, malicious domains, and data leakage. It recently declared its intention to go public.
#2. Key Features of Cyber Threat Intelligence Tools
#1. Data-Driven
Cyber threat intelligence is made up of data and analysis.. The tool must gather information from multiple public, ga and third-party sources to make a reliable database of threat-related information. When something bad starts an attack, it often leaves a “fingerprint” or “cyber threat indicator” behind. For predictive and proactive defense, a cyber threat intelligence tool must collect data on cyber threat indicators from all over the world.
#2. Flexible
The tool you choose must be flexible enough to be used in different ways. For example, it should connect to branch offices and other locations so that you can see everything from one place. Or, you might want to connect it to your internal security information and event management (SIEM) platform and check IT events for anything that seems out of the ordinary. Your cyber threat intelligence tool should work with all of the major IT environments and infrastructure, if possible.
#3. External-Focused
The main difference between cyber threat intelligence tools and other types of vulnerability management software is that threat intelligence tools are only concerned with threats from the outside. It may connect to internal systems to help find and deal with threats, but its main job is to look through external data feeds, repositories, and sources to find new types of threats. This provides your continued protection against unknown and zero-day attacks.
#4. Comprehensive
Your cyber threat intelligence tool needs to protect all devices, services in the cloud and on-premise, and network ports. To do this, it has to scan through a huge number of external feeds that contain information about threats from all over the world, even the dark web if that’s what your organization needs. Most of the time, open-source cyber threats intelligence feeds give access to information that is available to the public, while commercial tools help find more information and dig deeper into it.
#5. Extensible
The cyber threat intelligence tool must be easy to add to so that it can be linked to the rest of your security system. Some tools focus on application programming interface (API) services, which let you add a strong feed of threat intelligence to a security app you made yourself. Others may have a market for ready-to-use integrations. Aside from that, it must work in different environments, with different logging and compliance tools, and with different types of hardware to provide intelligence and protection that is dynamically compatible.
Cyber Threat Intelligence Training
What measures do we need to take to protect our company from potential cyberattacks? It is the capacity to gather and evaluate the information and data that are connected to the adversary’s goals, capabilities, and opportunities. CTI, or cyber threat intelligence, is the information that is required to keep the cyber world safe. This information focuses on the threat and the threat actors. You are now in a position to conduct an analysis in which you can determine who your adversary is, how they attack, and the reason why they attack. During this training, you will be able to build the CTI platform using MISP, which is the standard for threat intelligence, and you will also have the opportunity to experience MITRE
People Who Go Through Cyber Threat Intelligence Training
- Military and government officers
- Security Policy Manager
- Cyber threat analyst
- Security Monitoring manager
- Threat intelligence officer
- Other Cyber Threat-Related Officials
Purpose of Cyber Threat Intelligence Training
- Strategies to protect from cyber threat
- Exploring and developing MISP platform for CTI
- Extracting Static/Dynamic Indicator & Pivoting
- IThreat Hunting using Yara
- CTI basic concepts and step-by-step approach
What Are Four Types of Cyber Threat Intelligence?
Cyber threat intelligence is classified into three types: strategic, tactical, and operational. Intelligence on strategic threats: This is a high-level threat assessment that identifies who would be willing to attack the organization or companies in its industry, as well as their motivations.
What Are the Three Types of Cyber Threat Intelligence?
This intelligence can be understood on strategic, operational, and tactical levels: The purpose of tactical intelligence is to address specific threats when and where they occur. Data is collected in real-time, as security incidents occur, and determines how your security systems – SIEM, firewall, EDR, etc. – operate.
What Are the 8 Common Cyber Threats?
How to stop the 8 most common cybersecurity threats
- Ransomware. …
- Social Engineering/Phishing.
- Unpatched Systems and Misconfigurations.
- Credential Stuffing.
- Password Cracking Attacks.
- Man-in-the-Middle Attacks.
- Denial-of-Service Attacks.
What Are the 7 Types of Cyber Security Threats?
There are several different kinds of cyber threats that your organization has to be aware of.
- Malware.
- Ransomware.
- Distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks.
- Spam and Phishing.
- Corporate Account Takeover (CATO)
- Automated Teller Machine (ATM) Cash Out.
What Is Threat Intelligence Examples?
For example, if a company sends traffic to an IP address that is known to be used for bad things, threat intelligence can link that IP address to a threat actor and tell the company what malware that threat actor is spreading.
Is Cyber Threat Intelligence a Good Career
Cybersecurity is an industry that keeps growing. In 2023, it is expected to grow by 11%, and in 2025, it will grow by 20%. This is a fast-paced job that pays an average of $81,000 a year.
References
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