Cyber Threat Intelligence

Cyber Threat Intelligence

This topic is intended to introduce you to Cyber Threat Intelligence.

Topics to Be Covered:

• Cyber threat landscape and intelligence sources.
• Threat intelligence gathering and analysis.
• Threat hunting and incident response using threat intelligence.
• Threat Sharing and collaboration platforms.

Cyber Threat Landscape and Intelligence Sources

Cyber threats represent one of the foremost challenges of modern civilization.As technology develops, so too does its threat landscape: as hackers use more advanced techniques to breach security measures and compromise networks.
To counteract such attacks, cybersecurity professionals need to have an in-depth knowledge of the current cyber threat landscape and various intelligence sources available; this topic explores these sources that help mitigate them.

 

 

 

Understanding the Cyber Threat Landscape

The cyber threat landscape encompasses any existing and potential malicious activities that threaten an organisation's digital assets, from existing to potential malware attacks that might come about because of technological advancement, geopolitical conditions or global economic activity.

It changes constantly due to factors like technological innovations, geopolitical conditions or global economy; its primary threats being malware, ransomware, phishing attacks DDoS attacks or advanced persistent threats (APT).

1. Malware: Malware includes viruses, worms, Trojan and spyware which aim to disrupt computer systems or gain entry in order to damage them and gain unauthorised entry.
2. Ransomware: Ransomware refers specifically to ransomware-type attacks which encrypt an organisation's data before demanding payment in return for access restoration.
3. Phishing: These fraudulent schemes seek to deceive users into giving out personal and sensitive data like usernames, passwords and credit card details by appearing trustworthy.
4. DDoS attacks: Distributed Denial of Service attacks overload servers, systems, or networks with traffic to render them unavailable to users.
5. Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs): These threats involve extended cyberattacks where an intruder gains entry to a network and remains undetected for an extended period.

 

Sources of Cyber Threat Intelligence

Cyber threat intelligence provides organisations with information they can use to understand threats that have, will or are currently attacking their organisation. With this knowledge in hand, organisations are better able to prepare, prevent and identify any cyber attacks which threaten security measures aimed at breaching. There are multiple sources for such intelligence.

1. Open-source intelligence (OSINT): This information is publicly available and can be gathered from news reports, blogs, forums, and social media.
2.  Human Intelligence (HUMINT): This involves direct communication and interaction with informed individuals or insiders within cybercriminal networks.
3. Technical Intelligence (TECHINT): This involves gathering information from technical sources like logs, network traffic, and system behaviours.
4. Intelligence from Vendors: Security vendors often have vast intelligence networks and can provide information on new vulnerabilities, malware, and threat trends.
5. Industry-specific feeds and groups: Organisations in the same industry often face similar threats, so sharing information between these organisations can be helpful.

Through understanding and capitalising on various sources of intelligence about cyber threats, organisations can more successfully plan and execute cybersecurity strategies designed to fend off potential attacks on their network.

 

Threat Intelligence Gathering and Analysis

Threat intelligence collection and analysis are integral parts of cybersecurity, providing organisations with insight into potential threats they could encounter and ways to mitigate them.

Threat Intelligence Gathering

At the core of threat intelligence lies data collection. There are various means available for gathering this intelligence ranging from open sources such as publicly accessible information to vendor-supplied intelligence as discussed previously. Ultimately, which methods an organisation uses depends upon their unique requirements, resources and risk tolerance.
Internal data can also provide invaluable threat intelligence. This includes system logs, network traffic data and individual behaviours within an organisation - which tools such as intrusion detection systems (IDS), security information and event management (SIEM), user entity behaviour analytics (UEBA), or even intrusion identification and notification (IIT) may use to collect.

 

Threat Intelligence Analysis

Once data collection is complete, the next step should be analysis to uncover meaningful insights from it. This process often includes several steps; these could include:

1. Step 1: Data Normalisation and Aggregation: In this step, data collected from different sources are combined into one coherent format to enable easier analysis and comparison between them.
2. Step 2: Data Correlation: Data are then compared in order to detect patterns and relationships within them, helping identify trends, vulnerabilities, threats and their possible impact.
3. Step 3: Threat Prioritisation: Not all threats pose equal risks for organisations; certain ones pose greater threats. Threat prioritisation involves prioritising threats based on factors like potential impact and frequency of occurrence.
4. Step 4: Contextualization: Contextualizing involves tailoring analysis to fit with specifics about an organisation - its systems, processes and vulnerabilities. This helps provide greater insight into potential threats that might impact them and how best to mitigate them.
5. Step 5: Intelligence Reporting: Finalising our analysis by producing a report. This should include clear, actionable information necessary for decision making regarding an organisation's security strategy.

Threat Intelligence Platforms (TIPs)

Threat Intelligence Platforms (TIPs) are tools designed to automate the process of gathering, analysing, and managing threat intelligence. TIPs aggregate information from multiple sources before normalising it to prioritise threats and produce actionable reports - thus significantly expanding a company's threat intelligence capabilities.

 

 

Threat Hunting and Incident Response

Utilising threat intelligence efficiently is integral for both proactive identification of cyber attacks and swift responses to security incidents. In this topic, we'll look at how threat intelligence can support threat hunting and incident response processes - two essential parts of an effective cybersecurity posture.

Threat Hunting

Threat hunting refers to the practice of actively and iteratively scanning networks, endpoints and datasets for advanced threats that evade traditional automated tools. Contrasting with traditional threat management measures, threat hunting involves actively looking out for anomalies which might indicate breaches.
Threat intelligence plays a central role in threat hunting. By gathering details about the latest tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) used by adversaries, threat hunters can search their systems for signs that an adversary might use against them - for instance if threat intelligence indicates a certain kind of malware has become popular among their adversaries, threat hunters might look out for any signs it is present there.

Incident Response

Incident response refers to the practice of managing and mitigating cybersecurity breaches or attacks to minimise damage and speed recovery time and costs. Its primary goal is limiting recovery costs while simultaneously mitigating damage as quickly as possible. Threat intelligence can play an invaluable role in incident response. Responders can utilise threat intelligence data to quickly assess an incident by understanding its nature, identifying perpetrators, and understanding their TTPs; ultimately helping contain and prevent further damage to property or lives.

Threat intelligence can provide invaluable aid during the recovery phase of incident response. By understanding how an attack took place, organisations can take measures to thwart similar ones in future - for instance if phishing breached security at your organisation, threat intelligence might reveal specific techniques used enabling better education among employees as well as enhanced email security measures for your emails.

Threat Hunting to Incident Response
Integrating Threat Intelligence into Threat Hunting and Incident Response: Threat intelligence should be integrated into all areas of an organisation's cybersecurity efforts, using Threat Intelligence Platforms (TIPs) to collect, aggregate and analyse threat data before disseminating it across relevant systems and personnel - from real-time threat detection in Security Information and Event Management systems (SIEM), through to incident response teams receiving intelligence reports to aid their efforts.

 

Threat Sharing and Collaboration Platforms

Due to the complex and ever-evolving cyber threat landscape, collaborative approaches must be employed when protecting organisations against threats.
Threat sharing offers organisations an invaluable chance to collaborate on collective defence by benefiting from each other's knowledge and experiences.

Importance of Threat Sharing

Sharing threat intelligence allows organisations to stay abreast of emerging threats, identify common vulnerabilities and learn from past experiences of other businesses.
Security teams can benefit greatly by understanding TTPs (Tactics, Techniques & Procedures) and IOCs (Indicators of Compromise) used against similar businesses so as to best prepare and respond when threats come their way.

 

Threat Sharing and Collaboration Platforms

Threat sharing platforms offer secure environments in which organisations can exchange threat intelligence.

 

Threat Connect

This platform integrates several essential capabilities such as threat intelligence, orchestration and automation as well as case management into one convenient product.
Malware Information Sharing Platform: This open-source threat intelligence platform is widely utilised by governments, nongovernmental organisations, and private businesses for sharing, storing and correlating threat data.

Anomali Threat Stream

Anomali's platform connects seamlessly to many security and IT systems to aggregate and operationalize threat intelligence for collaboration across organisations or between teams.

 

FS-ISAC

FS-ISAC (Financial Services Information Sharing and Analysis Center): This industry-specific platform facilitates sharing threat intelligence among financial institutions.

AlienVault OTX

AlienVault OTX (Open Threat Exchange): AlienVault OTX is one of the largest open threat-sharing networks, where participants can share and collaborate on threat data.

 

Framework for Threat Intelligence Sharing

Standard languages and protocols have been implemented in order to facilitate efficient threat intelligence sharing, with these including:

1. STIX (Structured Threat Information Expression): This is a language designed for conveying structured cyber threat information.
2. TAXII (Trusted Automated Exchange of Intelligence Information): This is an application protocol for exchanging cyber threat information securely.
3. CybOX (Cyber Observable Expression): This is a standardised schema for the specification, capture, characterization, and communication of events or stateful properties that are observable in the operational domain.
4. IOC (Indicators of Compromise): IOCs are pieces of forensic data that identify potentially malicious activities on a system or network. Examples include IP addresses, URLs, MD5 hashes of malware files, or even specific patterns of behaviour.

Threat-sharing and collaboration platforms are indispensable weapons in the battle against cyber threats, empowering organisations to increase cybersecurity by working collaboratively on information-sharing initiatives to strengthen their cybersecurity posture and contribute to creating a safer cyber environment for everyone.

 

Risk Management and Compliance

This topic will teach you about risk management and compliance.

Topics to Be Covered:

• Risk management frameworks and methodologies.
• Vulnerability assessment and risk analysis.
• Compliance requirements and standards.

 

Risk Management Frameworks and Methodologies

Risk management plays a pivotal role in cybersecurity. By understanding and applying effective risk management frameworks and methodologies, organisations can systematically identify, assess, and mitigate their exposures.

Understanding Risk Management

 

Risk Management Frameworks

An effective risk management framework offers an organised means for identifying, assessing and mitigating risks. Numerous globally accepted frameworks may be implemented into practice such as these ones:

• NIST Risk Management Framework (RMF): Created by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the NIST RMF offers an approach for incorporating security, privacy, and risk management activities into system development life cycle. It comprises steps such as categorise, select, implement, assess authorise monitor.
• ISO 27005: As part of ISO 27000 series standards for information security management, ISO 27005 offers guidelines on risk management to support general concepts laid out by ISO 27001.
• COSO Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) Framework: The Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission developed this framework to help organisations effectively report on and manage risks to achieve their objectives.

 

 

Before delving deeper into specific frameworks and methodologies, let us first define risk management. 

Risk management refers to the practice of recognizing, assessing, and controlling threats against an organisation's digital assets - it involves taking steps that reduce their effects while planning a response should an attack happen.

 

Risk Management Methodologies

While risk management frameworks provide the overall structure, methodologies provide more specific processes for conducting risk analyses. Here are some commonly employed risk management methodologies:

1. OCTAVE (Operationally Critical Threat, Asset, and Vulnerability Evaluation): Developed by CERT (Computer Emergency Response Team), OCTAVE is a risk-based strategic assessment and planning technique for cybersecurity.
2. FAIR (Factor Analysis of Information Risk): FAIR is a quantitative risk analysis methodology that can compute the probable frequency and magnitude of future loss.
3. Risk IT: Developed by ISACA, Risk IT provides an end-to-end, comprehensive view of all risks related to the use of IT and a similarly thorough treatment of risk management, from the tone and culture at the top, to operational issues.

Each framework and methodology offers advantages depending on an organisation's size, sector, risk appetite, regulatory environment and circumstances; choosing one depends upon which solution best matches its requirements and capabilities.

 

 

 

 

Vulnerability Assessment and Risk Analysis

Establishing and mitigating vulnerabilities within an organisation's systems are cornerstones of cybersecurity risk management. By conducting thorough vulnerability and risk analyses, companies can detect weak spots in their cybersecurity posture and take measures to address them.

Vulnerability Assessment

An organisation performing a vulnerability assessment identifies, classifies and prioritises vulnerabilities within computer systems, applications and network infrastructures to collect the necessary data that enables it to fix known flaws as well as protect itself against possible future attacks. The typical steps in a vulnerability assessment include:

1. Locating IT Assets: The initial step of performing a vulnerability assessment involves identifying all assets to protect. This may include hardware, software, networks or data assets.
2. Conduct a Vulnerability Scan: Conducting this analysis uses automated tools to scour all identified assets for potential vulnerabilities that might exist within them.
3. Vulnerability Analysis: Once results of the scan have been collected, these should be examined in depth to understand each vulnerability's impact on potential targets.
4. Remediation: Once vulnerabilities have been identified, remedial action must be taken against them. This might involve installing updates for software or changing configuration settings or taking other security precautions to address them.

 

Risk Analysis

While vulnerability assessment focuses on identifying and addressing specific weaknesses, risk analysis is a broader process that considers the potential impact and likelihood of threats to an organisation's systems. Risk analysis typically involves the following steps:

1. Identification of Threats: This step involves the identification of threats facing an organisation from various sources such as cybercrime, insider threats, natural disasters or accidental data loss.
2. Assessing Vulnerabilities: Just like vulnerability assessments, vulnerability analyses involve identifying weaknesses which could be exploited by threats.
3. Calculating Risk: Calculating risk involves estimating both its potential impact and likelihood, often expressed as the product. Risk can then be expressed as the product between potential impact and likelihood - thus yielding its product, known as its "risk profile."
4. Prioritising Risks: Based on their calculated risk, threats are then prioritised. This helps organisations focus their efforts on the most significant risks.
5. Establish a Risk Management Plan: After identifying all risks, an effective risk management plan must be created in order to address each one effectively. This document must outline how each risk will be reduced or avoided entirely using mitigation, transference, acceptance, or avoidance strategies.

By conducting regular vulnerability assessments and risk analyses, organisations can keep their cybersecurity up to date and respond effectively to the evolving threat landscape.

 

Compliance Requirements and Standards

Compliance is also vital when managing cybersecurity risks; not only for legal reasons but also to ensure best practices for cybersecurity within an organisation are followed.

GDPR

The General Data Protection Regulation of the European Union is an established law which establishes comprehensive rules governing how personal data of EU residents should be handled within that body, giving individuals greater control of their personal information while simplifying regulatory environments for international business operations.
Key principles of GDPR include:

1. Lawfulness, fairness, and transparency: When processing personal data it should always be done so in a lawful, fair, and transparent way.
2. Data minimization: Only the minimum necessary amount of personal data should be collected and processed.
3. Data subject rights: Individuals have the right to access their data, correct inaccuracies, and request deletion in certain circumstances.
4. Security: Organisations must implement appropriate security measures to protect personal data.