What is threat intelligence? Types and benefits

Threat intelligence is a critical asset in cybersecurity that transforms how companies identify and address digital threats. But what is threat intelligence? And why is threat intelligence so important today? Learn the answers to these questions as well as what types of threat intelligence are used, their lifecycle, and practical applications for this information. This knowledge can help your organization stay ahead of cybercriminals and make informed security decisions.

What is threat intelligence?

What is the importance of threat intelligence in cybersecurity?

Threat intelligence equips organizations with the information they need to protect their systems and respond swiftly to relevant threats. Key benefits of threat intelligence in cybersecurity include:

• Staying ahead of threats. Threat intel empowers you to take a proactive approach. Instead of merely reacting to cyberattacks, it allows you to identify and address security vulnerabilities before they are exploited.
• Accelerating response times. When a cyberattack strikes, a swift reaction is crucial. Threat intelligence equips you with real-time insights into ongoing threats, allowing you to quickly recognize hacker tactics and counter them before they cause significant damage.
• Learning from every attack. If a cyberattack does occur, cyber threat intelligence enables a deep data analysis of the incident. By examining how the attack unfolded, the attacker's motives, and the tools they used, you can uncover patterns and vulnerabilities. This data analysis not only aids in recovery but also strengthens your defenses against future threats.
• Boosting security awareness. By sharing up-to-date cyber threat intelligence reports across your organization, your team stays informed about the latest threats, equipping them with the information needed to detect phishing, scams, and other attacks. This increased awareness transforms every team member into a crucial part of the company's defense strategy.

What are the types of threat intelligence?

Cybersecurity experts recognize five main threat intelligence types that can help companies strengthen their security posture:

1. Tactical threat intelligence
2. Operational threat intelligence
3. Strategic threat intelligence
4. Technical threat intelligence
5. Contextual threat intelligence

Tactical threat intelligence

Tactical intelligence is centered on detecting and neutralizing immediate threats. It involves identifying indicators of compromise (IOCs), such as abnormal IP addresses, malicious URLs, or suspicious traffic patterns that could signal a botnet attack. By recognizing these warning signs, your organization can effectively block potential threats and maintain the security of your systems.

Operational threat intelligence

Operational threat intelligence extends beyond identifying immediate risks — it's about grasping the broader context and anticipating future threats. This approach involves monitoring cybercriminal tactics, such as phishing schemes, analyzing hacker activity on dark web forums, and tracking methods of malware distribution. By examining these patterns, you can proactively predict potential attacks and adapt your defenses before threats materialize.

Strategic threat intelligence

Strategic intelligence provides security teams with insights into global cybercrime trends, geopolitical shifts, and industry-specific threats. This information helps them make informed security investments, establish effective policies, and proactively mitigate major risks, such as various types of data breaches and ransomware attacks.

Technical threat intelligence

Technical threat intelligence examines the specifics of cyber threats, such as malware code, server logs, risky IP addresses, and suspicious domains. By analyzing these details, the security team can identify IOCs, like unusual file hashes, deceptive domains, or malicious scripts.

This examination reveals how threat actors build attacks, what tools they use, and the vulnerabilities they exploit. These insights support the development of effective security tools, such as antivirus software and firewalls, to detect and counter future threats.

Contextual threat intelligence

Contextual threat intelligence targets the specific risks most relevant to your industry. It takes into account your operations, location, and the nature of the data you manage. For instance, a healthcare provider's focus in cybersecurity is to protect patient records, prevent ransomware and data theft, and adhere to stringent privacy laws.

Meanwhile, a financial institution should prioritize fraud prevention, securing digital transactions, and mitigating insider threats. This tailored approach ensures that resources are allocated effectively, moving away from a generalized, one-size-fits-all strategy.

The lifecycle of threat intelligence

The threat intelligence lifecycle, also known as the threat intelligence program, is a structured approach to identifying, analyzing, and mitigating existing or emerging threats. It involves six key stages:

1. Direction
2. Collection
3. Processing
4. Analysis
5. Dissemination
6. Feedback

Stage 1: Direction

Direction is the first stage of the threat intelligence lifecycle. It’s the initial step to understanding security vulnerabilities and creating an effective threat intelligence program. This stage begins with a targeted assessment of potential threats, setting the foundation for a focused and effective strategy. Then follows a deep dive into the current threat landscape, pinpointing the most critical risks that could impact the organization.

This stage is about asking the right questions: What threats are on the horizon? Which vulnerabilities are most likely to be exploited? And which assets are most valuable and need priority protection? By defining these priorities upfront, security teams can ensure that resources are dedicated where they matter most.

Stage 2: Collection

Threat data collection is the second stage of the cyber threat intelligence lifecycle. After completing the initial risk assessment, security teams move to the critical phase of identifying and gathering relevant data. This stage involves identifying the most valuable sources of threat data, from internal security logs and threat feeds to dark web monitoring and open-source intelligence. Essentially, in this stage, cybersecurity experts conduct threat hunting.

The goal is to capture a wide range of data that reveals emerging threats, attacker tactics, and potential vulnerabilities. By carefully choosing data sources, the team ensures that the gathered intelligence — information from various sources providing insights into potential threats — is both comprehensive and relevant.

Stage 3: Processing

Processing is the third stage of the cyber threat intelligence program. Before moving to threat analysis, the threat intelligence team unifies and organizes the collected threat data. They filter out irrelevant details, standardize formats, and consolidate information into a cohesive system. Using automation tools and specialized software, the threat intelligence team streamlines the process, ensuring the data is accurate, clean, and actionable.

Stage 4: Analysis

Analysis is the fourth stage of the cyber threat intelligence lifecycle. In this stage, the threat intelligence team analyzes the processed data, turning raw information into actionable insights. They examine patterns, identify anomalies, and detect IOCs such as malicious IP addresses or unusual network activity. This risk analysis reveals potential threats, highlights vulnerabilities, and exposes threat actors’ tactics.

Stage 5: Dissemination

Dissemination is the fifth stage of the threat intelligence lifecycle. In this stage, the threat intelligence team shares valuable insights and recommendations with relevant stakeholders, ensuring that the intelligence reaches the right people within the organization.

They deliver this information through detailed reports, real-time alerts, or interactive dashboards, all tailored to the audience's needs — whether it's technical staff, management, or executive leadership. This stage emphasizes clear communication, turning complex findings into accessible and actionable guidance.

Stage 6: Feedback

Feedback is the sixth and final stage of the cyber threat intelligence program. After reviewing the team's conclusions, stakeholders engage in a joint discussion, which helps clarify details, assess the impact of proposed solutions, and ask critical questions. Different teams weigh the risks, costs, and benefits of various actions, refining recommendations until they align with the organization’s goals.

In short, each stage of the threat intelligence program plays a specific role in turning raw data into actionable intelligence:

• Stage 1. The security team sets the goals and defines what intelligence is needed.
• Stage 2. The team gathers data from relevant sources to address the goals set in the direction phase.
• Stage 3. Professionals responsible for this stage organize and format the collected data.
• Stage 4. Cybersecurity analysts conduct a thorough analysis of theft data to identify patterns, threats, and vulnerabilities, turning information into actionable intelligence.
• Stage 5. Analysts distribute the analyzed intelligence to stakeholders who can act on it.
• Stage 6. Cybersecurity experts evaluate the effectiveness of the intelligence, refining processes and strategies for future cycles.

Main use cases of threat intelligence

Cyber threat intelligence supports multiple departments and roles. Here are some threat intelligence usage examples businesses can use to stay secure:

Use case #1: Early threat detection

A retail company uses cyber threat intelligence to monitor global cybercrime trends. It identifies a surge in phishing campaigns targeting online payment platforms, prompting it to implement stricter email filters and educate customers on spotting fake payment requests.

Roles involved: IT analysts, SOC teams, threat analysts, and other security professionals.

Use case #2: Faster incident response

During a ransomware attack, a healthcare provider uses threat intelligence to trace the malware's origin. The incident response team quickly isolates infected systems and deploys effective countermeasures by analyzing compromise indicators (IOCs) like suspicious IP addresses and file hashes.

Roles involved: incident responders, IT security managers, SOC analysts, and other security professionals.

Use case #3: Prioritized vulnerability fixing

A bank's vulnerability analysts use cyber threat intelligence reports to determine which vulnerabilities are actively being exploited by cybercriminals in the financial sector. They find that a recent wave of attacks has targeted a specific software flaw that exists on the bank’s platform. As a result, the patch management team prioritizes fixing that critical vulnerability first and schedules less severe issues for later updates.

Roles involved: IT security engineers, patch management teams, vulnerability analysts, and other security professionals.

Use case #4: Informed decision-making

A manufacturing company plans to invest in a new IoT system to streamline production. Before proceeding, team members review cyber threat intelligence reports, which reveal that similar systems have been targeted by ransomware exploiting weak passwords and outdated firmware. Based on this information, leadership allocates additional budget for advanced security controls, like endpoint protection and stricter access controls, to mitigate risks while benefiting from the new technology.

Roles involved: CISOs, risk managers, IT directors, and other security professionals.

What tool can the security team use for threat intelligence?

Threat intelligence relies on tools that monitor, analyze, and respond to emerging cyber threats. One such tool is NordStellar, a threat intelligence platform (TIP) that provides solutions that allow companies to detect and respond to cyber threats before they escalate.

• Data breach monitoring identifies and analyzes incidents involving exposed employee or company data, pinpointing critical vulnerabilities to support timely and effective responses.
• Account takeover prevention monitors compromised credentials from the deep and dark web, ensuring proactive measures are in place to protect employee, customer, and partner data from unauthorized access.
• Session hijacking prevention leverages data sourced from the deep and dark web to detect infostealer malware-infected users, identify stolen session cookies, invalidate compromised sessions, and mark users with compromised devices.
• Dark web monitoring tracks business-related keywords across dark web forums, illicit markets, and hacking communities, providing early warnings of potential threats targeting your organization.
• Attack surface management involves monitoring your organization’s external-facing assets — such as domains and IP addresses — to identify vulnerabilities and assess your overall risk posture.

FAQ

What does threat intelligence do?

Threat intelligence identifies, analyzes, and monitors cyber threats to provide actionable insights. It allows businesses to anticipate risks, strengthen defenses, and respond swiftly to evolving threats, minimizing potential damage and ensuring continuous security.

What are the benefits of threat intelligence?

Cyber threat intelligence proactively identifies potential threats, improves decision-making, enhances incident response, reduces risks, and strengthens overall business security posture, keeping businesses resilient against evolving cyberattacks.

What are the 3 Ps of threat intelligence?

The 3 Ps of threat intelligence are proactive, predictive, and preventative. Businesses use cyber threat intelligence to anticipate threats before they occur, identify potential risks early, and implement measures to pre-empt future attacks.

Who needs threat intelligence?

Organizations of all sizes need threat intelligence to safeguard their assets, data, and reputation. IT teams, security professionals, executives, and decision-makers rely on actionable threat intelligence to make informed choices, prevent cyber incidents, and ensure a secure operating environment.

Who is responsible for threat intelligence in the organization?

The cybersecurity team, led by the chief information security officer (CISO) or equivalent, should be responsible for managing threat intelligence. They should collaborate with IT, risk and vulnerability management, and other departments to monitor their organization’s attack surface and threat indicators, analyze risks, and implement security measures across the organization.