In today's rapidly evolving threat landscape, reactive security is no longer sufficient. Organizations need proactive intelligence about adversaries targeting their industry, emerging attack techniques, and indicators of compromise to defend effectively against cyber threats. Cyber threat intelligence (CTI) transforms raw data about threats into actionable insights that enable Security Operations Centers to detect attacks earlier, prioritize responses better, and make informed strategic decisions. This comprehensive guide explores what cyber threat intelligence is, the four types of CTI, the threat intelligence lifecycle, leading platforms and sources, integration with SIEM systems, and best practices for building an effective threat intelligence program.
What is Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI)?
Cyber threat intelligence (CTI) is evidence-based knowledge about existing or emerging threats, including context, mechanisms, indicators, implications, and actionable guidance, that enables informed security decisions to protect organizations from cyberattacks. CTI goes beyond simple data feeds to provide analyzed intelligence about adversary tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs), motivations, capabilities, and specific indicators of compromise (IOCs).
Effective threat intelligence answers critical questions: Who is targeting us? What are their motivations? How are they attacking? What indicators should we watch for? When should we expect attacks? Where are vulnerabilities being exploited? This context enables proactive defense rather than reactive incident response.
Threat Intelligence vs Threat Data:
- Threat Data: Raw, unanalyzed information, IP addresses, domain names, malware hashes
- Threat Intelligence: Analyzed, contextualized, actionable insights, adversary campaigns, attack patterns, recommended defenses
- Example: "IP 1.2.3.4 observed" (data) vs "APT29 campaign targeting healthcare using spear phishing with malicious Office macros from IP 1.2.3.4" (intelligence)
The 4 Types of Threat Intelligence
1. Strategic Threat Intelligence
Audience: Executives, board members, senior leadership
Purpose: High-level understanding of threat landscape for risk management and strategic decisions
Content:
- Threat trends affecting your industry
- Geopolitical factors influencing cyber threats
- Emerging attack vectors and threat actors
- Financial impact of threats
- Strategic recommendations for security investments
Example: "Healthcare sector experiencing 45% increase in ransomware attacks Q1 2026, with average ransom demands reaching $2.3M. Nation-state actors increasingly targeting patient data for espionage. Recommend prioritizing EDR deployment and offline backup strategy."
2. Operational Threat Intelligence
Audience: Security leaders, incident response teams, threat hunters
Purpose: Understanding specific threat campaigns and adversary operations
Content:
- Details of active threat campaigns
- Adversary tactics, techniques, procedures (TTPs)
- Attack timelines and kill chains
- Threat actor profiles and attribution
- Campaign-specific indicators
Example: "FIN7 group active targeting retail organizations with revised Carbanak backdoor. Attack chain: phishing email with weaponized PDF → PowerShell downloader → Carbanak implant → lateral movement via stolen credentials → data exfiltration to 45.67.89.10."
3. Tactical Threat Intelligence
Audience: SOC analysts, security engineers, detection engineers
Purpose: Specific indicators and attack methods for detection rules and defenses
Content:
- Indicators of Compromise (IOCs): IPs, domains, URLs, file hashes
- Attack techniques and tools used
- Malware behaviors and signatures
- Exploitation methods
- Detection rules and signatures
Example: "Emotet malware campaign using macro-enabled Excel files with SHA256: abc123..., calling out to command-and-control domains: malicious-domain[.]com, backup-c2[.]net. Recommend blocking these domains and scanning for file hash across endpoints."
4. Technical Threat Intelligence
Audience: Security tools, automated systems, SIEM/SOAR platforms
Purpose: Machine-readable indicators for automated detection and blocking
Content:
- Specific IOCs in structured formats (STIX, TAXII)
- Malware signatures and hashes
- IP addresses and domain names
- URL patterns and file paths
- Network traffic patterns
Example: STIX-formatted feed updating Microsoft Sentinel with 10,000 malicious IP addresses hourly, automatically integrated into firewall block lists and Defender detection rules.
The Threat Intelligence Lifecycle
Phase 1: Planning and Direction
Define intelligence requirements and objectives:
- Identify stakeholders: Who needs intelligence and for what purpose?
- Define requirements: What threats matter most to your organization?
- Prioritize intelligence: Industry-specific threats, geographic threats, known adversaries
- Set collection goals: What intelligence sources support requirements?
Phase 2: Collection
Gather raw data from multiple sources:
- Internal sources: SIEM logs, EDR telemetry, firewall logs, incident reports
- Open-source intelligence (OSINT): Security blogs, vulnerability databases, social media
- Commercial feeds: Recorded Future, Mandiant, CrowdStrike Intelligence
- Community sharing: ISACs, FS-ISAC, H-ISAC sector-specific intelligence
- Dark web monitoring: Forums, marketplaces, underground activity
- Vulnerability intelligence: CVE databases, exploit repositories
Phase 3: Processing and Enrichment
Transform raw data into usable format:
- Normalization: Standardize formats (STIX, TAXII, OpenIOC)
- Deduplication: Remove redundant indicators
- Validation: Verify accuracy and reduce false positives
- Enrichment: Add context, geolocation, WHOIS data, reputation scores
- Correlation: Link related indicators and campaigns
Phase 4: Analysis
Derive actionable intelligence from processed data:
- Pattern identification: Recognize attack patterns and trends
- Attribution: Link activity to specific threat actors
- Impact assessment: Determine relevance and risk to organization
- Contextual analysis: Understand attacker motivations and capabilities
- Predictive analysis: Forecast future threats based on trends
Phase 5: Dissemination
Deliver intelligence to appropriate stakeholders:
- Automated feeds: IOCs to SIEM, firewalls, EDR platforms
- Analyst reports: Detailed campaign analysis for SOC teams
- Executive briefings: Strategic intelligence for leadership
- Alerts and notifications: Time-sensitive threats requiring immediate action
- Dashboards: Real-time threat landscape visualization
Phase 6: Feedback
Evaluate intelligence effectiveness and refine:
- Measure value: Did intelligence lead to threat detection or prevention?
- Assess quality: Accuracy, timeliness, relevance of intelligence
- Identify gaps: Missing intelligence or coverage areas
- Refine requirements: Adjust collection and analysis priorities
- Continuous improvement: Iterate intelligence program based on feedback
Threat Intelligence Platforms (TIPs)
Leading Commercial TIPs
Anomali
- Aggregates threat intelligence from 400+ sources
- Machine learning for indicator prioritization
- SOAR integration for automated response
- Threat actor tracking and campaign analysis
ThreatConnect
- Collaborative intelligence platform
- Intelligence operations workflow management
- Playbooks for automated intelligence processing
- Integration with 200+ security tools
ThreatQuotient
- Adaptive risk scoring of indicators
- Investigation workspace for analysts
- External intelligence integration
- Automated enrichment and prioritization
Microsoft Sentinel (Integrated TIP)
- Built-in threat intelligence workbook
- Native Microsoft threat intelligence feed
- TAXII/STIX feed integration
- Automated hunting queries using intelligence
- Integration with Defender XDR for coordinated response
Threat Intelligence Sources
Commercial Intelligence Providers
- Recorded Future: Real-time threat intelligence from open and dark web
- Mandiant Threat Intelligence: APT research and frontline intelligence
- CrowdStrike Intelligence: Adversary tracking and Falcon OverWatch research
- Palo Alto Unit 42: Threat research and analysis
- Proofpoint: Email threat intelligence
Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT)
- AlienVault OTX: Community-driven threat exchange
- MISP: Malware Information Sharing Platform
- VirusTotal: File and URL analysis
- URLhaus: Malicious URL database
- Shodan: Internet-connected device search
Government and Industry Sources
- US-CERT: CISA vulnerability and threat alerts
- FBI InfraGard: Public-private partnership intelligence
- FS-ISAC: Financial services intelligence sharing
- H-ISAC: Healthcare intelligence sharing
- MITRE ATT&CK: Adversary tactics and techniques framework
Integrating Threat Intelligence with Security Operations
SIEM Integration
Connect threat intelligence to Microsoft Sentinel or other SIEM platforms:
- IOC correlation: Match indicators against log data
- Automated enrichment: Add threat context to security alerts
- Detection rules: Create SIEM rules based on intelligence
- Threat hunting queries: Proactive searches using IOCs
- Incident prioritization: Score alerts based on threat intelligence
EDR/XDR Integration
Enhance endpoint security with threat intelligence:
- Automatically block known-malicious files and processes
- Detect malware variants based on behavioral intelligence
- Hunt for adversary TTPs across endpoints
- Prioritize endpoint threats based on campaign intelligence
Firewall and Network Security
- Block lists of malicious IPs and domains
- URL filtering based on threat feeds
- IDS/IPS signatures from threat intelligence
- DNS sinkholing of C2 domains
Email Security
- Block phishing campaigns using indicators
- Quarantine emails with malicious attachments
- Alert on impersonation attempts
- URL rewriting for known-bad links
Building a Threat Intelligence Program
Phase 1: Program Foundation (Months 1-3)
- Define requirements: What threats matter most?
- Identify stakeholders: Who consumes intelligence?
- Select sources: Choose 3-5 initial intelligence feeds
- Choose platform: TIP or built-in SIEM capabilities
- Establish processes: Intelligence workflow documentation
Phase 2: Tactical Implementation (Months 3-6)
- Integrate feeds: Connect intelligence to security tools
- Automate ingestion: STIX/TAXII feed automation
- Build detection rules: SIEM rules based on IOCs
- Train analysts: Intelligence analysis and investigation
- Establish metrics: Track program effectiveness
Phase 3: Operational Maturity (Months 6-12)
- Expand sources: Add industry-specific intelligence
- Develop custom intelligence: Internal threat research
- Enhance analysis: Adversary tracking and attribution
- Threat hunting program: Proactive intelligence-driven hunting
- Strategic reporting: Executive intelligence briefings
Threat Intelligence Best Practices
Quality Over Quantity
- Focus on relevant, high-fidelity intelligence vs overwhelming volume
- Filter feeds for industry, geography, technology stack relevance
- Validate indicators before operationalizing
- Regularly review and prune low-quality sources
Contextual Intelligence
- Raw IOCs without context provide limited value
- Understand adversary TTPs, not just indicators
- Prioritize intelligence by business impact
- Enrich indicators with threat actor, campaign, severity
Timely Intelligence
- Real-time or near-real-time feed updates
- Automated ingestion and dissemination
- Rapid operationalization of critical intelligence
- Balance thoroughness with speed for time-sensitive threats
Collaboration and Sharing
- Join industry ISACs for sector-specific intelligence
- Participate in threat sharing communities
- Contribute intelligence back to community
- Establish trusted peer relationships
Continuous Improvement
- Measure intelligence program effectiveness
- Gather stakeholder feedback regularly
- Adjust sources and processes based on results
- Stay current with evolving threat landscape
- Invest in analyst training and development
Frequently Asked Questions
What is cyber threat intelligence (CTI)?
Cyber threat intelligence is evidence-based knowledge about existing or emerging threats, including context, mechanisms, indicators, implications, and actionable guidance, that enables informed security decisions. CTI aggregates and analyzes data from threat feeds, dark web monitoring, security research, and internal logs to understand adversary tactics, techniques, procedures (TTPs), motivations, and capabilities. This intelligence enables organizations to proactively detect threats using SIEM platforms, prioritize vulnerabilities, improve defenses with security tools, and make strategic security investments based on real-world threat landscape understanding rather than reactive incident response.
What are the 4 types of threat intelligence?
The four types of threat intelligence are: Strategic intelligence (high-level threat trends for executives and board risk discussions), Operational intelligence (details about specific campaigns and threat actor TTPs for security leaders and incident responders), Tactical intelligence (indicators of compromise and attack methods for SOC analysts creating detection rules), and Technical intelligence (specific IOCs like malware hashes, IP addresses, domains for automated detection in SIEM and EDR platforms). Each level serves different audiences and use cases from boardroom decisions to automated firewall updates.
How is threat intelligence used in cybersecurity?
Threat intelligence is used in cybersecurity to detect threats by integrating IOCs into SIEM and EDR platforms, prioritize vulnerabilities based on active exploitation, guide threat hunting by focusing SOC teams on relevant adversary TTPs, improve incident response with context about attacker methods, configure security controls with indicators of malicious activity, inform strategic decisions about security investments, and proactively defend against known threats before attacks occur. Organizations consume threat intelligence through feeds, platforms like Anomali or ThreatConnect, and research to enhance detection, response, and overall security posture.
What is a threat intelligence platform?
A threat intelligence platform (TIP) is a technology solution that aggregates, enriches, analyzes, and distributes threat intelligence from multiple sources. TIPs collect data from commercial feeds, open-source intelligence, internal security tools like SIEM platforms, and ISAC communities; enrich indicators with context, reputation scores, and risk analysis; enable analyst investigation and collaboration; integrate with SIEM, SOAR, firewalls, and EDR for automated response; and provide dashboards visualizing threat landscape. Leading TIPs include Anomali, ThreatConnect, ThreatQuotient, and integrated capabilities in Microsoft Sentinel with Defender XDR.
Conclusion: Empowering Proactive Defense with Threat Intelligence
Cyber threat intelligence transforms security operations from reactive firefighting into proactive defense by providing context, foresight, and actionable guidance about adversaries targeting your organization. Effective CTI programs combine strategic intelligence guiding executive decisions, operational intelligence informing security strategies, tactical intelligence enabling detection rules, and technical intelligence automating defenses, all working together to reduce risk and improve security outcomes.
The key to threat intelligence success is not accumulating the largest volume of indicators, but rather focusing on relevant, high-quality intelligence tailored to your organization's threat profile, industry, and technology stack. Integration with SIEM platforms, EDR solutions, and security infrastructure enables automated detection and response, while skilled analysts transform raw intelligence into actionable insights guiding strategic security investments.
Organizations just beginning their threat intelligence journey should start with 3-5 high-quality feeds relevant to their sector, integrate with existing SIEM capabilities, and focus on tactical intelligence providing immediate detection value. As programs mature, expand into operational and strategic intelligence supporting threat hunting, incident response, and risk management.
subrosa provides comprehensive threat intelligence services including feed integration with Microsoft Sentinel, custom intelligence analysis, threat hunting leveraging global intelligence, and strategic intelligence reporting for executives. Our SOC team combines commercial threat feeds, OSINT, and proprietary research to deliver actionable intelligence tailored to your threat landscape. Contact us to discuss building or enhancing your threat intelligence program.