What is Threat Intelligence?

Threat intelligence is evidence-based knowledge about existing or emerging threats that can harm an organization. For Australian businesses, threat intelligence provides crucial context for security decisions, enabling proactive defense against cyber threats targeting the region.

Types of Threat Intelligence

Strategic Threat Intelligence

High-level intelligence for executive decision making:

• Threat landscape analysis: Overall threat environment assessment
• Industry targeting: Sector-specific threat trends
• Geopolitical factors: Nation-state and political influences
• Risk assessment: Business impact and likelihood analysis

Tactical Threat Intelligence

Actionable intelligence for security operations:

• Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTPs): How attackers operate
• Attack patterns: Common attack sequences and methods
• Threat actor profiles: Known adversary capabilities and motivations
• Campaign analysis: Ongoing attack campaigns and trends

Technical Threat Intelligence

Technical indicators for automated defense:

• Indicators of Compromise (IOCs): IP addresses, domains, file hashes
• Malware signatures: Known malicious code patterns
• Network indicators: Suspicious network traffic patterns
• Behavioral indicators: Anomalous system and user behaviors

Operational Threat Intelligence

Intelligence for immediate security operations:

• Active campaigns: Current ongoing attack campaigns
• Emerging threats: New vulnerabilities and exploits
• Attribution data: Threat actor identification and tracking
• Incident correlation: Linking related security events

Threat Intelligence Sources

Open Source Intelligence (OSINT)

Publicly available threat information:

• Government feeds: ACSC, CISA, and other national agencies
• Security vendors: Public threat reports and advisories
• Research organizations: Academic and industry research
• Community sharing: Security community forums and platforms

Commercial Threat Intelligence

Paid intelligence services and platforms:

• Threat intelligence platforms: Recorded Future, ThreatConnect, Anomali
• Vendor-specific feeds: CrowdStrike, FireEye, Mandiant intelligence
• Industry consortiums: Sector-specific threat sharing groups
• Dark web monitoring: Criminal marketplace surveillance

Internal Intelligence

Organization-specific threat data:

• Security logs: Internal system and security event data
• Incident history: Past security incidents and lessons learned
• Vulnerability data: Internal vulnerability assessments
• User behavior: Baseline user and system behavior patterns

Threat Intelligence Platforms

Key Platform Capabilities

• Data aggregation: Collect intelligence from multiple sources
• Analysis and correlation: Process and analyze threat data
• Visualization: Present intelligence in actionable formats
• Integration: Connect with security tools and SIEM platforms
• Automation: Automated threat hunting and response

Popular Threat Intelligence Platforms

Recorded Future

• Real-time threat intelligence collection and analysis
• Predictive analytics and risk scoring
• Integration with security tools and workflows
• Dark web and criminal marketplace monitoring

ThreatConnect

• Collaborative threat intelligence platform
• Custom intelligence analysis and reporting
• Threat hunting and investigation tools
• Integration with security orchestration platforms

Anomali

• Threat intelligence management and analysis
• Machine learning-powered threat detection
• Community threat sharing capabilities
• Integration with security infrastructure

Implementing Threat Intelligence

Intelligence Requirements

Define what intelligence your organization needs:

• Industry-specific threats: Threats targeting your sector
• Geographic threats: Threats targeting Australian organizations
• Technology-specific threats: Threats to your technology stack
• Regulatory threats: Compliance and regulatory risks

Collection and Processing

Gather and process threat intelligence data:

• Automated collection: APIs and feeds for real-time data
• Manual research: Human analysis of complex threats
• Data normalization: Standardize intelligence formats
• Quality assessment: Validate intelligence accuracy and relevance

Analysis and Dissemination

Transform raw intelligence into actionable insights:

• Threat analysis: Assess threat relevance and impact
• Attribution analysis: Identify threat actors and motivations
• Trend analysis: Identify patterns and emerging threats
• Reporting: Distribute intelligence to relevant stakeholders

Working with Threat Intelligence Providers

Many Australian businesses partner with cybersecurity MSPs for threat intelligence services. Leading providers like Affinity MSP offer:

• Threat intelligence platform management and analysis
• Custom threat research and investigation
• Integration with existing security infrastructure
• Threat hunting and proactive defense services
• Regular threat briefings and strategic analysis