Making Cyber Intelligence Actionable and Relevant

Cyber intelligence is a vital asset for any organization that wants to protect its data, systems, and assets from cyber and physical threats. Cyber-intelligence can also be useful to anticipate risk associated with critical third parties. Working with the right cyber-intelligence provider is the first step for securing this information feed but, not all cyber-intelligence is equally useful or reliable. How can we make cyber-intelligence feeds more actionable and relevant?

One of the main challenges is to remove false positives, or irrelevant or inaccurate information, from cluttering the cyber-intelligence feed. False positives can waste time, resources, and attention, and lead to missed opportunities or wrong decisions. To remove false positives, we recommend using a Threat Analyst to apply subject matter expertise and refinement for the cyber intelligence tool and further identify actionable intel.

Subject matter expertise means that the analysts have a deep understanding of the cyber domain, the threat actors, the indicators of compromise, the attack vectors, and the mitigation strategies. Refinement means that the analysts filter, validate, enrich, and prioritize cyber-intelligence according to the specific context and requirements of each organization.

By applying subject matter expertise and refinement using a Threat Analyst, you further ensure that the cyber intelligence you receive is actionable and relevant and that you can respond effectively and efficiently to the cyber threats your company faces.

This unique skill set may be difficult to source and bring in-house. You may find that the need is not a full-time job or that you require a 24×7 solution to address high-risk threat information in near real-time. Consider augmenting your cyber-intelligence solution with Threat Analyst Services.

SQ Risk provides the additional layer of subject matter expertise through our Threat Analyst Services to refine the cyber threat intel, cutting through the less actionable noise and allowing you to focus on the high-risk items that require immediate attention and escalation. If you are just starting to build your cyber threat program, SQ Risk partners with leading cyber-intelligence providers to deliver appropriate intelligence tools and feeds.