As the threat landscape evolves, timely access to credible intelligence is critical for your organization. According to 210 security and IT leaders, practitioners, administrators and compliance professionals surveyed by CyberRisk Alliance, early-warning attack feeds and actionable reporting are indispensable features in any threat intelligence playbook.
Here are some key findings of the survey:
- Automated threat detection and response (86%) and automated data collection features (78%) are critical or high-priority capabilities of a threat intelligence platform.
- Threat data is used to improve incident response (65%) and to inform proactive threat hunting (50%).
- Threat intelligence programs generally focus on collecting data from internal sources on the network (72%) rather than scouring external sources like the dark web (45%).
- Vulnerability prioritization (70%) and improving incident response (65%) are the top use cases for threat intelligence.
Respondents mentioned various external and internal challenges that tested their threat intelligence capabilities. These include complex tech stacks, inadequate integration of security tools and data feeds, unreliable and low-quality data, budgetary and staff shortages and the need for end-user education.
Steps to Boost Your Threat Intelligence Playbook
Improving your threat intelligence playbook is essential to overcoming these challenges to effectively using threat intelligence. A well-structured playbook can help your organization respond effectively to cyber threats and incidents. Here are some steps to enhance your threat intelligence playbook:
- Conduct a comprehensive assessment of your current playbook, taking note of its strengths and weaknesses. Identify areas where the playbook can be more robust and adaptable to evolving cyber threats, paying particular attention to outdated information or procedural gaps.
- Focus on acquiring high-quality threat data from reputable sources. Ensure that the sources align with your organization’s industry and technology environment. Evaluate the reliability and accuracy of the data collected and consider integrating automated tools for data aggregation and analysis to streamline the process.
- Establish a structured framework encompassing clear threat categorization, well-defined roles and responsibilities for key stakeholders and a comprehensive response procedure. Create a system for classifying threats by severity and priority, allowing for a more efficient and effective response. Ensure that your playbook remains adaptable to address diverse threat scenarios.
- Prioritize ongoing training and exercises for your cybersecurity team. Regularly update and test your playbook through tabletop exercises and simulated threat scenarios. Encourage feedback from your team and stakeholders to fine-tune and enhance your playbook based on real-world experiences.
By following these steps, you can fortify your threat intelligence playbook to safeguard your organization against the ever-evolving landscape of cyber threats.
MBL Technologies provides comprehensive cybersecurity services for long-term, sustainable solutions that address every facet of the evolving threat landscape. We help you boost your cybersecurity posture and improve your threat intelligence playbook. Contact us to get support today.
