Cyber-intelligence: what it is and what are its advantages of use at a strategic and tactical level

Cyber-intelligence is an emerging and ever-evolving field that combines elements of traditional intelligence with information technology to protect digital operations.

What is Cyber-intelligence?

Cyber-intelligence is the collection and analysis of information on threats and vulnerabilities in cyberspace that can affect organizations, administrations, and governments.

Its main objective is to provide a detailed understanding of the threats faced by these entities and countries, enabling informed decision-making about protecting their digital assets.

To understand what Cyber-intelligence is, it is necessary to know that it focuses on detecting and identifying potential threats before they materialize, allowing organizations to prepare and defend proactively.

This can include identifying threat actors, their tactics, techniques, and procedures, and open and exposed corporate vulnerabilities that they could exploit to carry out an attack successfully.

It is essential to understand that Cyber-intelligence is not only about collecting data, analyzing it, and transforming it into valuable information to face the detected threats.

It requires data analysis capabilities and involves creating a feedback loop in which threat information is continuously used to improve an organization’s defenses.

What is Cyber-intelligence

Main Applications of Cyber-intelligence

Cyber-Intelligence has many practical applications within an organization’s cybersecurity strategy.

Brand Protection

Brands, with their reputations, are among an organization’s most valuable assets and, therefore, one of the most targeted by cybercrime.

Cyber-intelligence tools currently offer the best strategy for protecting the brand against fraudulent use or abuse.

Third-party risk

In an environment where the IT perimeter has blurred its boundaries in favor of hyperconnection, controlling the risk of the value chain has ceased to be a voluntary protection strategy. It has become an obligation established by the most advanced legislation, such as the European NIS 2 Directive.

Cyber-intelligence tools allow organizations to control third-party risk through objective data obtained in real-time and in a nonintrusive manner, so obtaining permission from third parties is unnecessary.

Detecting and disabling phishing, fraud, and scam campaigns

Raising awareness among customers, employees, and third parties about phishing, fraud, and scams cannot be an organization’s only strategy to fight them. Organizations must actively protect all these actors for safety and their brand’s reputation.

Through Cyber-intelligence, organizations can locate, track, and deactivate phishing, fraud, and scams with corporate identity theft on social networks.

You may be interested in our post→ Phishing: what it is and how many types there are.

Compliance

Legal systems are becoming stricter regarding organizations’ compliance with protecting the personal and sensitive data they handle and controlling the risk of third parties.

Cyber-intelligence tools allow not only control of the value chain but also detect in real-time the leak and exposure of any organization’s database and open vulnerabilities that may imply a legal sanction.

Detection and removal of open and exposed vulnerabilities

Open and exposed vulnerabilities on the Internet, the Dark Web, the Deep Web, and Social Networks are within anyone’s reach and are exploited by cybercriminals to design attacks.

The time the vulnerability remains open plays into the attack’s success.. Cyber-intelligence tools enable the organization to detect them almost as soon as they occur.

Locating Leaked Passwords and Credentials

The organization’s knowledge of leaked passwords and credentials and its real-time location allow it to change them before they can be used to execute an attack.

Locating Leaked and Exposed Corporate Databases

Cyber-intelligence tools allow the organization to detect the leak of any database in real-time and to act quickly to avoid sanctions and damage to corporate reputation.

Protection of intellectual and industrial property

The detection of the unauthorized use of resources over which the organization has intellectual or industrial property is essential to protect the corporate core’s assets.

With Cyber-intelligence tools, this fraudulent use can be detected in real-time, and the mechanisms to report and eliminate it can be activated.

Cybersecurity Scoring

The most complete Cyber-intelligence tools allow you to obtain cybersecurity scores, both your own and those of third parties, through objective and up-to-date data.

This capability facilitates decision-making in alliances and cooperations, positioning in contracts with the administration or with other agents, and detecting weak points in the cybersecurity strategy.

The Three Types of Cyber-intelligence: Tactical, Strategic, and Technical

Among the different types of Cyber-intelligence, we can find three main ones:

Tactical Cyber-intelligence

This type of Cyber-intelligence focuses on immediate threats.. It includes identifying specific threat actors, understanding their tactics, techniques, and procedures, and detecting ongoing attacks.

Tactical Cyber-intelligence is essential for incident response and threat mitigation.

Strategic Cyber-intelligence

Strategic Cyber-intelligence deals with long-term trends and emerging threats.. It includes analyzing cybercriminals’ tactics, identifying new vulnerabilities, and understanding how the threat landscape will evolve.

Strategic Cyber-intelligence is crucial for security planning and decision-making at the organizational level.

Technical Cyber-intelligence

Technical Cyber-intelligence involves the detailed analysis of technical data related to cyber threats.. It includes analyzing malware, identifying indicators of compromise, and understanding how attacks are carried out.

Technical Cyber-intelligence is essential for network defense and the protection of digital assets.

Each type of Cyber-intelligence plays a crucial role in protecting organizations against threats.. Together, they provide a complete view of risks, enabling organizations to protect themselves in the digital environment effectively.

main types of cyber-intelligence

Advantages of using Cyber-intelligence at a strategic and tactical level

On a strategic and tactical level, implementing a Cyber-intelligence tool offers several advantages to organizations:

Cyber Threat Prevention: Cyber-intelligence enables organizations to identify and mitigate threats before they can cause harm. This includes identifying threat actors, understanding their tactics, and detecting vulnerabilities that could be exploited.
Incident response: When a security incident occurs, Cyber-intelligence helps determine what happened, who was responsible, and how it can be prevented in the future. It includes actions such as malware analysis, attack attribution, and identification of indicators of compromise.
Threat Intelligence: Cyber-intelligence provides valuable insights into emerging threats and security trends. It helps organizations stay one step ahead of cybercriminals and adapt their defenses accordingly.
Compliance: Organizations have compliance requirements that include protecting digital information and susceptible data identified by legal systems. Cyber-intelligence helps organizations comply with these regulations by providing information about the threats and vulnerabilities that need to be addressed.
Digital Investigation: In the case of a digital crime, Cyber-intelligence is used to collect evidence and track criminals. This involves identifying the source of an attack, gathering digital evidence, and assisting in prosecuting criminals.

Why do companies need Cyber-intelligence tools?

In the digital environment cyber threats are a constant reality that is increasingly difficult to contain due to the incorporation of new technologies into attack planning and execution.

Businesses of all sizes and industries are potential targets for cybercriminals. Cyber-intelligence tools allow them to use those same new technologies to take a proactive approach to cybersecurity and stay ahead of attacks, neutralizing them before they materialize.

Proactive threat prevention Cyber-intelligence enables organizations to identify and mitigate threats before they can cause harm. This is especially useful at the tactical level, where early threat identification can prevent attacks and minimize damage.

Informed decision-making: At a strategic level, Cyber-intelligence provides organizations with the information they need to make informed decisions about protecting their digital assets. This includes identifying new vulnerabilities, understanding cybercriminals’ tactics, and anticipating emerging threats.
Effective Incident Response: Cyber-intelligence helps organizations respond more effectively to security incidents. It provides information that allows the identification of an attack’s source, the determination of its scope, and the implementation of measures to prevent future incidents.
Compliance: Cyber-intelligence helps organizations comply with information security regulations by providing information about the threats and vulnerabilities that can lead to a legal breach.
Improved cybersecurity strategy: By providing a comprehensive view of threats, Cyber-intelligence enables organizations to improve their security posture and protect themselves more effectively in the digital environment.
Cost savings: Security breaches are costly in terms of direct financial loss and damage to a company’s reputation. By preventing these breaches, Cyber-intelligence tools prevent the business’s IT risk.

Get to know our Cyber-intelligence solution for companies

Kartos XTI Watchbots, the Cyber-intelligence platform for enterprises developed by Enthec, provides organizations with the most evolved Cyber-intelligence capabilities on the market.

Kartos obtains data on open and exposed vulnerabilities, issues real-time alarms, and issues reports, thanks to Artificial Intelligence developed in-house, in an automated and continuous manner.

An AI so evolved allows Kartos to be the only Cyber-intelligence platform for companies capable of eliminating false positives in search results.