Introduction to Cyber Threat Intelligence

Podcast Beta

Play an AI-generated podcast conversation about this lesson

Questions and Answers

What is the primary objective of the course described in the content?

To study historical case studies in Cyber Threat Intelligence

To provide a survey of the foundations of Cyber Threat Intelligence (correct)

To develop advanced intelligence analysis skills

To train practitioners in Cyber Threat Intelligence techniques

Which of the following components is NOT part of the Cyber Threat Intelligence Lifecycle?

Analysis & Production

Requirements & Planning

Data Mining & Redundancy (correct)

Dissemination & Feedback

What is implied by the statement 'intelligence is knowledge and foreknowledge of the world around us'?

Intelligence is only useful to government agencies

Intelligence is solely historical information

Intelligence focuses on social dynamics exclusively

Intelligence aids stakeholders in decision-making (correct)

What does the course NOT aim to achieve?

Training individuals for immediate application of intelligence Signup and view all the answers

Which administrative feature allows for real-time interaction during the course?

Raise Hand / Use Chat Signup and view all the answers

What type of rights does Mastercard grant to meeting participants regarding the Presentation?

Limited, non-exclusive rights for internal use Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements accurately reflects Mastercard's policy on the confidentiality of the Presentation?

The Presentation is confidential and not for third-party disclosure. Signup and view all the answers

What legal guideline must all meeting participants adhere to during discussion?

Competition law rules Signup and view all the answers

What does Mastercard disclaim regarding the Presentation?

Disclaim all express and implied warranties Signup and view all the answers

What should participants do if they believe a discussion includes prohibited topics?

Raise an objection immediately. Signup and view all the answers

What does the requirements and planning phase primarily establish?

Mission scope and intelligence requirements Signup and view all the answers

How should mission scope generally be treated in the intelligence cycle?

It should remain static. Signup and view all the answers

What aspect of the intelligence cycle is influenced by stakeholder feedback?

Intelligence requirements Signup and view all the answers

What does the collection phase encompass?

All activities associated with data collection relevant to the mission Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes intelligence requirements (IRs)?

They are the overarching analytic questions of an intelligence team. Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of the dissemination phase in the intelligence cycle?

To distribute intelligence products to stakeholders. Signup and view all the answers

Which phase in the intelligence cycle immediately follows collection?

Analysis Signup and view all the answers

In the context of the intelligence cycle, which statement about processing and ingestion is accurate?

It involves transforming raw data into a usable format. Signup and view all the answers

Which phase involves ensuring data is in a format suitable for analysis?

Processing & Ingestion Signup and view all the answers

What is the main purpose of Cyber Threat Intelligence?

To support proactive network defense and incident response Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT typically included in the analysis and production phase?

Performing data collection from various sources Signup and view all the answers

Which element is crucial during the dissemination and feedback phase?

Performance metrics and client feedback Signup and view all the answers

What is typically processed to ensure consistency and comparability in data?

Predetermined schema or taxonomy Signup and view all the answers

What type of intelligence source focuses on internal telemetry?

Internal-telemetry based intelligence Signup and view all the answers

Which of these methods is primarily focused on client relationships?

Dissemination & Feedback Signup and view all the answers

Which aspect is commonly associated with the role of Cybersecurity Policymakers?

Regulating cybersecurity protocols Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes the three focuses within Cyber Threat Intelligence?

Threat management, asset management, vulnerability management Signup and view all the answers

In which situation is a Threat Intelligence Platform (TIP) commonly utilized?

During the processing and ingestion of data Signup and view all the answers

What do threat actors primarily rely on to conduct malicious operations?

Threat actor infrastructure Signup and view all the answers

Which of these is a key product delivered in Cyber Threat Intelligence?

Finished intelligence products Signup and view all the answers

What is the main outcome expected from the Assessment phase in Cyber Threat Intelligence?

Deriving actionable intelligence insights Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes the overall purpose of the intelligence lifecycle?

To manage relationships and ensure consistent data handling Signup and view all the answers

Which type of data or systems are commonly targeted by threat actors?

Healthcare data and personal information Signup and view all the answers

What is a primary motivation for threat actors when conducting cyber operations?

To steal data and extort money Signup and view all the answers

What techniques can be employed to mitigate exploitation of targeted systems?

Implementing robust security measures and regular updates Signup and view all the answers

How can the presence of malware be detected in an environment?

By monitoring network traffic for anomalies Signup and view all the answers

In which way can incident response be supported in the context of cyber threats?

By analyzing incident artifacts and forensics Signup and view all the answers

What role does threat hunting play in cybersecurity operations?

It enhances proactive detection of potential threats Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT an objective of gathering threat intelligence?

Disrupting the workflow of IT departments Signup and view all the answers

What is a critical aspect of enhancing security measures within an organization?

Sharing findings with intelligence partners Signup and view all the answers

What should organizations avoid when preparing to mitigate cyber threats?

Assuming all employees are aware of security policies Signup and view all the answers

Which method is effective for recovering from a cyber incident?

Analyzing the attack to inform future responses Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Course Introduction

The course is designed to provide a foundational understanding of Cyber Threat Intelligence.
The course is not a practical course, but an introduction to the intelligence lifecycle and its application in network defence.
The course syllabus includes three main modules: Requirements and Planning, Collection and Analysis.
The course requires students to complete modules, exercises and a final assignment.
Students can attend scheduled virtual office hours for support.

Cyber Threat Intelligence

Cyber Threat Intelligence is the collection, analysis and dissemination of intelligence on cyber threats.
The discipline focuses on the aspects of cyber threats that help support network defence and incident response.
Cyber Threat Intelligence can be implemented to support threat management, including asset management, vulnerability management and threat analysis.
The discipline is focused on supporting network defenders and incident responders.
Cyber Threat Intelligence often includes an analysis of threat actor infrastructure, malware and tooling, victim selection, targeted systems and data, tactics and techniques, and motivations and goals.

Threat Actor Infrastructure and Victim Analysis

Threat Actor Infrastructure:
- Malware and tooling: What specific malware and tools are threat actors using?
- Targeted Systems/Data: What types of systems, data, applications, and technologies are being targeted?
Victim Analysis:
- Victimology: How are threat actors selecting victims?
- Motivations and Goals: What are the motivations and goals of these threat actors? What are they trying to achieve?

Security and Detection

Security and Detection Engineering: How do we harden systems, data, applications, and technologies to mitigate exploitation?
Incident Response: How do we detect the presence of malicious executables or tools in our environment? How do I detect the presence of these executables or tools in my environment?
Forensics: How do we analyze incident artifacts and conduct forensics?

Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures

Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures: What tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) are threat actors using? How do these TTPs impact targeted organizations?
Security and Detection: How do we detect and mitigate these TTPs in our environment?
Endpoint Detection: How can we enhance endpoint detection to identify malicious activities?
Incident Response: How do we respond to incidents related to these TTPs?

The Bigger Picture

Identify relevant threats: Use threat intelligence to identify specific threats relevant to your organization.
Inform risk analysis and management: Use threat intelligence to inform risk analysis and management.
Share relevant findings with intelligence partners: Share relevant findings with intelligence partners to improve overall threat understanding.
Inform cybersecurity policy and resource allocation: Use threat intelligence to inform cybersecurity policy and resource allocation.
Inform security and detections engineering: Use threat intelligence to guide security and detections engineering efforts.
Support training and awareness: Use threat intelligence to inform training and awareness programs for employees.
Support proactive defense and tools changes: Use threat intelligence to guide proactive defense strategies and tool selection.
Support detections engineering: Use threat intelligence to guide detections engineering efforts.
Support security operations and threat hunting: Use threat intelligence to support security operations and threat hunting activities.
Inform attack surface logging and detections coverage: Use threat intelligence to inform attack surface logging and detections coverage.
Recover: Use threat intelligence to inform recovery processes.
Protect: Use threat intelligence to implement protective measures.
Respond: Use threat intelligence to inform incident response efforts.
Detect: Use threat intelligence to enhance detection capabilities.

Studying That Suits You

Use AI to generate personalized quizzes and flashcards to suit your learning preferences.

Description

This course provides a foundational understanding of Cyber Threat Intelligence, emphasizing the intelligence lifecycle and its application in network defense. Students will explore key modules on Requirements and Planning, Collection, and Analysis, and complete exercises along with a final assignment. Virtual office hours are available for additional support.