Guardians of the digital realm: Decoding threat intelligence

Guest blog by Hari Prasad Pillala, SAP Project Manager at VE3 #NatSec2024

Cybersecurity has always been a buzzing realm in the field of technology. In this domain, intelligence & appropriate analyses are the most effective armor against cyber threats. Again, with the increasing complexity of digital assets across industries, companies are in an ongoing struggle. It is a struggle between those striving to defend enterprise digital assets and the ever-evolving tactics of cyber threats.

That is where threat intelligence acts as a beacon to shed light over dark alleys of technological threats. Companies are incorporating more threat intelligence analysts to defend against threat landscapes. Let’s explore the cyber threat landscape in more depth.

What is Cyber Threat Landscape?

The cyber threat landscape is an ever-evolving domain of cybersecurity threats and risks. It comprises a complex digital ecosystem that can pose a danger to online users & organizations. The term encompasses a broader range of malicious stirs, techniques, & technologies performed by cybercriminals. They try to compromise systems, exploit digital flaws and vulnerabilities, or steal & manipulate sensitive details for monetary benefits. 

Cyber threat landscapes are dynamic and ever-evolving because - every day, companies introduce new technologies & methods in their existing infrastructure. That invites new flaws and vulnerabilities, catalyzing the cybercriminals to exploit them. Situations like stealing personally identifiable information and utilizing them through AI (such as Deep Fakes), Advanced Persistent Threats (APT) for lateral movement attacks, massive data breaches, etc., are well-known threat landscapes.

Since hackers are tirelessly exploring innovative ways to carry out cyber attacks, cybersecurity experts and enterprise security professionals should remain vigilant about emerging threats and how to prevent enterprises from such threats. Securing each attack vector comes with unique challenges. Security experts need to have a comprehensive understanding of the tactics adversaries are leveraging.

Common & Current Cybersecurity Threats

There are numerous elements contributing to the constant evolution of the threat landscape. Let us explore the prominent & current cyber threats one by one.

Phishing attacks: It is a well-known social engineering attack. It attempts to exploit human psychology or play with the user’s trust to trick them into revealing sensitive information. In this threat, cybercriminals use bait to lure unsuspecting individuals into exposing personal information such as usernames, passwords, financial details, PINs, etc.

Malware: Malware (Malicious Software) are software types that infect computers & other digital systems. They are also known as "silent invaders" as they secretly compromise the system by infiltrating through various flaws. Some well-known malicious software categories are viruses, trojans, worms, spyware, adware, keyloggers, etc.

Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs): It is an evolved threat or attack campaign wherein the attacker inducts a malicious, unlawful, and long-term presence on a system or network. The attackers choose the target carefully. Primarily, the target includes enterprises, government organizations, and healthcare firms. The motive is to disrupt the operation or steal data from the system while persisting for the long term.

Ransomware: These are trending malicious program that infects & encrypts target systems (data of compromised computers and servers). Once compromised, these malicious programs encrypt the files, making them inaccessible untill the victim pays the ransom. In other words, it holds digital assets as hostages.

AI-powered attacks: Another widespread threat landscape that is evolving because of the advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology is the Deep Fakes. Deep Fake creates fake videos, motion pictures, and voices of any individual by leveraging AI and ML algorithms. Through these, attackers can create approvingly convincing and deceptive content.

Data leakage and data breaches: Another concerning threat landscape that rose to its peak is the data leakage and selling of personal data. Companies constantly steal sensitive & day-to-day generated data and sell it over the dark web or other marketplaces for monetary benefit. Individuals and enterprises often face annoyance due to unintentional data exposures. Data leaks and breaches happen due to insecure communication methods, system misconfiguration, malicious use of third-party apps or services, etc.

What is Threat Intelligence?

Threat intelligence is a cyber threat preventive technique. In this technique, the intelligence team collects, processes, and analyzes information to predict threats and attack vectors. It also helps enterprises reduce the attack surface and render valuable insights into the techniques, tactics, and procedures (TTP) to take proactive measures against evolving cyber threats.

Threat Intelligence Types

Here are three different levels of threat intelligence:

Strategic threat intelligence: In this threat intelligence technique, security experts make long-term decisions considering various parameters. It helps companies take executive decision support.
Tactical threat intelligence: Any immediate threat and intrusion response is performed through this technique. Such intelligence helps companies provide actionable insights & respond promptly to looming cyber attacks.
Operational threat intelligence: The most granular level of threat analysis in any organization is operational threat intelligence. Here, the professionals focus on day-to-day actions & cyber hygiene. They can monitor and defend against threats that can pose danger to digital assets.

Preventive Measures against Threat Landscape

Considering the diverse and dominating threat landscape, enterprises should take farsighted measures to prevent organizations from different cyber attacks. Here are some quick, effective, and comprehensive steps to safeguard digital assets.

Enterprises should leverage robust access control with a zero-trust policy. Employees should get only the necessary privileges required to do their tasks.
Enterprises should also keep an eye on software updates and patch management. Through regular security updates, enterprises can address vulnerabilities and reduce exploitation risks.
End-point security is another essential approach to detect and prevent malware attacks. End-point protection solutions, firewalls, anti-malware, and antivirus are some necessary tools.
It is also essential to follow regular security audits and assess tools & technologies used within the enterprise.
Enterprises should also implement encryption mechanisms and data backup policies. It will help prevent customer data from getting misused.
Organizations should also educate & acquaint employees with various threat landscapes. They should also train employees on how to respond to such threats.

Conclusion

Navigating the ever-evolving landscape of cybersecurity requires a proactive and multi-faceted approach. As organizations continue to integrate new technologies into their digital infrastructure, the threat landscape becomes increasingly complex, demanding a robust defense strategy. In essence, the landscape of cybersecurity will continue to transform, and staying ahead of cyber threats requires constant adaptation and innovation.

Here VE3 emerges as a valuable ally for organizations seeking comprehensive threat intelligence solutions. We specialize in providing advanced cybersecurity solutions, offering a robust framework to collect, analyze, and process information critical for predicting and preventing cyber threats. Read more cybersecurity and tech insights here or contact us directly.

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