The Cyber Defense eMagazine November Edition for 2023

The Murky Waters of Threat Intelligence
One of the most pervasive challenges confronting organizations in their quest for effective threat
intelligence is the sheer volume of data generated across a wide array of security tools. The relentless
proliferation of information makes it increasingly difficult to separate the signal from the noise. Inundated
with a barrage of alerts and indicators of compromise, security teams often find themselves overwhelmed
and unable to discern genuine threats from false positives. This information overload not only wastes
valuable time but also diverts resources away from addressing the most critical risks.
While information overload is perhaps the most apparent challenge when it comes to strengthening threat
intelligence programs, there are several other key reasons why more organizations do not (or cannot)
invest more time and energy in this area:
• There is an overall lack of contextualization of information at hand. Raw data, without proper
context, can be meaningless and may not provide actionable insights. If you can’t tie A to B to C,
who cares? This mindset tends to silo security operations which perpetuates the lack of context
problem.
• The shortage of skilled personnel is yet another obstacle in the path of effective threat intelligence.
The cybersecurity talent gap is well documented and is driven largely by increased systems and
architecture complexity, a growing demand for talent, budget constraints, and burnout. When
combined, these factors have made it very difficult for organizations to recruit and retain skilled
IT security professionals.
• Interoperability issues within organizations existing security infrastructure constitute a significant
hindrance to threat intelligence implementation. Many organizations operate a patchwork of
security tools and systems that do not communicate seamlessly. This siloed approach impedes
the flow of information and hinders timely threat detection and response.
• The ever-evolving nature of cyber threats presents perhaps the most unpredictable challenge.
Cybercriminals are continually developing new tactics, techniques, and procedures to evade
detection, making it extremely difficult for IT security teams to identify and then act on threats.
Just one of these roadblocks is enough to deter organizations from investing more time and
energy into developing threat profiles, deterrence tactics, and even remediation plans. The path
forward requires a certain degree of introspection. The willingness to look critically at operational
shortcomings and prioritize areas of improvement that can contribute to better threat intelligence can pay
off down the line, even if it means having to acknowledge some uncomfortable truths first.
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