Organizations ranging from corporations to government agencies to NGOs make use of the latest cybersecurity strategies. They protect themselves with firewalls and zero trust network access (ZTNA) policies. Do they all tap into threat intelligence platforms? No. But they really should.

Traditional cybersecurity is largely reactive in nature. On the other hand, threat intelligence is proactive. It seeks to discover what the enemy is doing before attacks are ever launched. Threat intelligence works best when it is part of a broad platform provided by an expert like DarkOwl.

DarkOwl’s threat intelligence platform is a robust platform that addresses threat intelligence from multiple angles. Similar products from competitors do similar things. The goal with each of them is the same: providing cutting edge intelligence capable of helping organizations get the upper hand on cybercriminals and the threats they pose.

Enhanced Detection and Prevention

Key to what makes a threat intelligence platform attractive are its features. What it offers customers directly impacts its effectiveness as a cybersecurity tool. Here is what a typical platform offers:

• Real time insights into vulnerabilities and emerging threats.
• Helpful, contextual information about tactics, motivations, and threat actors themselves.
• Potential warning signs of pending attacks.

Some platforms are capable of providing insights into specific assets. Others are industry specific, looking at attacks that might compromise the various components of a given industry. Regardless, a robust threat intelligence platform equips security teams to be proactive. It equips them to identify and mitigate threats before significant damage is done.

Relevance to Incident Response

Stopping each and every threat in its tracks isn’t possible. Attacks do slip through from time to time. When they do, an organization’s incident response is critical to mitigating the damage. Threat intelligence platforms are relevant to this endeavor. Threat intelligence data:

• Provides actionable insights for investigating and containing incidents.
• Offers context that facilitates improved threat and alert prioritization.
• Assists with post-incident forensic data gathering and analysis.

Threat intelligence data equips an organization to better respond to security incidents by providing deeper and more relevant information about the attack itself. For example, understanding how an attack was planned equips security teams to respond more effectively in the heat of the incident.

Threat Intelligence Improves Resource Allocation

It’s impossible to discuss tapping into a threat intelligence platform without also discussing resources. It is no secret that organizations are constantly dealing with limited resources they know must be allocated responsibly. But consider this: a robust threat intelligence platform can improve resource allocation by pinpointing higher priorities.

Resources are utilized best when vulnerabilities are prioritized. And prioritizing those vulnerabilities is most effective when it’s based on actual risks and exploit potential. Organizations can put their resources where they are most needed and simultaneously reduce resources invested in lower priority risks.

Approached with the right data, resource optimization ultimately maximizes protection against real world threats. Data intelligence can then continue to inform decisions so that resources are always allocated to the most serious and persistent threats.

Worth Every Dollar Spent

Investing in a threat intelligence platform obviously means spending more money. But the fact of the matter is that threat intelligence is worth every dollar an organization might spend on it. Threat intelligence data is like gold to organizations working diligently to protect themselves from external cybersecurity threats.

If your organization is not making use of threat intelligence, a valuable resource is being left on the table. It doesn’t make sense when so many good threat intelligence platforms are out there. Still, there are organizations for whom threat intelligence is not a priority.