Threat intelligence is the advanced information used by organisations to understand and defend against cyber threats. With threat intelligence, organisations are able to make faster, better judgements in their cybersecurity functions before a potential breach occurs.
Importance of Threat Intelligence
With remote working being the new norm since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, we rely on technology more than ever. However, this reliance on technology has led to cybercriminals to exploit this lucrative opportunity and they have ramped up their game. In 2020, 91% of enterprises had experienced an increase in cyberattacks with more employees working from home, according to VMware Carbon Black.
The increase in the frequency of attacks means that there will be emerging threats. Companies must stay well informed of global events and be prepared for targeted and surprise cyberattacks.
With threat intelligence, organisations are provided first-hand knowledge of the situation of their cyber threat landscape. Once informed, organisations are enabled to proactively mitigate against cyber threats ranging from new botnet attacks to zero-day exploits to help strengthen their cybersecurity posture.
Supporting senior management in strategic decisions
Threat intelligence information provides C-suite executives with the non-technical analysis on the broader trends of the company’s cyber threats. This allows them to make better, well-informed decisions such as investments on the cybersecurity infrastructure.
61% of board management team do not have a comprehensive understanding of information security to fully evaluate cyber risks and preventive measures, according to Ernst & Young. In a report by Ponemon Institute, 54% of organisations said that they were not effective in preventing cyberattacks. Without thorough understanding, the decisions, directions and investments made can be ineffective or redundant.
Mitigating Against Cyber Threats on the Front Line
Threat intelligence also provides technical personnel with the details on the threat, such as its technique, intent and capability. The technical analysis allows IT experts to formulate an action plan to mitigate the threat which includes conducting hot patching, software updates or deploying additional solutions that will strengthen the existing cybersecurity system.
Simply put, threat intelligence is a two-pronged approach — the C-suite executives making important cybersecurity investment decisions and the IT security experts mitigating against the threats through their technical expertise.
How Polaris can Help
Polaris’ threat intelligence technology includes an advance warning system that stops emerging threats before they impact your business. By collecting, comparing and analysing threat data from a variety of trusted sources, Polaris delivers early detections and effective defence against constantly evolving threats.
Suspicious IPs will be identified and blocked from accessing your web application. You will be notified if there were to be the occurrence of a data leak. Phishing attempts on your website will be identified and blocked. The built-in automated vulnerability scanner would conduct daily scans on your server and web applications for both known and unknown vulnerabilities.
