The Role of Threat Intelligence In Today's Cyber Landscape

In the realm of network security, knowledge truly is power. The ability to understand, anticipate, and act upon potential threats is obviously critical, and threat intelligence can provide that knowledge to create a powerful defense.

The Foundation of Network Defense

Securing a network goes beyond just setting of endless alarms or blocking individual IPs. Without comprehensive threat intelligence, organizations are left playing an exhausting game of digital Whack-a-Mole — trying to block each new bad IP as it appears. While blocking IPs and recognizing indicators of compromise (IOCs) is essential, it can be a reactive and never-ending endeavor.

A couple little "tricks" can make this process a little easier. Instead of focusing solely on individual IPs or IP ranges, blacklisting by domain and/or Autonomous System Number (ASN) can paint a broader, more effective brush with a minimum of false positives. Our solutions use domain lookups to create blacklists of IPs that host C2 traffic, and allow users to create blacklists by ASN,too - effectively turning off entire blocks of networks operated by questionable sources. In its own way, it's a proactive, not reactive, approach that brings network defense to the next level.

Quality and Real-World Relevance

Not all threat intelligence is created equal. Some providers rely on data gathered from simulated environments or honeypots. While this approach can offer some insights, it lacks the authenticity and immediate applicability of real-world data.

Our Collective Intelligence Network Security (CINS) platform continually collects threat data from our global network of sensors, which are are deployed on real networks, protecting real customers. This treasure trove of real data is central in producing our CINS threat feeds.

Maintaining current and actionable threat intelligence is a never-ending task. Threats evolve constantly, IPs change hands, and domains go up and down in a matter of minutes. A static, once-a-week list of threats won’t cut it. The most effective threat intelligence systems refresh their data in near real-time. Our CINS lists are updated hourly, helping organizations to protect themselves with minimal false positives and operational noise.

Integration and Accessibility: A Barrier to Overcome

Even the best threat intelligence is ineffective if it can't be integrated seamlessly with existing security tools. It's harder than it should be in 2024 to ensure threat intelligence feeds are connected to and usable within the organization. While some traditional integration tools have underdelivered on their promises, advancements in open APIs and other technologies are making data sharing more feasible, but there's still work to do there.

Managed services that offer threat intelligence tools serve as a lifeline for organizations that lack the resources to keep up with all the threat intelligence feeds. For SMBs, schools, and local governments that face tough budgetary and personnel constraints, managed solutions can provide access to high-quality, enterprise-level threat intelligence and active monitoring. This levels the playing field, giving smaller organizations the same protection once reserved for larger enterprises.

Why Threat Intelligence Is Non-Negotiable

Threat intelligence isn’t a luxury; it’s a necessity. The dynamic nature of cybersecurity threats demands that organizations stay ahead of the curve, continuously adapting their defenses with real-time, actionable insights. We get it, which is why Nomic offers SMBs and other resource-constrained entities access to cutting-edge intelligence and protective measures.

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