Companies are attacked every day by increasingly sophisticated and targeted cyber threats, to the point where anticipating adversaries’ moves is no longer a differentiator—it has become a requirement for corporate survival.

In this context, one of the most strategic disciplines in cybersecurity comes into play: Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI). But what exactly is CTI? How does it apply to your organization’s daily routine? And why is this topic so urgent today? In this article, I aim to answer these questions and show how to turn noise into data, data into information, information into intelligence, and how that intelligence can resonate into protection—before an attack happens.

What is Cyber Threat Intelligence?

Cyber Threat Intelligence is the structured process of collecting, analyzing, and disseminating information about digital threats, with the goal of supporting tactical, operational, and strategic decisions in cyber defense.

Contrary to what many believe, CTI is not limited to feeds of Indicators of Compromise (IoCs) like malicious IPs or domains. It is about understanding the behavior, motivations, and capabilities of adversaries, creating a solid foundation for smarter, more proactive security decisions. In this sense, the concept of “capability” is very important, as it translates to the adversary’s skills combined with their “firepower,” something that can change over time. Thus, a key competency of CTI is to map and monitor the evolution of groups’ capabilities to issue alerts about changes in their behavior and identify trends in their operations.

According to the MITRE Corporation, a non-profit organization that operates U.S. government-funded research and development centers, threat intelligence allows for an understanding of the TTPs (tactics, techniques, and procedures) used by malicious actors, which enables the construction of more effective defenses aligned with the real risks faced by the organization.

• Tactics are an attacker’s strategic goals in each phase of the attack. For example, breaching a network, which we document as “initial access,” or ensuring the attacker’s access remains active even if the victim turns the affected device off and on, which we call “achieving persistence”.
• Techniques are the means used to achieve the objectives of a tactic. For example, to achieve persistence, an intruder might use the Windows Task Scheduler feature to reactivate the malware every hour.
• Procedures are the specific details of how a technique is executed by a group. They include tools, commands, scripts, or infrastructure resources.

The Four Levels of Intelligence

The CTI discipline can be structured into four levels, each with a distinct target audience and purpose:

• Technical: Specific, granular data like malicious IPs, file hashes, and malware strings. Useful for automation in tools like EDR and firewalls.
• Operational: Information about ongoing attacks, infrastructure used, and malware delivery methods. It supports incident response and threat hunting activities.
• Tactical: Focuses on the TTPs of threat groups. It allows for mapping attacks according to frameworks like MITRE ATT&CK and adjusting defenses more strategically.
• Strategic: Macro-level risk analysis, such as geopolitical trends, nation-state-sponsored actors, and regulatory risks. It directs security plans and investments.

Why Does Your Company Need CTI Now?

The reasons are many—and urgent:

1. Customized Attacks are on the Rise Groups like Lazarus, FIN7, and APT28 are using increasingly targeted techniques, such as sophisticated social engineering approaches and malware families injected into companies or technology products present in the supply chain of various businesses. Intelligence is essential to identify these patterns before they affect your environment.
2. Cybercrime Has Become a Service With the Cybercrime-as-a-Service (CaaS) model, you can buy credentials, attack tools, and even technical support for ransomware on the dark web. Without CTI, your company might not even realize it’s a target before the attack begins.
3. Adversaries Are More Organized Than Ever While your security team juggles multiple tasks, attackers are focused, often with a division of labor, global infrastructure, and funding from state-sponsored groups.
4. Decisions Without Context Lead to Waste Without intelligence, companies spend on tools and projects that are misaligned with real risks. CTI allows you to prioritize defenses based on threats relevant to your industry, geography, and digital profile.

CTI in Practice: How Does It Work?

• Collection: Involves data from public sources (OSINT), closed channels (dark web, Telegram, etc.), partners, and internal sensors.
• Analysis: Uses internationally recognized methodologies like the Diamond Model, Cyber Kill Chain, and MITRE ATT&CK to transform data into actionable knowledge.
• Dissemination: Generates reports, alerts, dashboards, and data feeds that cater to different audiences (from the SOC to the executive board).
• Feedback: Analysis is constantly adjusted based on new incidents and collected indicators, forming a continuous cycle of learning and adaptation.

How Could CTI Prevent an Attack?

Imagine the following scenario: an employee receives a seemingly legitimate email, with their manager’s correct name and title, asking them to update a spreadsheet. Upon clicking, they execute malware that communicates with a remote server. Days later, the company’s systems are encrypted with ransomware.

If the CTI team had been monitoring forums frequented by IABs, it could have previously identified that the company’s credentials were for sale. If it had been analyzing active campaigns, it could have correlated the infrastructure used in the attack with known threats. If communication with the response team were mature, mitigation could have occurred before the ransomware was executed.

Is CTI an Oracle?

Cyber Threat Intelligence isn’t about predicting the future with a crystal ball, but rather about seeing the present through better, constantly polished lenses. In an ecosystem where every click can open a breach, intelligence is what allows you to conduct your business more securely. It empowers your company to identify risks before they become crises, aligns security decisions with external reality, and anticipates the adversary’s next move.

Does your company already have a structured CTI program? If not, the best time to start is now.

Want to know how Resonant’s CTI can protect your business?  Talk to our team and receive a personalized analysis.