External Threat Intelligence Made Easy – by the IT experts

You’ve patched systems, implemented firewalls, and trained your team on cybersecurity best practices. Yet, cyberattacks keep getting smarter and harder to predict. Sound familiar? External threat intelligence could be the missing piece of your defense strategy.

Cyber threat intelligence, both internal and external, is the cornerstone of a proactive and resilient security strategy. In this blog, we’ll cover the sources of threat intelligence as well as the benefits of internal and external threat intelligence alike, their benefits and drawbacks, and the transformative effect these strategies can have on an organization’s security. 

What is cyber threat intelligence? 

Cyber threat intelligence (CTI) refers to the collection, analysis, and application of information about potential or existing cyber threats to help organizations make informed decisions and strengthen their security posture. It involves gathering data from various internal and external sources to identify malicious activities, actors, tools, tactics, and vulnerabilities.

The purpose of cyber threat intelligence is to gain a better understanding of potential security threats and adversaries. Ideally, the organization will be able to understand not only their surface-level activities but also their deeper motives, ideal targets, and patterns of attack. With this information, companies can better anticipate threats and adopt a proactive security posture that allows them to strategically reduce harm with advanced countermeasures. 

Under the umbrella of cyber threat intelligence, there are a couple of different threat intelligence sources, primarily categorized into internal and external intelligence. In this article, we will be diving deeper into the latter. 

What is external threat intelligence? 

External threat intelligence refers to data collection from sources outside your organization about both past and present threats. This data might include information about threat actors and their techniques, tactics, and procedures (TTPs) and indicators of compromise (IOCs). 

So where does this information come from? External threat intelligence is sourced from the public internet and other external sources, sometimes even the dark web. It might come from open-source feeds as well as specialized platforms and portals that accumulate large databases or security information.

Researchers in the cyber threat intelligence space can tap into vast quantities of data available from darknet markets to investigate or even join hacker communities and keep up with the latest activities. There are even risk management and intrusion detection systems on the market that utilize IP address databases to determine potential attacks. In contrast, internal threat intelligence is information gleaned from an organization’s own systems and logs. 

Gathering, analyzing, and utilizing external threat intelligence helps organizations improve their security posture and shift from a reactive stance to a proactive one. With more knowledge, organizations can make faster and more informed decisions. They can detect attacks sooner and at a lower cost, limit the impacts of breaches, and save money doing so. 

Sources of threat intelligence

Threat intelligence is derived from a variety of internal and external sources, including databases, hacker communities, open source feeds, and others. External threat intelligence is so named in contrast to the other source of knowledge in this space: internal threat intelligence. Many organizations employ a combination of external and internal threat intelligence sources in order to gain a holistic picture of their IT security landscape. 

Internal threat intelligence comes from a company’s own systems and networks. This data could include information collected from previously attempted (or successful) cyber attacks as well as known system vulnerabilities or unusual network activity. This information is typically gathered via logs and traffic data from endpoint devices, security systems like SIEMs, or anti-virus tools. 

Internal vs. external threat intelligence

Finding the right balance between external and internal threat intelligence is the key to developing a proactive, holistic security strategy. 

Internal threat intelligence focuses on data collected from within an organization’s own network and operations. This includes system logs from firewalls, intrusion detection/prevention systems (IDS/IPS), and security information and event management (SIEM) tools, as well as historical incident reports and user activity monitoring.

On the other hand, external threat intelligence gathers information from outside sources, offering a global view of emerging and industry-specific threats. Key sources include real-time threat feeds, dark web monitoring for stolen credentials or data leaks, open-source intelligence (OSINT) from publicly available platforms, and collaborative sharing through organizations like ISACs or CERTs. 

Let’s explore the differences between these two forms of knowledge in more detail. 

Benefits of external threat intelligence 

Understand the current threat landscape

Internal security tactics can only identify threats that are already known and understood. On the flip side, external threat intelligence provides new information collection from a diverse set of sources. If a security incident does occur, external threat intelligence may be able to provide context and insights. 

For instance, you may be able to quickly determine if the incident is isolated or part of a larger campaign. You can also gain insight into the malevolent actor’s TTPs, which can guide your response. 

External intelligence allows organizations to compare their security measures against industry peers, ensuring their defenses align with best practices and regulatory standards.

Anticipate threats proactively

By upping your knowledge of current trends in cyber attacks and the latest TTPs of malevolent actors, IT security teams can take proactive measures to strengthen their front lines of defense and prepare potential responses in advance. External threat intelligence enhances your team’s ability to prepare for what’s to come. 

Improve incident response

With the context gained through external threat intelligence data, organizations can more quickly pinpoint the nature and scope of an incident. This allows IT security teams to work fast and effectively in order to remediate a problem before it spreads. 

Benefits of internal threat intelligence

Utilize detailed and specific data

While external threat intelligence helps you gain a picture of broad trends in the cybersecurity space, internal threat intelligence offers a more detailed and specific look at your organization’s individual threat landscape. These threat intelligence sources are best used together to paint a complete picture. 

Benefit from historical information

Internal threat intelligence gives you a chance to review previous security breaches and analyze past network activity and alerts, offering valuable insight into potential issues. Historical data can also be valuable in identifying false positives more quickly to reduce alert fatigue and focus on the most important issues at play. 

Analyze real-time data

While external threat intelligence is broader in scope, internal threat intelligence is typically more up-to-date, as your systems can process information specific to you in real time. This is essentially for mitigating threats that directly impact your organization.

Balancing threat intelligence sources

As you can see, both internal and external threat intelligence are important pieces of the overall puzzle of your organization’s cyber security strategy. These sources of threat intelligence are complementary rather than exclusionary, working together to illustrate the overall threat landscape that any organization is dealing with. Let’s explore the use cases for each. 

Baseline security measures

Often, internal threat intelligence is the foundation of an organization’s baseline security. This allows data from internal networks and software to be analyzed and processed to continually improve security measures and identify threats. 

Threat anticipation

External threat intelligence is a great source for building your proactive security posture. Anticipating and preparing for the latest threats will help you reduce risk and ensure your organization retains security and trust. 

Incident response

If an incident does occur, you can combine both internal and external threat intelligence to contextualize and mitigate the issues. External sources can help you identify the actor’s common tactics and motivation, while internal data can give you insight into the nature and scope of the event at hand. 

The final word: Intelligence as your best defense

cyber threat intelligence is not just an advantage—it’s a necessity. By leveraging both internal and external sources of intelligence, organizations can build a comprehensive understanding of their vulnerabilities and the risks they face. Internal intelligence provides tailored insights into specific environments, while external intelligence offers a broader perspective on emerging threats and global trends.

When combined, these two approaches empower organizations to proactively identify and mitigate risks, prioritize resources effectively, and respond swiftly to incidents with the confidence of actionable data. Cyber threat intelligence transforms raw information into a strategic tool that strengthens defenses, improves decision-making, and ultimately safeguards the organization’s operations, reputation, and future.

Investing in a well-rounded threat intelligence strategy isn’t just about responding to today’s challenges—it’s about anticipating tomorrow’s.