Blog

Analyze Edge browsing history with TIP Malware API

Many forms of malicious activity on the Internet involve opening a website in a browser. In phishing, for instance, a malicious page holds the form which the victim has to fill in. Unwanted contents can open from redirects in a page, etc. Hence, the analysis of users' browsing activity can be an important measure to decrease security risks. 

In the present blog, we demonstrate how one can analyze web browsing history with the TIP Malware Check API to find out if a page in a suspicious domain has been visited. We assume a Windows 10 environment with Microsoft Edge, the default browser; a rather common setting. We intend this as an inspiration to administrators of Windows networks in office environments: the script presented here can be easily modified so that it can be scheduled to run regularly, check all users' browsing history and send notifications if something suspicious has been found. 

Find malicious domains in a big list using TIP’s Malware Check API with PowerShell

Even though there is significant research activity aimed at the automated detection of malicious domains, blacklists are still the primary information sources to find out if an Internet domain is suspicious for any malicious activities. The comprehensive search for a particular domain can be complicated as there are a great many useful blacklists. Threat Intelligence Platform's interactive dashboard includes an online search for the investigated domain in a fine selection of relevant blacklist. But what if one has a large list of domains to investigate? The Malware Check functionality is also provided by TIP through the RESTFul Domain Malware Check API. In the present blog, we illustrate how to make an automated malware lookup of many domains by using a Windows 10 workstation and its native tools only. We will accomplish the task with a PowerShell script. 

Avoiding Bad IP Addresses from Both Sides of the Fence Using Cyber Threat Intelligence Feeds

The identification of malicious IP addresses serves at least two primary cybersecurity goals from the opposite sides of the fence. First, it protects your online properties from blacklisting. It has become pretty standard for companies to share an IP address with other users due to the saturation of the IPv4 space. And if you happen to share a host with a malicious domain, yours may end up on a blocklist, too.

Second, one way of preventing a cyberattack is by identifying all of its possible sources, given a single indicator of compromise (IoC). One such identifier is an IP address that you often find listed on publicly accessible threat databases.

Not every product in the market today list down all of the IP addresses a domain resolves to, information that is crucial in determining the nature of a given domain name, including yours. But with the right cyber threat intelligence feeds such as the Threat Intelligence Platform (TIP), companies stand a greater chance of avoiding risks. TIP subjects domains to several tests, including a comprehensive check of IP resolutions with its built-in IP reputation API, to ensure their security. This post mainly shows how TIP can help companies avoid domain blacklisting and becoming the next cyberattack target.

Assessing Domain Reputation and Building Trust with Threat Intelligence Sources

When a small business enlists a payroll processing solution, it trusts the software provider to take the utmost care of all the sensitive data it obtains access to. The same holds true for business-to-consumer (B2C) transactions that pass through an application. For instance, when customers purchase a venti espresso macchiato from Starbucks, they trust that the drink they get is clean and tastes exactly like the ones they’ve ordered before. 

In short, all business transactions are based on trust. People tend to shy away from business organizations they don’t trust. While several factors affect the trustworthiness of a company, ensuring its internet domain name’s reputation or integrity is one that often gets overlooked. Companies mostly focus on generating positive online reviews to convince their target markets of their trustworthiness. But domain integrity could also affect their target’s perception of their organizations.

In this post, we delved into the factors gleaned from threat intelligence sources that affect whether one may trust (or not) a website and its domain name. That way, businesses can focus on improving their trustworthiness. We also discussed what could happen to companies that neglect their domain’s integrity.

Threat Intelligence Platform: How to Check a Website’s Domain or IP Address for Malware

As Heraclitus said, “change is the only constant thing in this world.” More than 2,000 years later, this statement couldn’t be more accurate, especially in the world of cybersecurity. New attack vectors materialize out of nowhere to the point where an email from your CEO has to be scrutinized before employees can act on the message. Cybersecurity experts thus have no other choice but to step up their game, and they surely can’t afford to accidentally ignore a possible attack vector in their cyber monitoring and defense.

For this reason, cybersecurity professionals should be on the lookout for the best threat intelligence feeds. The case in point is Threat Intelligence Platform (TIP), which takes into account several areas that attackers could penetrate, including an organization’s domain and IP infrastructure. The platform checks for vulnerabilities in a given domain’s mail and name server configurations, WHOIS domain records, Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate chains, and IP infrastructure. In the process, it also helps organizations check a website for malware so employees can avoid accessing domains and IP addresses that attackers weaponized.

How does it all work, you may ask? Let’s take a closer look.

How Threat Analysis Tools Help Users Avoid Malicious Spam

Email remains the most widely used means of communication between organizations. On average, 53.65 billion legitimate emails are sent daily. With that, unfortunately, also comes a startling fact—an average of 302.99 billion illicit emails or malicious spam ply the Internet every day. These statistics clearly show the importance of monitoring spam emails while on their way to corporate users’ inboxes.

One way to do that is by screening senders and messages for threats using robust analysis products such as Threat Intelligence Platform (TIP), probably as part of existing email security solutions and processes. Read on to find out how.

How Cybersecurity Experts Can Use Threat Intelligence Tools to Prevent Malware Infection

Cybersecurity is indeed a growing concern for all. Over the years, we continued to witness a considerable increase in the volume and sophistication of cybersecurity threats — resulting in breaches, 28% of which were malware-enabled, which continue to cripple companies. Amid this backdrop, cybersecurity experts must remain vigilant and ensure that none of their network-connected systems are malware-infected.

In this post, we take a look at how threat intelligence tools like Threat Intelligence Platform (TIP) can help them safeguard their infrastructure from debilitating attacks. Before that, though, let’s list some of the most common malware-enabled cyber attacks that cybersecurity teams must thwart.

On the Path to a Mature Cybersecurity Program: How a Cyber Threat Intelligence Platform Helps

Every established enterprise aspires for its threat intelligence program to reach a certain maturity level. However, in assessing current capabilities, they often discover a few stumbling blocks, which include:

• Lack of know-how: Some have no idea about their security posture and the imminent threats surrounding them.

• Fragmented systems and workflows: Security operations centers (SOCs) deal with a lot of bottlenecks due to silted teams and security solutions. As a report says, companies, on average, incorporate 80 different security products from 40 vendors in their operations.

• Overwhelming stream of threat data: Security teams don’t always know what to do with the vast amount of information they receive from multiple sources. Stuck in their ways, they dedicate a chunk of their time on investigating event-based alerts rather than proactively hunting down or analyzing unknown threats. They also fail to share threat intelligence with appropriate teams or departments promptly.

• Resource constraints: The brunt of threat research and analysis usually rests on the shoulders of a lone analyst or a couple of members from the IT team. As a majority of the alerts they receive remain unparsed, they end up wasting time on sorting raw data.

So, how can an organization immediately know where it stands? Let’s examine how a cyber threat intelligence platform can help organizations achieve security maturity.

3 Ways How Threat Intelligence Platform’s SSL Certificate Chain Checks Can Enhance Your Cybersecurity Posture

Not all threat intelligence platforms are created equal, but for organizations that want to strengthen their cybersecurity posture, using comprehensive threat intelligence platforms is a must. Such a solution should be able to gather and analyze a wide range of data points and perform crucial functions that include:

• Checking and analyzing a host’s infrastructure and IP address resolution
• Analyzing web content and checking for host configuration issues
• Detecting malware
• Examining a domain’s WHOIS record
• Testing the configuration of a domain’s name and mail servers
• Analyzing a domain’s Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate chain

In this post, however, we will focus on why it is essential to check a domain’s SSL certificate chain, a feature that not all threat intelligence platforms offer. But before we delve into this, let’s first define what an SSL certificate chain is.

How Threat Intelligence Platform Can Help Companies Keep Their Websites Threat-Free

The Internet has grown immensely both in scale and reach over time, allowing anyone to grow ventures online as they wish. Unfortunately, that convenience also allowed parasites (aka cybercriminals) who seek to exploit legitimate sites for their own gain. Based on the latest statistics, a company can lose an average of $13 million to an attack. Organizations, big and small alike, have fallen prey to costly and devastating attacks and so now have no choice but to improve their defenses.

One way of amplifying security efforts, especially for those who own and maintain websites, is to use applications like Threat Intelligence Platform (TIP). But before we can go into the “how,” let’s first identify some of the biggest threats that can affect any organization’s site.

How To Avoid JavaScript Injection Attack

As a web application tool, JavaScript is often run on the client-side so that the developers of a web service can implement a desktop-like view and provide a similar experience to users. JavaScript Injection, also known as JS Injection, injects a JavaScript code that can run on the user's end of the website. It is the client-side injection where a user can insert JS code onto a page through the URL link bar or by finding a Cross-Site Scripting vulnerability on the website. An attacker creates a way to inject a payload (malicious JS code) onto a web page visited by the victim, which the attacker can then engineer to perpetrate their crime(s).

Why Should Enterprises Adopt Vulnerability Management In Their Security Program?

Vulnerability assessment refers to a series of operations that are used to define, identify, prioritize and classify vulnerabilities on computer networks, applications, and infrastructures. This assessment provides intelligence regarding the conditions, risks and the background to the security team of an organization. It determines how they can react to the threats appropriately. Vulnerability assessment identifies threats and the risk they pose. Sophisticated security tools including network security scanners and threat intelligence tools are the most used resources to assess vulnerabilities in your environment.

Organizations, whether big or small, can benefit from vulnerability assessments by understanding the nature of a threat or attack, security flaws, and overall risks. This means the chances of systems breach are reduced, thus protecting the assets of an organization.

How Enterprises Can Prevent and Mitigate DDoS Attacks With Real-time Threat Intelligence

A Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack is a non-intrusive internet-based attack that is targeted on a website to slow it down. This is executed by hijacking and infecting vulnerable computers and IoT devices, such as security cameras, digital video recorders, smart TVs, etc. with malware and then weaponizing them for use in widespread attacks on various websites. As the adoption of IoT devices increases, the risks grow higher. In fact, the number of cyberattacks on IoT devices increased by 300% in 2019!

DDoS attacks leverage those infected devices (also known as bots) by generating false traffic to the network or server. This attack blocks legitimate users from reaching an organization's web page. Fake traffic surges test the bandwidth of an application or website server. DDoS attacks happen as threat requests on a server's vulnerable endpoint.

In mild cases, the effect of a DDoS attack would slow down traffic on a website, causing slow responses to prompt actions. And in extreme cases, it shuts down the website entirely, making access difficult for genuine users and causing an organization to lose a large amount of revenue. Needless to say that this is problematic for any business, isn't it?

While trying to know the effect of DDoS attacks, some wonder if users' information can be extracted during the event. Well, as mentioned earlier, the attack is non-intrusive; so, it means that no internal information or data can be accessed. However, for those who may not know (and even those who do), the attackers can use the DDoS hack to blackmail and extort host websites/organizations. To prevent these expensive outcomes, the Security Operation Center of any organization must do well to learn the tactics that would keep them above DDoS attacks.

Threats Trends To Watch Out For In 2020

Foresight is power when it comes to cybersecurity. Every Security Operation Center (SOC) has the responsibility of following security and threats trends and forecasts each year so they can proactively prevent online wrongdoing. In 2019, about $2 trillion was attributed to global cybercrime, according to Juniper Research. Considering the growing rate and sophistication of cybercrime, it is expedient to stay abreast of the cybersecurity threat trends in 2020. Here is our list of top 5 threats that security experts should definitely look out for in the coming year.

Importance of Threat Hunting Today!

A cyber attack is a pain, not just because an organization’s sensitive information can fall into the wrong hands, but also because the trust between clients and a company can be hurt in various irreparable ways. As security policies are adopted to ensure the safety of sensitive data, it is now common practice for companies and other data-reliant businesses to engage in the early detection of threats that may escape first-level security checks. Threat hunting as a concept is the proactive and purposeful search of networks to detect, identify and remove advanced threats that escaped security solutions. Simply put, threat hunting is a defensive measure that seeks to detect vulnerabilities and prevent attacks. It is proactive, iterative, and systematic.

Today, threat hunting has become a necessity because of the incessant, persistent, and dynamic attacks by cybercriminals seeking to steal sensitive data. Because it is practically impossible for organizations to cover the time, technology, and processes involved in building and developing sophisticated cybersecurity strategy at the same rate the threats do, it has become important to try and get ahead of the criminals and reduce their success rate.

As part of hunting threats, security experts need comprehensive data to make sense of their current landscape. Threat Intelligence Platform (TIP) can provide threat hunters with a wide range of information on risks and threats and help raise red flags on suspicious items for further investigation. Taking a proactive stance on your cybersecurity & preventing attacks by leveraging threat hunting practices can benefit your organization in the following ways...

8 Ways Unified Threat Management (UTM) Appliance can Benefit Small and Medium Businesses!

Small and Medium Businesses (SMB) should literally mean small and medium; hence, ideally, it can’t be expected that either of them will become a target for attackers. Sadly, more often than may seem, SMBs get attacked and hacked. In fact, 43% of cyber attacks are targeted towards small businesses. The reason is not that far-fetched; SMBs rarely invest in cybersecurity measures and threat intelligence, thus making their systems easy to hack. Most big organizations now invest in sophisticated threat prevention and detection solutions; therefore, attackers find it easy to target small and medium businesses.

A possible network security solution for SMBs with limited resources is to invest in a Unified Threat Management (UTM) appliance. With UTM, it is easier to handle security operations because all security protocols are grouped in one place and not separate applications. Here is how UTM can benefit small and medium-scaled businesses.

Phishing Website Investigation with Whois XML API and Threat Intelligence Platform Toolsets

Arguably, the most ironic phishing incident to hit American corporations occurred shortly after the infamous Equifax data breach. In September 2017, hackers broke into the networks of the credit reporting bureau Equifax and stole the private details of about 60% of the population of the United States; that is, every American of working age. They made off with the names, addresses, drivers' license numbers, and social security numbers of 143 million consumers.

Only days later, Equifax launched the website equifaxsecurity2017.com to answer the questions the consumers had about the hacked account and to apply an account protection service. Unfortunately, Equifax staff actually linked the official Equifax Twitter account to a fake site, securityequifax2017.com. A software engineer named Nick Sweeting created the fake website to make a point to Equifax -- and, as one would expect, the entire corporate world -- how they set themselves up to be defrauded.

The Benefits of Integrating Threat Intelligence into Your SIEM

Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) is an important tool for Security Operation Centres (SOC), which is currently employed with many organizations, most likely including yours.

The functionality includes the collection of data logs from different streams of network sources for evaluation, analysis, and other network-dependent events for threat detection and attack prevention. SIEM provides an organization with a holistic view of their cybersecurity status; hence, the data logs are collected for investigations and to access points strengthening. They are centrally integrated into a security system for centralized log management.

While SIEM looks like a great security tool, it is not always enough. Why not? Cybercriminals keep deploying creative approaches to breach security systems without being detected, by using high-definition techniques that target a security system or data storage. Hence, Threat Intelligence (TI) becomes a supportive system.

The Use Of Connected Domains API In Cyber Security & Threat Intelligence

Cyber attacks on various industries and organization cause a lot of damage, both financially and by tarnishing their reputation. There are tons of trillion attack attempts on the cyberspace occurring monthly. This is why Security Operation Centres (SOC) try to stay ahead of the game by scanning for malicious activities before they get botched. Connected Domains API performs a Reverse IP lookup, which is an extremely valuable tool employed by security analysts to identify different hostnames that are configured on an IP address. That is, search queries can be done to obtain crucial information about multiple virtual hosts with DNS records from a central IP address. This technique has found great applications in cybersecurity and threat intelligence activities. The protocol does not just protect virtual properties from attacks; some organizations use it for market research and identifying copyright infringers, detecting fraudulent transaction, etc., which are explained in this blog. However, the extent to which the technique is used is dependent on the sector where it would be applied. Here are some popular use cases of Connected Domains API for cybersecurity and threat intelligence that your organization can benefit from.

Understanding & Avoiding PowerShell Exploits

PowerShell is an inbuilt command-line tool which is incorporated on Windows operating devices. This in-memory software provides full access to system functions and can be used to execute commands, such as making downloads which are eventually run on the PC. This preinstalled and multipurpose Windows PowerShell has over time become an ideal candidate helping cyber criminals to gain entry to a target system and then laterally moving across to an organization’s entire network.

PowerShell attacks are based on fileless malware; that is, there is no need for a target to install any software from an attacker on the victim’s PC. PowerShell attacks utilize an OS (Windows 7, for example) inbuilt tool, for various malicious activities. Because this sort of attack doesn’t require any new software, coupled with limited techniques to tackle these forms of malware, it becomes difficult to detect the attacks as they keep growing. Some of the most dangerous attacks include PSAttackBuildTool, Offensive PowerShell, Nishang, etc. Between 2016 and ’17, the PowerShell malware attack grew by 432% and by about 661% in 2018. And in 2019, so far, it has already accounted for 57% of the total of attacks detected by IBM. These figures demonstrate the tremendous influence of attackers trying to penetrate people’s personal and cyberspace. Thus, making the knowledge of this malware important for everyone.

The Importance of Threat Intelligence for Financial Industry

These days, there are a lot of security pressures on financial institutions like banks, insurance firms and payment processing platforms. Since many of the financial operations are performed through cyberspace, cybersecurity becomes a paramount issue to be considered. Much of the data and intangible assets held by Financial Service Institutions (FSI) are sensitive, and a leak or hack into those assets would make the institutions and their administrations highly vulnerable. The financial industry and services are among the 5 most attacked in cyberspace. Phishing and the misuse of privilege are both the topmost threats for financial institutions, according to the 2019 Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR). About 28.9% of reported phishing attacks were directed towards financial institutions and related customers. To ensure timely and consistent protection of their data and other assets, the industry should consider Threat Intelligence (TI) as an important part of their IT security strategy.

Cyber Threat Intelligence collects new and existing threats from different sources around the network system and produces reports whose information can then be indexed for an automated and prioritized security control protocol. TI repeatedly performs routine checks and scans various data servers to detect and report anomalies. The following points are highlights of how the financial industry can benefit from TI.

The Media Investigative Platform Helps Journalists Dig Behind the News

In March 2017, the ‘Bloomberq’ news website reported that the CIA award in the form of a medal of honor to the Saudi Crown Prince was a show of support for the monarch. The CitizenLab cites in a May 2019 investigative article that the site was fake (hence, the apparent misspelling of the reputable Bloomberg name). CitizenLab attributed Iranian trolls with creating 72 lookalike domains and 153 fake news articles. It took nearly two years of research and analysis for the deception to become public.

Increasingly, the origins of the news we consume about the real world can be found in the digital realm. The information load of emails and websites and social media platforms is coursing into our lives and social interactions at a dizzying pace and sometimes to devastating effect. In October 2018, in the run-up to the United States Congressional elections, Facebook closed down a network of 82 accounts, pages and groups originating in Iran which sought to spread divisive fake news and propaganda ahead of November's mid-term congressional elections.

It is becoming increasingly difficult for consumers to tell facts from fiction, while the credibility of journalism itself has been called into question. Journalists need new tools to supplement their traditional approach to “getting the story right.” The Media Investigative Platform provides the kind of internet website domain research tools that cybersecurity journalists, mainstream journalists, and investigative journalists with the ability to perform deep-dives into the internet sources making and promoting the news. Media Investigative Platform is a product of ThreatIntelligencePlatform.com, which provides the cybersecurity community the means to track and foil cybercriminals and protect the online reputations of brands.

Domain Reputation API: Stop Defacers from Harming Your Brand

Your website is your business’s online front door. It’s the first place people would go to for information on your brand and products or services. Anyone and everyone who’s interested in working with you or purchasing your offerings is sure to come knocking on your door, and the best thing you can do is to keep it open if you want your company to flourish.

Keeping your website up and running should thus be one of your utmost priorities. To avoid having your brand raked in the mud, make sure it’s always updated, uncompromised, and as invulnerable to online attacks as possible. You don’t want to make cybercriminals or anyone with malicious intent feel welcome in your place of business.

One way to do that is by using Domain Reputation API, a tool that evaluates your domain’s reputation by means of a wide range of security data sources via a dynamic external configuration audit. Constantly check up on your domain’s safety to keep threats at bay. Find out why and how in this article.

Emotet Dominates the Threat Landscape in 2019

First discovered in 2014, Emotet is among some of the most destructive malware which has continued to threaten users through its worm-like abilities, polymorphic features, and five scrupulous spreader modules. Created as a banking Trojan which stole data by intercepting internet traffic, the malware started evolving in its new versions and is presently known to have the ability of downloading and dropping other malware in the form of banking Trojans or spam delivery services.

High-end Medical Imaging Equipment At Risk Of Cyber Attacks?

Healthcare industry has been one of hackers’ favorite targets for quite some time now.In order to prove the damage that could be caused by malicious entities to patients, far beyond just stealing their data, few data scientists in Israel took matters into their own hands to bring to light the looming threats of the serious security weaknesses in medical imaging equipment and networks.

How Threat Intelligence Platform and Automation Collaborate

With today's growing cyber threat landscape, security operation centers (SOCs) find themselves overwhelmed by the sheer volume of alerts each day. Without the use of automation, it would be impossible to filter through all of the false alarms to focus on the larger legitimate threats.

While automation is vital in the threat intelligence field, it's not enough on its own and that inadequacy only promises to grow over time. Teams of security specialists can't stay on top of the swivel-chair analysis and false alerts now, finding it impossible to wade through the endless flow of varying, incoming data.

Cyber thieves are using automation tools too in their creative, malevolent efforts, each day growing more familiar with the responses and actions of the security teams they continually test and target. Armed with automation tools themselves, human hackers must be faced head-on by human defenders using powerful automation-based defenses.

When Blockchain Meets Threat Intelligence

It seems that everyone is talking about Blockchain, Bitcoin, or some kind of crypto-currency-related topic. That makes sense. Blockchain is the hotness. It is the great promise that yields so many potential benefits. This is our turn to talk about blockchain and how, sooner rather than later, even threat intelligence will find its way, meet, and coordinate with blockchain in practice.

First, we should give a bit of context to threat intelligence. All too often, this term is thrown around a bit too casually, without regard to what the process truly provides or where it comes from. Threat intelligence is the process of gathering valuable, actionable insights about existing and emerging cyber threats. That’s a pretty concise description that hides a lot of what goes into threat intelligence as a valuable practice. Threat intelligence can be sourced from anywhere. From open source to proprietary databases to self-researched information, there are many ways to carry out threat intelligence in a practical and effective program.

5 Steps to Actionable Threat Intelligence

With everything that can be said about threat intelligence, it’s interesting to see how some organizations continue to struggle with threat intelligence programs. Recent survey participants seem to have some issues with this technology and with integrating volumes of threat information into cohesive, actionable insight. There’s a point to be made here in that threat intelligence have significant security value, but only if the operational program itself can ingest information and tie critical issues to actions.

Many organizations have some form of threat intelligence or another. Whether it’s a subscription to threat information or a full-blown integration to third-party threat intelligence services, there are many looks out there just as there are many levels of success to consider. Every organization, however, can benefit from the personal and institutional integration of foundational steps that focus on using this information and protecting the organization from specific threats.

Why Reputation Matters for Your Email Marketing

Email marketing has become one of the crucial ways for businesses to communicate and establish a relationship with their customers. Your marketing team can create a well-researched and enticing subject line followed by relevant content, visuals and a call to action, as well as ticking all the checkboxes for an ‘ideal email campaign’. But what if that email doesn't make it to your audience’s inbox?

Uncovering Botnets Through Domain Reputation

The purpose of this paper is to help educate technology practitioners, Internet users, technology executives and the security community on the importance of monitoring domain reputation to be protected against botnets and botnet-related activity. This knowledge gap discussion focuses on the validity and power of activity research and the context-based effect of publicly available WHOIS data.

Effective Digital Risk Management with Threat Intelligence

With as many as 4.1 billion internet users globally, 2.5 billion of whom are accessing the web on smartphones, businesses around the world have a lot to gain from having an online presence. While the internet provides businesses with a great medium for reaching out and connecting with an enormous global audience, it also opens them up to those with ill intentions.

The cybercrime landscape is constantly shifting and growing. Contrary to popular belief, small businesses are also increasingly targeted by hackers. Studies have shown that nearly 43% of the victims of cyber attack are small businesses. As many of 60% of those businesses will have to close their doors within 6 months as a result.

What can businesses do to protect themselves in such an environment?

What Role Does a Threat Intelligence Analyst Have in a Company

Threat intelligence is a rapidly growing field. Evidence-based information is made up of indicators or mechanisms of compromise, implications and advice, regarding emerging or existing threats to valuable assets. IT professionals use such intelligence to make decisions, form plans of action and act accordingly.

Sources of Threat Intelligence

There’s no big surprise here: cybercrime is growing at an alarming rate and experts are only predicting things to get worse in the years to come. The good news is that solutions too are being developed to prevent and reduce the prevalence of online threats. One of these is threat intelligence.

Threat intelligence, or TI, became a popular term as soon as it came out, but it can mean a slew of different things to many people. This is partly due to the wide range of formats, uses, and qualities for the types of data TI is involved in.

For companies who want to keep their cybersecurity up-to-date by looking at the sources of threat intelligence from different angles is a must do and it could result in big wins — i.e., uninterrupted operations, avoided financial damages, and untarnished reputation.

Let’s examine the fundamentals of threat intelligence so we can understand how to use it best.

An Insider Look at the Basics of Threat Intelligence

We have often heard it name-dropped during security planning meetings. The term “threat intelligence” has an intriguing flair to it and is starting to get lots of attention. In fact, threat intelligence investments keep going up year after year. Let’s dig into the subject and find out why.

5 Cybersecurity Trends and Threats to Watch Out for in 2019

When will the number of cyber attacks start to go down? At this point we can’t tell, because in 2019 it will definitely grow.

With devices and connections spreading among users, criminals will have new means to exploit personal and commercial information. They will also continue to improve their arsenal of tactics and tricks. And of course businesses will remain busy trying to stop them.

In this article, let’s take a closer look at the most important cybersecurity trends and threats that are bound to grab attention in 2019.

How Data Science Helps Threat Intelligence Analysis

Data science is a major player in today's industries. Its valuable insights in a world powered by information are helping global businesses innovate, expand, and vastly improve. Threat intelligence is one arena where the integration of data science has offered a myriad of powerful benefits.

2019: Beware a New Wave of Crypto Mining Abuse

Crypto Mining is the critical component that built the very foundation of cryptocurrency and blockchain. Fortunes have been made and lost in the world of cryptocurrency and the satellite industries that surround this exciting space. It seems however that anywhere that trade and technologies exist, malfeasance soon finds its way to them. Cryptocurrency is no different. Malware has long been one of the security banes of organizations everywhere. At some point, malware combined with crypto mining and security organizations were faced with a new plague known as “cryptojacking” ever since.

Building Threat Intel Security

A new year is upon us, along with new opportunities to step up the security game. Predictions cover the gambit of possibilities for the year ahead and accordingly, most security practitioners have adopted the principle of expecting the unexpected. Ranking high in most predictions for the year, advanced threats present a unique challenge. Be it desktop, malware, phishing, spam, and a variety of other threat types, malicious incidents can only continue to rise in every category.

2019: New Vulnerabilities Increase Threat Levels

The security industry is always trying to anticipate all that the threat landscape may bring and the beginning of a new year is an opportune time to take inventory of what’s out there, what’s coming, and what we can do about it. Try as we may, it’s probably best to stick to the principle of “expect the unexpected”, which means that a spectrum of flexible security options and tools are realities of the model security practice.

Putting Threat Intelligence into Action

One of the most compelling components of modern security operation is threat intelligence. The practice of compiling relevant, actionable data and actionizing this information into the organization’s cyber-defense protections has protected enterprises across the spectrum. Making threat intelligence a reality however is an entirely different matter. A properly deployed program can be difficult to implement and once implemented, if not focused on valuable information, the program could become ineffective.

The Importance of Threat Intelligence

Today, the internet has become an essential tool for most businesses and the general public. After all, the internet holds possibilities for worldwide communication, commerce, socializing, education, and many other usages. Like anything useful, the internet is not without its dangers. Various threats are invented and implemented every day and they can severely compromise individuals and businesses on the internet. If you are one of the millions of people who prefer to use the internet with less risk of being infected by these threats, Threat Intelligence could be the solution for you.

Your 2019 Security Task List

As we kick off another year, security practitioners look for information to make their environments safer, and easier to protect. Incidentally, most environments need better ways to enhance security to add value and capability, both technologically and practically.

3 Reasons Cyber threats Against Healthcare Are Increasing

Did you know that healthcare organizations are among the cybercriminals’ favorite targets? When it comes to cyber threats, you need to take them seriously with the right threat intelligence, especially in today’s digital world. Medical data and personal data could be stolen by hackers and when it’s stolen, it could be devastating for both your organization and the patient. What you may want to know is why cyber threats are on the increase in the healthcare industry. Here are three of those reasons.

5 Cyber Security Threats Domain Malware Check API Can Monitor

Malware is the sickness of computers.

Its attack is hard to detect and its effects can be absolutely devastating and costly for any business. In fact, in 2017, companies were altogether paying US $3.82 million per attack in an effort to contain the harm.

Domain Reputation API: The Benefits Behind the Numbers

Cybersecurity threats come in many forms and from different directions. Businesses may want to examine them one by one, but that might be difficult as they often have limited resources and know-how in the face of the continually evolving nature of attacks.

Threat Intelligence Feeds: Relevant and Evolving

As cyber threats are becoming more complicated and difficult for companies to handle, it’s no surprise that people want stronger cybersecurity. In a time where everything is digitalized, there are more threats than before. Traditional security isn’t enough. Threat intelligent feeds, however, can be. As more businesses turn digital, cybercriminals have more targets.

Connected Domains API: Cutting the Ties

Cybercriminals continue to grow in sophistication and daring, and traditional cybersecurity methods are no longer enough to contain them. Most Internet users share this view, as confirmed by a 2017 study where only 31% of respondents said traditional solutions provide the protection their organizations need.

In such a landscape, it is prudent to be proactive and take advantage of emerging cybersecurity approaches, and TIP’s Connected Domains API is one of them.

6 Reasons Why You Should Care about Domain’s Infrastructure Analysis

Location, location, location. That's the advice you hear when you're contemplating on opening up a business. You should be near where your customers are, they say, or you will be ignored. Well, the same principle applies when setting up a domain on the Internet. You should be near your targets. And the way to find whether you are is through Threat Intelligence Domain’s Infrastructure Analysis API.

SSL Configuration Analysis API: 5 Cyber Threats It Can Protect You From

Conducting business over the Internet is all about trust. It's not like going on a blind date, but rather about making sure that you won't end up being harmed or disappointed. This entails conducting a background check, lots of verification, and, finally, securing valid certification by ensuring that the people you're dealing with are who they say they are and that your confidential data will be safe with them.

SSL Certificate Chain Analysis API: Exploring the Chain

Trust is the bond that connects the many interactions on the web but it is only given after a company or website has been proven worthy of it. In this context, proof comes from SSL certificates provided through a chain of issuing authorities — checked for authenticity link by link through SSL Certificate Chain Analysis API.

All along the Watchtower: How this Solution Can Help Manage Digital Risk

Every single day, over 2.5 quintillion bytes of data are created. The Internet of Things (IoT) world of connected, smart devices is growing rapidly, and there’s estimated to be 26 smart objects per human on earth by 2020, with most of these devices being used in factories, business and healthcare. The enterprise application market could reach $288 billion by 2024...

4 Essential Threat Intelligence Tools to Keep Your Servers Safe

Owning a business in the 21st century means maintaining an effective and useful web site for potential clients to find and engage with your business. Unfortunately, a web presence follows a risk of cyber-attacks so it’s essential that your business be properly protected. Whether you’re a large corporation with a sizable cyber security unit, or you’re a small business and your own cyber security team, getting the right threat intelligence tools is vital. Taking advantage of these tools can make a difference between another successful day of operations and a major compromising incident which costs you both time and money...

5 Benefits of Cyber Threat Intelligence Services for Your Business

Since cybercrimes are becoming increasingly more common, businesses need a way to protect their sensitive data such as credit card, social security and address information from hackers and frauds. Threat intelligence services are an excellent way to ensure your company can adequately ward off invaders with robust security measures. Check out these five benefits of intelligence services to discover how your company can benefit from them.

5 More Examples of Threat Intelligence Platform Use Cases

Many businesses are looking for robust security measures as they learn about malicious hackers targeting organizations. No matter what industry you work in, there is always a chance that cyber criminals might steal the confidential financial and personal information of your clients. If you’re unsure whether to implement a threat intelligence platform, check out these five advantages to decide if your organization can benefit from it.

Do You Know Your Domain’s Reputation Score?

In early 2017, a San Francisco-based online recruitment company blasted an email out to the 20,000 contacts it had accumulated on its list for years. It was the first delivery in several years. Most of the emails did not reach their intended readers. Later, system administrators determined that the Internet Service Provider (ISP) that supported the company’s domain name had blacklisted the domain name – without even the company knowing it!

How to Be Intelligent about Threat Intelligence

As the cybersecurity landscape continues to evolve, threat intelligence (TI) has become an essential component of smarter data protection. We talked about the reasons why in last month’s Cyber Defense Magazine and summarized the key points in this post.

6 Reasons to Put Cyber Threat Intelligence Services to Work for Your Company

Today’s technological advances combined with steadily increasing instances of data breaches have made the mitigation of current cyber threats and prevention of future ones more crucial than ever. It’s vital that organizations implement secure and robust threat intelligence services that complement and seamlessly operate with their existing security infrastructure. The right cyber threat intelligence system offers a myriad of benefits that your company can’t — and shouldn’t — be without.

An Examination of the 5 Most Effective Threat Intelligence Use Cases

It’s integral to have a threat intelligence platform that protects your brand, employees, and clients from cyber threats. This complex threat prevention, recognition, and mitigation requires customization to meet specific needs. Use case approach is the most effective way to produce solid results. Via identification, clarification, and organization of system requirements, use cases examine potential system and user interactions to reach a specific goal.

Why Did Twitter Ban 70+ Million Accounts?

According to a report from The Washington Post, the online news and social networking service Twitter has banned more than 70 million fake and questionable accounts since May this year. The trend continued in June and carried on to July, with no indication of slowing down or stopping.

So, what’s the deal? Why did Twitter suddenly decide to ban 70+ million users? Doesn’t this seem like they are shooting themselves in the foot?

Why Your Threat Intelligence Implementation Can’t Wait Another Day

In the day of massive, well-funded, data-stealing and fast-moving criminal hacking organizations, it’s baffling that most companies don’t take threat intelligence as seriously as they should. Using the false assumption that only large, cash-filled organizations can invest in a threat intelligence platform, many take the wait-and-see approach and leave themselves vulnerable to potential attacks. Obviously, security experts don’t recommend any strategy that involves leaving your network vulnerable, so rather than holding out, you should make a point to pursue threat intelligence services immediately.

Four Key Considerations When Choosing Your Threat Intelligence Platform

Are you considering adding a threat intelligence capacity to your cybersecurity arsenal? An efficient threat intelligence platform can enhance security and simplify your security analysts’ jobs. Choosing the most effective and efficient platform can be a daunting task, but keeping four key points in mind will help you make the best decision for your organization.

Exactis Data Breach Takes Cybersecurity Professionals Back to Basics

In June 2018, cybersecurity researcher Vinny Troia discovered one the largest data breaches in history. Data broker Exactis had exposed a database of nearly 340 million records of individuals on a server that was publicly accessible. That amounted to 2 terabytes of personal and business data, according to Wired Magazine. It’s unclear whether criminals actually stole the data, which was left exposed for the taking.

Nevertheless, the exposure of Exactis records makes it one of the largest in the past decade: Equifax lost control of 145.5 million people's data, while the Yahoo hack affected 3 billion accounts.

The 6 Types of Threat Actors You Need to Know

If you’ve ever seen a true-crime documentary, you know that the first thing the detectives do upon discovering a crime is postulate the identity of the perpetrator.

To understand the motive, not to mention how the crime was committed, investigators play a game of psychological “what-ifs” to determine what sort of personality they are dealing with. The more they understand the criminal, the more likely they are not only to catch the villain, but also to prevent the crime from repeating.

The exploration of what sort of person commits cyber-crimes is still in its infancy. So much is made of the types of security we use to bottle up our assets, data, and infrastructures, that we don’t often think about who is behind the seemingly relentless stream of attacks that assault businesses, governments, and other web presences.

Why Are Crypto-Related Crimes on the Rise?

I remember it when this January, my brother told me that he’d bought some Bitcoins. I knew about the cryptocurrency, of course, but didn’t think much of it. However, given that someone I actually knew is now trading Bitcoins, I decided to dig a little deeper and pay more attention.

This was shortly after the Bitcoin craze that happened in 2017, when everybody and their mother bought Bitcoins and in December it got to over $17,500 per Bitcoin. Not much later, however, the “casuals” lost interest in it (probably finding some new shiny thing to keep them occupied for a while) and Bitcoin price started dropping again, going bellow $8,000 on 5th February.

Hackers Refine Phishing Techniques

In early January 2017, the payroll manager of Sunrun fulfilled what was meant to be a routine request for the W-2 tax forms of its 4,000 employees around the United States. The company offers leases for solar power equipment and services for homeowners.

The urgent request had come from the Sunrun’s CEO Lynn Jurich – or so it seemed. The information the payroll department emailed out included staff social security numbers, wage and tax figures, and addresses. The company discovered the well-planned email scam within an hour of the request, according to The San Francisco Chronicle.

A blend of technology, training, and policy solutions could have averted this scenario, as well as many others that occur every day.

6 Steps to Improve Your Threat Intelligence Platform

Cyber threats can come in many forms and shapes. From phishing attacks, social engineering and worms, to APTs - just to name a few - your company should be on constant lookout for those cyber threats and ways to prevent them. Otherwise, the impact on your finances and reputation with customers and shareholders may prove to be too much.

This is why your company needs to have a solid threat intelligence platform in place. With it, you can have at least some peace of mind when it comes to cyber threats that lurk around the online and offline world (remember, not all such attacks come from the Internet).

Just How Secure Is Your Organization in Today's Digital World?

Have you sat down with your IT department lately to review the strength of your organization’s cybersecurity plans? Have you recently experienced a data breach that has you questioning whether your company’s servers are actually secure? Ensuring that your organization’s threat intelligence is optimally prepared to prevent and combat cyberattacks is increasingly important in today’s digital world. In addition to listing the number of technical security tools you have in place, it is further necessary to consider the holistic environment of digital defense that your office maintains.

What to Look for in a Threat Intelligence Platform

Data protection and breach prevention have never been higher on the agenda. More and more IP assets and private details about customers, users, and employees are stored and transmitted online across multiple internal and external systems.

While that can be beneficial in many ways, this digital-driven environment has made it increasingly easy and lucrative for malicious outsiders to execute all kinds of sneaky attacks: advanced persistent threats, malware, phishing, and countless others. As a result, almost five million records are lost or stolen every day, and the cost of cybercrime worldwide is projected to rise to $6 trillion annually by 2021.

Automated Threat Intel Processing

This year 2018 in cyber security is about governance, automation and intelligence. More and more, critical infrastructure services are available only in the space of “cyber”. At the same time, malware incidents are causing immense losses for businesses, undermining sovereignty of many authorities and causing threats to human lives as well. Modern cyber authorities, sovereigns in the cyberspace, need access to better threat intelligence, to support their securitizing functions. But, manual processing even part of threat intelligence feeds takes time — and the network, as well as whole “cyber” space, is evolving all the time.

How Does Threat Intelligence Benefit Your Organization?

As a technology professional, you understand the need to keep your company protected from cyber-attacks. In fact, many would argue that there is no greater priority for IT departments than to keep their organization secure. However, most security measures that are implemented are based on blanket strategies that only hope to catch intruders before they cause any damage. With the threat of a security breach being ever-present, threat intelligence is necessary in order to gain information on potential threats and confidently protect against any strikes.