Threat detection and response are critical elements in cybersecurity. The faster a threat is detected, the more quickly security teams can respond. Enter Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) and its associated tools and strategies. They bring a lot to the table, including speed.
Speed is the name of the game when a security team wants to be proactive. It is all about detecting threats at their earliest possible stages. Waiting until a threat becomes a full-blown emergency mitigates any attempt to be proactive. But learning about threats in their infancy gives a proactive strategy its teeth.
OSINT Threat Intelligence in a Nutshell
Threat intelligence is the concept of gathering and analyzing data to identify potential threats before they come to fruition. It is what nationally known cybersecurity provider DarkOwl is known for. DarkOwl also promotes OSINT threat intelligence as a critical component in modern cybersecurity.
OSINT is a threat intelligence strategy that relies exclusively on information gleaned from publicly available sources. Social media and online forums are two prime examples. Some information sources are found on the traditional internet while others can only be found on the dark web.
Most interesting is the fact that dark web intelligence sources are freely accessible to anyone who knows how to access the most secretive part of the internet. All the information is up for grabs to anyone who knows how to find it. That is where OSINT tools for cybersecurity come in.
Hunting for Threats Proactively
Tools designed to hunt for threats proactively lay the foundation for OSINT’s speed. To illustrate the point, consider sources like social media and online forums. They are updated constantly. Proactively scanning known sources of information keeps OSINT investigators on the forefront of what threat actors are saying.
Proactively hunting for threats increases the chances of identifying them before they become much bigger problems. Threat hunters focus their efforts on identifying threats while security teams come up with actionable solutions for any threats that hunters uncover.
Best of all, OSINT can be conducted in real time. Because it takes advantage of publicly available sources that are constantly being updated by threat actors themselves, they have fresh and reliable information to work with.
Looking for Compromised Credentials
OSINT threat intelligence is particularly good at finding compromised credentials across the dark web. Such credentials are an open door to all sorts of malicious activity. But as soon as an investigator finds compromised credentials, affected parties can be immediately notified. They can change their credentials right away. Meanwhile, forensics investigators can begin looking into how the credentials were compromised.
Oftentimes, credentials are stolen through social engineering techniques. OSINT tools for cybersecurity have a role to play here. Both automated and manual tools can help investigators stay abreast of the social engineering techniques threat actors are working with. They can inform organizations of such threats so that employees can be properly educated.
Public Sources Are the Key
Again, public sources of information are key to the whole thing. Public sources are what put the speed in OSINT threat intelligence. Rather than having to wait on proprietary databases and covert intelligence that may not be up-to-date, investigators are getting their information directly from perpetrators themselves. The result is faster threat detection, analysis, and response.
There are valid reasons for utilizing more traditional forms of intelligence gathering. But when speed is the main priority, it is hard to beat OSINT threat intelligence. OSINT tools and investigation platforms can gather, analyze, and report data more quickly because they are getting it directly from threat actors. OSINT is the way to go.