Cybercriminals show no signs of slowing their attacks. In fact, breach activity continues to accelerate at an alarming rate year after year. Organizations face an increasingly complex threat landscape brimming with sophisticated hackers, well-funded nation states, supply chain compromises, insider threats and more.
Having access to timely, relevant and actionable threat intelligence serves as the first line of defense against inevitable cyber attacks. Integrating intelligence-driven security strategies has become a business imperative for enterprises worldwide.
According to recent research, the global threat intelligence market is projected to reach $20.6 billion by 2027, expanding at an 18% CAGR. However, sifting through hundreds of threat intel platform options poses a considerable challenge for already lean security teams. This article analyzes the top threat intelligence solutions shaping the market today to help you make a more informed decision.
What Exactly is a Threat Intelligence Platform?
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A threat intelligence platform (TIP) serves as a central hub to aggregate, analyze, organize and store threat data from both external and internal sources.
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Leading platforms ingest open source intelligence feeds, technical indicators, adversary intelligence, exploit archives, malware repositories, dark web data and more.
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Sophisticated analytics generate threat alerts, identify patterns, deliver risk scoring, map attacks to MITRE ATT&CK, and provide high-fidelity intelligence to security teams.
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Threat intel helps SOCs hunt for threats, incident response teams contain attacks, and executives prioritize security strategies.
Core capabilities offered by TIPs include:
- Global threat feed ingestion/normalization
- Central data lake for structured/unstructured intel
- Compromised credential identification
- Risk-based alerting and prioritization
- Attack simulation mapping
- Third-party enrichment options
- Ideal for threat hunters, SOCs, IR teams
By The Numbers: Today‘s Threat Landscape
- 80% of breaches today have a financial or espionage motive
- $4.24 million is the average breach loss per incident
- Just 49% of global enterprises say they are equipped to handle cyber threats
- 276 days is the average dwell time before detection of a network intrustion
- 70% of breaches are executed by external threat actors
- 82% of breach victims are targeted more than once
(Source: 2022 Threat Intelligence Global Landscape Report)
Why Threat Intelligence Matters More Than Ever
The stakes have never been higher for protecting critical assets and data from relentless cyberattacks. Consider just how much risk intelligent threat insights help mitigate:
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Faster threat detection – continuous global monitoring identifies emerging attacks as soon as they are executed anywhere around the world. You don’t have to be Patient Zero.
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Expedited incident response – compromised credential alerts, attacker infrastructure profiles, and malware family attributes equip responders with actionable threat context during high-pressure investigations.
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Improved resource allocation – dashboards with risk-ranked threats and vulnerabilities allow security leaders to strategically prioritize tools, solutions and initiatives with the biggest potential impact.
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Enhanced security posture – simulated attacks mapped to the MITRE ATT&CK framework help teams identify areas of weakness ripe for adversary exploitation within their environment. Proactively close security gaps before you make headline news.
Choosing the Right Threat Intelligence Platform
With hundreds of threat intelligence platforms on the market, selecting the right solution tailored to intelligence consumption requirements and use cases proves vitally important.
Key evaluation criteria include:
- Breadth of Collection Sources – What open source feeds, technical IoCs, underground forums, closed sources and other collection points are leveraged? Are indicators automatically enriched?
- Analysis Capabilities – Does the platform identify threats, risks and patterns using behavior-based algorithms, machine learning, natural language processing? Can users contribute intel?
- Delivery Formats – How is intel received by users? Alert configurations? API connectors? Raw JSON data feeds? Dashboards? Reports?
- Integration Options – Does the TIP integrate natively with essential tools like SIEM, firewall, endpoints? Can threat lists easily be exported?
- Sharing Capabilities – Can finished intelligence reports and indicators be shared across teams or exported outside the platform?
- Budget & Licensing – Does the solution align to your budget and scale cost-effectively with enterprise adoption?
Carefully evaluate available options against intelligence gaps within your organization. The best TIP aligns to both urgent use cases today as well as long-term strategic intelligence needs.
The Top 8 Threat Intelligence Platforms of 2023
1. Recorded Future Intelligence Cloud
Armed with patented machine learning and natural language processing designed specifically for analyzing unstructured threat data, Recorded Future continues to disrupt the cyber threat intelligence market. The Intelligence Graph delivers an interactive mapping engine visualizing connections between threats, infrastructure, threat actors and other entities.
Recorded Future Intel Cards provide analysts with real-time visibility into threat actor identities, malware variants, suspicious IPs, vulnerabilities and more. The vast breadth of coverage spans open source web intelligence, dark web sources, technical sources, and original third-party validated reporting.
Key Capabilities and Sources:
- 750M indexed facts analyzed in 65 languages
- Dark web coverage across TOR hidden services, I2P, chat channels
- Automatically generated risk lists and alerting
- Third-party enrichment integration
- Real-time graphical attack surface visualization
- Exported intelligence in CSV, PDF, TAXII and API formats
- Splunk, IBM QRadar, ServiceNow integrations
Pricing Overview
- Subscription plans starting around $99 per user/month
- Premium pricing scales based on data consumption not users
- Free trials available without credit card
Ideal For
Splunk customers, intelligence analysts, security leaders, vulnerability management teams, vendor security groups
2. DigitalShadows SearchLight
Boasting the largest number of intel sources across the criminal underworld, DigitalShadows SearchLight brings dark web intelligence to commercial organizations. The platform integrates data from over 50 underground forums and marketplaces where cybercriminals converge to buy, sell and exchange everything from stolen data to hacking tutorials.
Using 100% human collection methodology, analysts gather intel from diaspora sites, carding shops, dark web social networks, messenger services, IRC channels and more – translating raw data into consumable finished intelligence.
Key Capabilities and Sources:
- 50+ Russian, Chinese, English criminal sources
- Compromised credential identification
- Brand impersonation monitoring
- Threat actor and cyber criminal dossiers
- Third-party enrichment integrations
- Curated intelligence reports
Pricing Overview
- Subscription plans starting under $99 per user/month
- Free trials available
- Custom pricing for intelligence units and SOCs
Ideal For
Financial services firms, Fortune 500 brands, intel analysts, incident response
3. Anomali ThreatStream
Offering one of the largest structured threat intelligence datasets on the planet, Anomali ThreatStream integrates intel from over 1,000 open web tables, commercial feeds, dark web sources, as well as Anomali partner integrations. Users can leverage unified threat detection, optimized investigation workflows, and ATT&CK mapping to accelerate incident response.
Anomali ALT Intel Reports deliver alerts on active threat campaigns while a simple UI and investigation tools help organizations proactively improve defenses.
Key Capabilities and Sources:
- 1000+ open source and commercial threat feeds
- Curated Anomali ALT intelligence reports
- Bidirectional SIEM integration and 500+ SOAR playbooks
- COLLECTIVE threat sharing communities
- Automated 3rd-party feed analysis and scoring algorithms
Pricing Overview
- Subscription plans starting under $20 per user/month
- Free trial available
Ideal For
Mid-sized enterprises, Fortune 5000 SOCs, financial services
4. LookingGlass Cyber Threat Intelligence
Purpose built to consume threat intelligence at scale, LookingGlass Cyber threat platform empowers customers through complete information control. Multiple global collection points provide broad visibility tailored to customer intelligence requirements while modular solutions enable alignment to specific cybersecurity use cases.
Add-on Intel Streams track the latest threat campaigns using soldier-centric designs adaptable to dynamic operational needs. Intuitive threat hunting workflows accelerate investigations guided by risk-based prioritization models.
Key Capabilities and Sources:
- 100,000+ open source and closed threat feeds
- 170M+ enriched threat indicators
- Atlas and Guardian collection frameworks
- Intel Streams for customizable delivery
- Automated 3rd-party and API enrichments
- TAXII server integrations and STIX delivery
Pricing Overview
- Subscription plans starting around $99 per user/month
- Free trial available
- Annual contract discounts
Ideal For
Government agencies, battlefield scenarios, public sector organizations
5. Flashpoint Intelligence
Offering fused intelligence from highly specialized data sources, Flashpoint serves both private sector and government clients. Collection and analytic capabilities cater to fraud, physical security, vulnerability management, third party risk management, as well as national security use cases.
Flashpoint’s portal and API solution, Flashpoint Intelligence, empowers users through self-serve access to a subset of highly relevant Flashpoint data sources, including Chief Research Officer Rich Barger’s intelligence reports. Flashpoint data supports organizational intelligence needs including vendor supply chain risk management, executive protection travel planning, fraud investigations and hunting for cyber threats.
Key Capabilities and Sources:
- Targeted data from credential dumps, forums, paste sites
- Flashpoint CRO curated intel reports
- Threat actor and threat group dossiers
- Krebs Stolen Credit Cards Feeds
- Massive Passive DNS and Routing dataset
- Portal dashboards and API access
Pricing Overview
- Subscription plans priced on request
- Request Quote from Sales
Ideal For
Financial services, insurance, retail brands, supply chain risk management teams
Additional Leading Threat Intelligence Platforms
While we’ve covered some of the top solutions in the market, analysts project over 20% market growth annually as threat intelligence becomes ubiquitous in cyber strategies. Beyond core SIEM tools offering some forms of intel, additional platforms worth evaluating further include:
- Kaspersky CyberTrace
- EclecticIQ Intelligence Center
- Intel 471
- SCYTHE Threat Intelligence
- Cycraft Japan
- NETSCOUT Threat Intelligence
- Cyberint SIGINT Platform
- IntSights External Threat Protection
- ZeroFox Zieler
Carefully evaluate options against intelligence gaps and objectives for your environment. Vet key attributes around collection sources, analysis capabilities, delivery formats and more during your selection process.
Getting The Most Value From Your Threat Intelligence Program
Implementing an intelligence-led cybersecurity strategy requires more than merely purchasing threat data. To maximize value, feed actionable threat insights directly into existing security systems, workflows and processes for rapid detection, containment and recovery.
“Threat intelligence creates organizational influence when stitched contextually into broader security operations capabilities, tools and response protocols instead of operating in isolation.” – Forrester Principal Analyst Allie Mellen
Further recommendations when launching a threat intel program:
Strategically Identify Intelligence Needs – Carefully evaluate present-day visibility gaps that expose risk. Focus threat intelligence goals on clearly defined problems it can pragmatically solve today.
Align Infrastructure Requirements – Vet integration options to ensure your telemetry sources, security infrastructure, and technology partners seamlessly share indicators for maximum impact.
Structure Consumption Models – Determine how analysts across functions like threat hunting, incident response, and SOC operations consume intelligence operationally on a daily basis.
Scale Usage Maturity – Mature intelligence tradecraft, tool proficiencies, and analytical expertise over 3-5 years to deeply embed threat-led strategies across lines of effort.
Prove Business Value – Track quantitative metrics connected to threat intel such as dwell time reductions, losses avoided from compromise, resources optimized, to showcase clear ROI.
While today’s threat landscape continues to test enterprise defenses, integrating threat intelligence serves as your first line of defense. Evaluate top platform solutions against organizational objectives, budget targets, technology constraints, integration needs, and security capability gaps to determine the best fit. Equipped with intelligent threat insights, security teams shift the odds back in their favor.
