Automation : Key to Effective Threat Intelligence

 

Transforming raw data collections into a valuable and actionable threat intelligence requires a lot of effort between SecOps and security teams. The effective approach for acquiring actionable and valuable threat intelligence is via security orchestration and automation techniques. Many operational tasks may be automated, including the following:

• The process of extracting pertinent observables from alerts or emails and associating them with the appropriate Indicators of Compromise (IoCs) typically involves the retrieval of observables in the form of string representations, such as hashes or registry keys. Event types, such as the creation or deletion of specific files, have the potential to be stored as well. Typically, these occurrences originate from automated systems that oversee essential data and system components crucial for the functioning of computers and networks. Proficiency in extracting observables from various sources such as emails, Slack messages, or alerts and subsequently integrating them into appropriate containers for Indicators of Compromise (IoC) is essential.

• The process of generating tickets/issues on tracker software involves the configuration of automatic alerts within IoC containers. These alerts are triggered by specific rules and conditions, such as the detection of events that meet criteria for generating suspicious files or deleting sensitive log files from the system. The implementation of ticket creation and the activation of incident response systems can effectively facilitate the dissemination of information on any potentially suspicious activities to relevant individuals.

• Effective communication involves the provision of actionable information to relevant people through email and instant messaging, particularly when an Indicator of Compromise (IoC) requires attention. This can be achieved using electronic communication channels such as email, instant messaging, or specialized software tools.

• The process of gathering additional data pertaining to IP addresses, domains, email communications, files, and digital signatures from many sources is being undertaken. When gathering data, it is necessary to broaden the scope of its origin by incorporating other reliable and well-established sources. This may encompass several entities, such as the SANS Internet Storm Center or DomainTools, which can be classified as critical, public, or private organizations. It is necessary to perform cleaning, parsing, and storage of all the feeds in a unified format in order to facilitate subsequent analysis.

• Conducting contextual log searches for various entities such as IP addresses, domains, email addresses, files, and signatures. Efficiently and accurately identifying corresponding Indicators of Compromise (IoCs) based on specific IP addresses, domains, emails, files, or signatures is crucial for comprehensive analysis. An additional method for enhancing this procedure is the implementation of a feature that allows the preservation of search queries, thereby facilitating their association with automatic notifications.

• Providing IoC block configurations. Indicators of Compromise (IoCs) hold substantial importance as they suggest the probable compromise of a certain resource. In order to effectively address active threats, it is imperative for services and operators to promptly respond to actionable events and possess the capability to expeditiously establish blacklists for the purpose of blocking such threats.