Threat intelligence platforms take advantage of all sorts of data points to do what they do. Some of those data points fall under the category of indicators of compromise (IoC). IoCs are analyzed by cybersecurity teams to help identify everything from malicious activities to potential security incidents to ongoing threats.

A threat intelligence platform doesn’t necessarily have to look at IoCs to find evidence of trouble brewing. But ignoring them is akin to throwing away a priceless resource. Therefore, monitoring for IoCs is standard practice in darknet intelligence.

More About Indicators of Compromise

An IoC is just what its name implies. It is a data point that indicates that either a data compromise is imminent or has already succeeded. To cybersecurity experts, IoCs are recognized by a number of key characteristics:

• IoCs are observable data points or technical artifacts.
• They are reactive, meaning that they often indicate a compromise has already succeeded.
• They offer information that proves valuable in investigating and responding to cyber threats.

The classic example of an IoC is an exceptional amount of inbound or outbound network traffic. Traffic anomalies are to the expected, but unusual surges are a red flag. Other common examples include:

• Suspicious privileged account activity
• Multiple failed login attempts
• Geographic network traffic anomalies
• Anomalies in data access requests

Even things like unexpected system configurations and the presence of suspicious files suggest a compromise has already occurred. By identifying such compromises as early as possible, security experts can mitigate the damage. That’s where a threat intelligence platform comes into play.

More About the Threat Intelligence Platform

A threat intelligence platform, like the one offered by DarkOwl, is essentially a collection of tools designed to scan the internet for evidence of potential threats. When such evidence is uncovered, the platform analyzes associated data, generates reports, and comes up with actionable insights security teams can use to mount a response.

A threat intelligence platform assists security teams as they seek to prevent cyberattacks before they happen. But not all cyberattacks can be prevented. Some still make their way through. By scanning for IoCs, platform tools give security teams the upper hand against attacks currently underway.

IoCs are a high priority for threat intelligence because they:

• Provide Forensic Evidence – IoCs or actually a form of forensic evidence unto themselves. They are evidence cybersecurity teams can use to identify security breaches in the earliest possible stages.

• Enhance Intelligence – IoCs offer critical data points that enhance a security team’s understanding of the current threat landscape. This leads to better and more proactive security measures.

• Provide Contextual Awareness – A properly analyzed IoC is a treasure trove of contextual information that helps cybersecurity teams better understand what threat actors are doing and how they are doing it.

• Add Another Layer – When IoC scanning is integrated into firewalls, intrusion detection systems, etc., it adds yet another layer of defense against increasingly sophisticated cybersecurity attacks.

• Contribute to Historical Understanding – IoCs encourage a retrospective analysis that combines new data points with historical information. The result is a better understanding of identified threats.

Within a threat intelligence platform, monitoring and analyzing IoCs creates a scalable process for organizing, sharing, and collaborating on data across widespread networks. Platforms can offer better protection to more entities by sharing IoC information.

IoCs represent just one type of data cybersecurity experts rely on to identify and stop malicious threats. In and of themselves, they are quite valuable to cybersecurity. But when included with all the other data points a typical threat intelligence platform offers, IoCs become that much more valuable.