Threat intelligence

Threat intelligence is information about current and emerging cyber threats, including attackers' methods, targets and indicators, collected and analyzed to help organizations defend themselves.

Threat intelligence ranges from technical data, such as malicious web addresses and file signatures that security tools block automatically, to broader insights about which industries criminal groups are targeting and how. Sources include security vendors, government agencies, industry groups and information-sharing communities.

Small businesses rarely need to buy threat intelligence directly, but they benefit from it through the security products and providers they use. Good intelligence means your email filter, firewall and endpoint tools can block known threats quickly. In Canada, the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security publishes alerts and advisories that are useful for organizations of all sizes.

Practical tip: ask your IT or security provider how threat intelligence feeds into the tools protecting you and how they inform you about threats relevant to your sector. Following a few trusted Canadian sources, such as the Cyber Centre's alerts and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, can help you warn staff about scams currently circulating.