What are the steps to conducting threat intelligence research and reporting?

1 Define the Scope

The first step is to define the scope of your threat intelligence research and reporting. This means identifying the purpose, objectives, audience, and format of your report, as well as the sources, methods, and tools you will use to gather and analyze data. You should also consider the ethical, legal, and operational implications of your research, and how to protect your sources and yourself from exposure or retaliation. The scope should be clear, realistic, and aligned with your organization's needs and priorities.

2 Collect Data

The next step is to collect data from various sources that can provide relevant and reliable information about the threat actors, their tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs), their infrastructure, their targets, and their indicators of compromise (IOCs). You can use open source intelligence (OSINT), human intelligence (HUMINT), technical intelligence (TECHINT), or a combination of them, depending on your scope and resources. You should also verify and validate the data you collect, and avoid biases, assumptions, or speculation.

3 Analyze Data

The third step is to analyze the data you collected, and extract meaningful insights and patterns that can help you understand the threat landscape, the adversary's intentions and capabilities, and the impact and likelihood of their actions. You can use various frameworks, models, and techniques to analyze the data, such as the Diamond Model, the Kill Chain, the MITRE ATT&CK, or the Analysis of Competing Hypotheses (ACH). You should also apply critical thinking, creativity, and logic to your analysis, and avoid jumping to conclusions or overestimating or underestimating the threat.

4 Report Findings

The fourth step is to report your findings to your intended audience, in a format and language that suits their needs and expectations. You should present your findings in a clear, concise, and coherent way, using evidence, examples, and visuals to support your claims. You should also provide recommendations, actions, or solutions that can help your audience address or mitigate the threat, and explain the benefits and risks of each option. You should also acknowledge the limitations, uncertainties, or gaps in your research, and invite feedback or questions.

5 Disseminate Report

The fifth step is to disseminate your report to your audience, using appropriate channels and platforms that can ensure its accessibility, security, and timeliness. You should also consider the sensitivity and classification of your report, and apply the necessary measures to protect its confidentiality, integrity, and availability. You should also follow up with your audience, and monitor their response, feedback, or actions based on your report. You should also update your report as new information or changes occur.

6 Evaluate Report

The final step is to evaluate your report, and assess its quality, relevance, and impact. You should measure your report against the objectives and criteria you defined in the first step, and collect feedback from your audience and peers. You should also identify the strengths and weaknesses of your report, and the lessons learned and best practices from your research and reporting process. You should also document and share your findings, recommendations, and improvements for future reference and improvement.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?