7 Best Threat Intelligence Platforms in 2023

Threat actors are diversifying their monetization techniques, tactics, and procedures (TTP) with new attack methods because technology advancements have lowered the entry barrier, and the emergence of ransomware as a service (RaaS) has exacerbated the problem.

For an organization to match this level of sophistication, threat intelligence has to become a vital part of its security posture, as it provides actionable information about current threats and helps protect enterprises from malicious attacks. 

What is a Threat Intelligence Platform?

A Threat intelligence platform (TIP) is a technology that enables organizations to collect, analyze, and aggregate threat intelligence data from multiple sources. This information allows companies to proactively identify and mitigate potential security risks and defend against future attacks.

Cyber threat intelligence is an important enterprise security component. By monitoring the latest cyber threats and vulnerabilities,  your organization can detect and respond to potential security breaches before they damage your IT assets.

How does Threat Intelligence Platform Work?

Threat intelligence platforms help companies mitigate the risks of data breaches by collecting threat intelligence data from multiple sources, including open-source intelligence (OSINT), deep and dark web, and proprietary threat intelligence feeds. 

TIPs analyze the data, identify patterns, trends, and potential threats, then share this information with your SOC team and other security systems, such as firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and security information and event management (SIEM) systems, to mitigate damage to your IT infrastructure.

Benefits of Threat Intelligence Platforms

Threat intelligence platforms provide organizations with various benefits, including:

• Proactive threat detection
• Improved security posture
• Better resource allocation
• Streamlined security operations

Other advantages of TIPs include automated threat response, cost savings, and increased visibility.

Key Features of Threat Intelligence Platforms

The major features of threat intelligence platforms are:   

• Data collection capability
• Real-time threat prioritization 
• Threat analysis
• Ability to monitor the deep and dark web 
• Rich library and database of graphs to visualize attacks and threats
• Integration with your existing security tools and systems
• Research malware, phishing scams, and malicious actors

The best TIPs can collect, normalize, aggregate, and organizes threat intelligence data from multiple sources and formats. 

AutoFocus

AutoFocus from Palo Alto Networks is a cloud-based threat intelligence platform that allows you to identify critical attacks, conduct preliminary assessments and take steps to remediate the situation without needing additional IT resources. The service gathers threat data from your company network, industry, and global intelligence feeds.

AutoFocus provides intel from Unit 42 –Palo Alto Network threat research team– about the latest malware campaigns. The threat report is viewable on your dashboard, giving you additional visibility into bad actors’ techniques, tactics, and procedures (TTP).

Key Features

• Its unit 42 research feed provides visibility into the latest malware with information about their tactics, techniques, and procedures
• Processes 46 million real-world DNS queries daily
• Gather intel from third-party sources like Cisco, Fortinet, and CheckPoint
• The tool provides threat intelligence to security information and event management (SIEM)tools, in-house systems, and other third-party tools with an open and agile RESTful API
• Includes pre-built tag groups ​​for ransomware, banking trojan, and hacking tool
• Users can also create custom tags based on their search criteria
• Compatible with various standard data formats such as STIX, JSON, TXT, and CSV

Pricing for the tool is not advertised on the Palo Alto Network website. Buyers should contact the company sales team for quotes, and you can also request a product demo to learn more about the solution capabilities and how you can leverage it for your enterprise.

ManageEngine Log360

ManageEngine Log360 is a log management and SIEM tool that provides companies with visibility into their network security, audits active directory changes, monitors their exchange servers and public cloud setup, and automates log management.

Log360 combines the capabilities of five ManageEngine tools, including ADAudit Plus, Event Log Analyzer, M365 Manager Plus, Exchange Reporter Plus, and Cloud Security Plus.

Log360 threat intelligence modules include a database that contains global malicious IPs and a STIX/TAXII threat feed processor that frequently retrieves data from global threat feeds and updates you.

Key Features

• Includes integrated cloud access security broker (CASB) capabilities to help monitor data in the cloud, detect shadow IT applications, and track sanctioned and unsanctioned applications
• Detect threats across enterprise networks, endpoints, firewalls, web servers, databases, switches, routers, and other cloud sources
• Real-time incident detection and file integrity monitoring
• Uses MITRE ATT&CK framework to prioritize threats that occur in the attack chain
• Its attack detection includes rule-based real-time correlation, behavior-based ML-based user and entity behavior analytics (UEBA), and signature-based MITRE ATT&CK
• Includes integrated data loss prevention (DLP) for eDiscovery, data risks assessment, content-aware protection, and file integrity monitoring
• Real-time security analytics
• Integrated compliance management

Log360 can be downloaded in one file and comes in two editions: free and professional. Users can experience the advanced features of the professional edition for a 30-day trial period, after which these features will be converted to their free edition. 

AlienVault USM

AlienVault USM platform developed by AT&T. The solution provides threat detection, assessment, incident responses, and compliance management in one unified platform.

AlienVault USM receives updates from AlienVault Labs every 30 minutes about different types of attacks, emerging threats, suspicious behavior, vulnerabilities, and exploits they discover across the entire threat landscape.

AlienVault USM provides a unified view of your enterprise security architecture, enabling you to monitor your networks and devices on-premise or in remote locations. It also includes SIEM capabilities, cloud intrusion detection for AWS, Azure, and GCP, network intrusion detection (NIDS), host intrusion detection (HIDS), and endpoint detection and response (EDR).

Key Features

• Real-time Botnet detection
• Command and control (C&C) traffic identification
• Advanced persistent threat (APT) detection
• Complies with various industry standards such as GDPR, PCI DSS, HIPAA, SOC 2, and ISO 27001
• Network and host IDS signatures
• Centralized event and log data collection
• Data exfiltration detection
• AlientVault monitors cloud and on-prem environments from a single pane of glass, including AWS, Microsoft Azure, Microsoft Hyper-V, and VMWare

Pricing for this solution starts at $1,075 per month for the essential plan. Potential buyers can sign-up for a 14-day free trial to learn more about the tool’s capabilities. 

Qualys Threat Protection

Qualys Threat Protection is a cloud service that provides advanced threat protection and response capabilities. It includes real-time threat indicators of vulnerabilities, maps findings from Qualys and external sources, and continuously correlates external threat information against your vulnerabilities and IT asset inventory.

With Qualys threat protection, you can manually create a custom dashboard from widgets and search queries and sort, filter, and refine search results.

Key Features

• Centralized control and visualization panel
• Provides live feed of vulnerability disclosures
• RTIs for zero-day attacks, public exploits, actively attacked, high lateral movement, high data loss, denial of service, malware, no patch, exploit kit, and easy exploit
• Includes a search engine that allows you to look for specific assets and vulnerabilities by creating ad hoc queries
• Qualys threat protection continuously correlates external threat information against your vulnerabilities and IT asset inventory

They offer a 30-day free trial to allow buyers to explore the tool’s capabilities before making a purchase decision.

SOCRadar

SOCRadar describes itself as a SaaS base Extended Threat Intelligence (XTI) platform that combines external attack surface management (EASM), digital risk protection services (DRPS), and cyber threat intelligence (CTI).

The platform improves your company’s security posture by providing visibility into its infrastructure, network, and data assets. SOCRadar’s capabilities include real-time threat intelligence, automated deep and dark web scans, and integrated incident response.

Key Features

• Integrates with existing security stacks such as SOAR, EDR, MDR and XDR, and SIEM solutions
• It has over 150 feed sources
• The solution provides intel on various security risks, such as malware, botnet, ransomware, phishing, bad reputation, hacked website, distributed denial of service attacks (DDOS), honeypots, and attackers
• Industry and region-based monitoring
• MITRE ATT & CK mapping
• Has over 6,000 combo list access (credential and credit card)
• Deep and dark web monitoring
• Compromised credentials detection

SOCRadar has two editions: cyber threat intelligence for SOC teams (CTI4SOC) and extended threat intelligence (XTI). Both plans are available in two versions –free and paid– the CTI4SOC plan starts at $9,999 per year.

Solarwinds Security Event Manager

SolarWinds Security Event Manager is a SIEM platform that collects, normalizes, and correlates event log data from over 100 pre-built connectors, including network devices and applications.

With SEM, you can effectively administer, manage, and monitor security policies and protect your network. It analyzes the collected logs in real-time and uses the information gathered to notify you of an issue before it causes severe damage to your enterprise infrastructures. 

Key Features

• Monitors your infrastructure 24/7
• SEM has 100 pre-built connectors, including Atlassian JIRA, Cisco, Microsoft, IBM, Juniper Sophos, Linux, and more
• Automates compliance risk management
• SEM includes file integrity monitoring
• SEM gathers logs, correlates events, and monitors threat data lists, all in a single pane of glass
• The platform has over 700 built-in correlation rules
• Users can export reports  in PDF or CSV formats

Solarwinds Security Event Manager offers a 30-day free trial with two licensing options: subscription, which starts at $2,877, and perpetual, which starts at $5,607. The tool is licensed based on the number of nodes sending log and event information.

Tenable.sc

Built on Nessus Technology, Tenable.sc is a vulnerability management platform that provides insight into your organization’s security posture and IT infrastructure. It collects and evaluates vulnerability data across your IT environment, analyzes vulnerability trends over time, and allows you to prioritize and take corrective action.

Tenable.sc product family (Tenanble.sc and Tenable.sc ) enables you to identify, investigate, prioritize, and remediate vulnerabilities so that you can protect your systems and data.

Key Features

• It streamlined compliance with industry standards, such as CERT, NIST, DISA STIG, DHS CDM, FISMA, PCI DSS, and HIPAA/HITECH
• Its passive asset discovery features allow you to discover and identify IT assets on your network, such as servers, desktops, laptops, network devices, web apps, virtual machines, mobile and cloud
• The Tenable Research team provides frequent updates about the latest vulnerability checks, zero-day research, and configuration benchmarks to help you protect your organization
• Tenable maintains a library of over 67k Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs)
• Real-time detection of botnets and command and control traffic
• Tenable.sc director includes a single pane of glass to help you view and manage your network across all Tenable.sc consoles

Tenable.sc is licensed per year, and per asset, its 1-year license starts at $5,364.25. You can save money by purchasing a multi-year license.

Conclusion

This guide analyzed seven threat intelligence platforms and their standout features. The best option for you depends on your threat intelligence needs and preferences. You can request a product demo or signup for a free trial before settling for a specific tool.

This will allow you to test it to determine if it will serve your company’s purpose. Finally, ensure they offer quality support and confirm how often they update their threat feeds.

Next, you can check out cyber attack simulation tools.