Threat actors employ malware as an initial entry point to infiltrate specific infrastructures, subsequently moving laterally to secure prolonged access, inflict harm, or pilfer data and proprietary information, according to the latest Threat Intelligence Survey by OPSWAT. In the face of these menacing threats, organisations depend on actionable threat intelligence derived from sandboxes and advanced malware analysis technologies and methodologies. This proactive stance empowers organisations to bolster their infrastructure defenses, amplify their incident response capabilities, and customise security strategies tailored to the particular threats they anticipate encountering.
“Threat intelligence plays a crucial role in safeguarding critical assets,” said Jan Miller, CTO of Threat Analysis, OPSWAT. “Understanding the evolving threat landscape empowers organisations to stay one step ahead of malicious actors, and in this rapidly changing cybersecurity landscape, it becomes the critical strategic advantage.”
Embracing new tools and leveraging AI to boost threat intelligence
A substantial 62 percent of organisations acknowledge the necessity for additional investments in tools and processes to augment their threat intelligence capabilities. Only 22 percent have fully matured threat intelligence programmes in operation, with the majority indicating they are either in initial stages or require further investments in tools and processes.
The survey also highlighted common challenges faced by organisations, encompassing the detection of both known and unknown malware (68 percent), grappling with insufficient signature-based solutions (67 percent), and contending with fragmented toolsets (54 percent).
It also revealed that while a mere 11 percent of respondents currently employ AI for threat detection, 56 percent of security professionals express optimism regarding its future utility, while 27 percent harbor skepticism.
Furthermore, nearly half of all participants underscored phishing URLs and email as foremost concerns in terms of file type and delivery methods. This underscores the significance of advanced security measures, such as Deep Content Disarm and Reconstruction (CDR), sandboxing, and link reputation checks.
OPSWAT stands committed to empowering organisations with cutting-edge cybersecurity solutions, defending critical infrastructures against emerging threats. As the threat landscape continues to evolve, OPSWAT maintains its position at the vanguard of innovation, furnishing the tools and expertise necessary to thwart increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks and maintain a competitive edge.
