Threat Intelligence: The Big Picture from Pluralsight

This course provides a solid baseline for cyber threat intelligence. You will learn how to leverage intelligence to understand adversary behavior and make use of indicators of compromise to detect and stop malware.

Security incidents have become harder to detect, mostly because of the increase in malware complexity and variety. In this course, Threat Intelligence: The Big Picture, you'll learn the foundational knowledge of Cyber Threat Intelligence. First, you'll explore how to classify indicators of compromise using industry standard methodologies. Next, you'll discover how to search for and consume existing intelligence about the threats that you're dealing with. Finally, you'll cover how to maintain the quality of malware detections with a solid set of best practices. When you're finished with this course, you'll have the skills and the knowledge of threat intelligence to implement it into your current incident handline process.

What's inside

Syllabus

Course Overview

The Current Threat Landscape

Threat Intelligence Methodologies

Sharing and Ingesting Intelligence

Traffic lights

Read about what's good

what should give you pause

and possible dealbreakers

Taught by Cristian Pascariu, who are recognized for their work in security intelligence

Explores cyber threat intelligence, which is standard in industry

Develops actionable skills for detecting and stopping malware

Teaches industry standard methodologies for classifying threats

Requires learners to have a solid background in security

Reviews summary

Essential cyber threat intelligence overview

According to learners, this course provides a strong foundational understanding of cyber threat intelligence, delivering on its promise of a 'big picture' view. Many highlight the instructor's clear explanations and the course's effectiveness in demystifying complex concepts, making it an excellent starting point for newcomers. While praised for its high-level overview and ability to connect theory to real-world scenarios, some students note that the course is less suitable for experienced professionals seeking in-depth technical skills or advanced methodologies. A common sentiment is the desire for more hands-on labs or practical exercises, suggesting it serves best as a conceptual primer rather than a comprehensive skill-building course.

Provides conceptual clarity for real-world application.

"The real-world examples really helped solidify my understanding. Highly recommend for anyone new to the field."

"Absolutely invaluable for understanding the threat intelligence landscape. The best part was how it connected the theory to real-world scenarios."

"I now have a much clearer idea of how to implement threat intelligence in my organization. The flow of information was seamless."

Instructor clearly explains complex concepts effectively.

"The instructor's explanations were incredibly clear, and the real-world examples really helped solidify my understanding."

"The instructor does a great job explaining concepts."

"I found this course to be an excellent starting point. The instructor presents complex topics in an easy-to-digest manner."

Provides a strong base for new learners in threat intelligence.

"Fantastic introduction to threat intelligence. The course covers everything from what threat intelligence is to how to apply it..."

"Excellent foundational course. It really helped me understand the different phases of the intelligence cycle and how to classify indicators of compromise."

"I found this course to be an excellent starting point. The instructor presents complex topics in an easy-to-digest manner."

More theory-focused; needs more practical exercises.

"I wish there were more hands-on labs, but for a 'big picture' course, it does exactly what it says."

"If you're looking for practical skills, this isn't it. Mostly theoretical, and I found myself needing to look up additional resources to truly understand concepts."

"I think it could benefit from more case studies or practical exercises to bridge the gap between theory and application."

Offers broad understanding but lacks deep technical detail.

"Decent course if you're a complete beginner. For anyone with some background in cybersecurity, it might feel a bit too basic and introductory."

"Too superficial. The course touches on many topics but doesn't go deep enough into any of them. If you're looking for practical skills, this isn't it."

"A solid high-level overview. For a 'big picture' course, it does exactly what it says. Useful for getting the terminology down."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Threat Intelligence: The Big Picture with these activities:

Review Industry Standards

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Gain a solid understanding of the industry standards used in threat intelligence by refreshing your knowledge beforehand.

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Familiarize yourself with the MITRE ATT&CK Framework.
Review the Structured Threat Information Expression (STIX) standard.
Understand the concept of Indicators of Compromise (IoCs).

Discussion Forums and Groups

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Interact with your classmates, discuss and clarify course concepts, ask for help, and provide assistance.

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Join the online forums or discussion groups.
Participate in ongoing discussions.
Start new threads to discuss specific topics or issues.
Help others by answering their questions.

Threat Intelligence Tools Training

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Enhance your proficiency in using threat intelligence tools to automate threat detection and response.

Browse courses on Security Automation

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Identify the most popular and effective threat intelligence tools.
Complete online courses or tutorials covering these tools.
Set up and configure the tools in a test environment.
Experiment with the tools' features and functionalities.

Five other activities

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Malware Analysis Tutorials

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Enhance your understanding of malware analysis techniques, processes, and tools through guided tutorials.

Browse courses on Malware Analysis

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Search for reputable online tutorials or courses on malware analysis.
Follow the instructions and complete the exercises.
Analyze real-world malware samples using the techniques and tools you've learned.

Threat Hunting Exercises

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Develop your threat hunting abilities by engaging in practical exercises and simulations.

Browse courses on Threat Hunting

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Join online platforms or communities offering threat hunting challenges.
Practice hunting for threats using provided datasets.
Analyze real-world security incidents and hunt for potential threats.

Contribute to Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) Projects

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Gain practical experience in gathering and analyzing open-source information to support threat intelligence activities.

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Identify open-source intelligence (OSINT) projects.
Contribute to these projects by collecting and sharing relevant information.
Analyze the collected data to identify potential threats and trends.

Develop a Threat Intelligence Playbook

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Create a comprehensive playbook outlining your organization's approach to threat intelligence, incident response, and security best practices.

Browse courses on Security Incident Response

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Gather input from relevant stakeholders.
Review existing threat intelligence and incident response procedures.
Develop clear and actionable steps for each stage of the threat intelligence and incident response process.
Test and validate the playbook through simulations and exercises.

Mentor Junior Cyber Threat Intelligence Professionals

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Share your knowledge and expertise by mentoring junior professionals and helping them build their skills in cyber threat intelligence.

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Identify junior professionals who need guidance.
Share your knowledge and experience through discussions and Q&A sessions.
Provide feedback and support to help them develop their skills.

Career center

Learners who complete Threat Intelligence: The Big Picture will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Threat Intelligence Analyst

Threat Intelligence Analysts collect and analyze information about potential threats to an organization's computer networks and systems. Those looking to pursue a career as a Threat Intelligence Analyst will find the course Threat Intelligence: The Big Picture to be exceptionally relevant. The course's topics directly map to responsibilities a Threat Intelligence Analyst commonly carries out, including classifying indicators of compromise using industry standard methodologies, searching for and consuming existing intelligence, and maintaining the quality of malware detections with a solid set of best practices.

See salaries and explore the career path for Threat Intelligence Analyst

Cybersecurity Analyst

Cybersecurity Analysts help their organizations prevent and predict cyber attacks by assessing and analyzing threats, investigating security incidents, and implementing security controls. The skills learned in Threat Intelligence: The Big Picture can provide a solid foundation in threat intelligence for Cybersecurity Analysts, from a conceptual overview to searching for Indicators of Compromise (IOCs). Those looking to pursue a career as a Cybersecurity Analyst will find the course's coverage of sharing and ingesting intelligence as well as doing threat intelligence with best practices particularly relevant.

See salaries and explore the career path for Cybersecurity Analyst

Cybersecurity Engineer

Cybersecurity Engineers design, implement, and maintain the security of computer networks and systems. Those looking to pursue a career as a Cybersecurity Engineer will find Threat Intelligence: The Big Picture can provide a solid foundation in threat intelligence, from sharing and ingesting intelligence to searching for Indicators of Compromise (IOCs).

See salaries and explore the career path for Cybersecurity Engineer

Information Security Analyst

Information Security Analysts plan and implement security measures to protect an organization's computer networks and systems. Those looking to pursue a career as an Information Security Analyst will find Threat Intelligence: The Big Picture can provide a solid foundation in threat intelligence, from sharing and ingesting intelligence to searching for Indicators of Compromise (IOCs).

See salaries and explore the career path for Information Security Analyst

Incident Responder

Incident Responders investigate and respond to security incidents, such as malware infections and data breaches. The course Threat Intelligence: The Big Picture may be useful in developing an Incident Responder's foundational knowledge of identifying, analyzing, and mitigating threats.

See salaries and explore the career path for Incident Responder

Penetration Tester

Penetration Testers evaluate the security of computer networks and systems by simulating attacks. Threat Intelligence: The Big Picture may be useful in expanding a Penetration Tester's knowledge of threat intelligence methodologies, particularly as applied to searching for Indicators of Compromise (IOCs).

See salaries and explore the career path for Penetration Tester

Malware Analyst

Malware Analysts investigate and analyze malware, which is malicious software that can damage or disable computer systems. Threat Intelligence: The Big Picture may be useful in enhancing a Malware Analyst's understanding of threat intelligence methodologies, particularly as applied to searching for Indicators of Compromise (IOCs).

See salaries and explore the career path for Malware Analyst

Forensic Analyst

Forensic Analysts investigate and analyze computer systems to find evidence of criminal activity. Threat Intelligence: The Big Picture may be useful in enhancing a Forensic Analyst's understanding of threat intelligence methodologies, particularly as applied to searching for Indicators of Compromise (IOCs).

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Vulnerability Manager

Vulnerability Managers identify and assess vulnerabilities in computer systems and networks. Threat Intelligence: The Big Picture may be useful in enhancing a Vulnerability Manager's understanding of threat intelligence methodologies, particularly as applied to searching for Indicators of Compromise (IOCs).

See salaries and explore the career path for Vulnerability Manager

Security Manager

Security Managers plan and implement security measures to protect an organization's computer networks and systems. Threat Intelligence: The Big Picture may be useful in enhancing a Security Manager's understanding of threat intelligence methodologies, particularly as applied to searching for Indicators of Compromise (IOCs).

See salaries and explore the career path for Security Manager

Chief Information Security Officer (CISO)

Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) are responsible for the overall security of an organization's information systems. Threat Intelligence: The Big Picture may be useful in enhancing a CISO's understanding of threat intelligence methodologies, particularly as applied to searching for Indicators of Compromise (IOCs).

See salaries and explore the career path for Chief Information Security Officer (CISO)

Security Operations Center (SOC) Analyst

Security Operations Center (SOC) Analysts monitor and analyze security systems for suspicious activity and unauthorized access, and respond to security incidents. Threat Intelligence: The Big Picture may be useful in expanding a SOC Analyst's knowledge of threat intelligence methodologies.

See salaries and explore the career path for Security Operations Center (SOC) Analyst

Information Technology (IT) Auditor

Information Technology (IT) Auditors evaluate the security of computer systems and networks. Threat Intelligence: The Big Picture may be useful in expanding an IT Auditor's knowledge of threat intelligence methodologies, particularly as applied to searching for Indicators of Compromise (IOCs).

See salaries and explore the career path for Information Technology (IT) Auditor

Security Analyst

Security Analysts monitor and analyze security systems for suspicious activity and unauthorized access, and respond to security incidents. The course Threat Intelligence: The Big Picture may be useful in expanding a Security Analyst's knowledge of threat intelligence methodologies.

See salaries and explore the career path for Security Analyst

Security Architect

Security Architects design, implement, and maintain the security of computer networks and systems. Threat Intelligence: The Big Picture may be useful in enhancing a Security Architect's understanding of threat intelligence methodologies, particularly as applied to searching for Indicators of Compromise (IOCs).

See salaries and explore the career path for Security Architect