Few industries evolve as rapidly as technology—and the world of cybercrime is no exception. While businesses may hesitate to adopt new technologies due to regulatory pressures or security concerns, threat actors in the cybercrime space – who are free from ethical scruples or legal worries – are constantly innovating. This trend has only accelerated with the rise of Generative AI, which has democratized cybercrime by enabling attackers of all skill levels to launch sophisticated attacks.

Threat intelligence sharing has become a strategic imperative for organizations that are looking for a force multiplier to help them better understand and defend against the rapidly evolving threat landscape. In fact, from the White House to CISA to government agencies around the world, there’s a global focus at the highest levels on breaking down barriers and modernizing approaches to cyber threat data sharing.

Cybersecurity in 2024 has seen a shift toward open, collaborative intelligence sharing across industries. This shift is promising but not yet complete; significant gaps remain in intelligence sharing, especially following cyber incidents. Victim organizations are often hesitant to share attack details due to fears of reputational damage and stigmatization.

Cybersecurity teams are seeing a strong transition toward more open and collaborative intelligence sharing. This shift stems from the recognition that no one organization can fight the multitude of threats alone. But despite this progress, a critical gap remains in post-incident intelligence sharing.

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month (CSAM). It’s a crucial time to equip ourselves with the knowledge and tools to navigate the digital landscape safely. With remote work, virtual learning, and the rapid adoption of new technologies, cyber threats are at an all-time high. As cybersecurity professionals, we have a unique opportunity to spread awareness and share our expertise to help others stay secure online.

John Lennon popularized the phrase, “Life is what happens when you’re making other plans.” And that’s an apt characterization for how we think about threat intelligence. We tend to focus on it to block or alert-on an attack. Meanwhile life is what’s happening to our threat intel while we’re making these plans. When we don’t pay attention to the threat intelligence lifecycle, we can run into trouble.

An important deadline is just around the corner for businesses that operate in the European Union (EU): By October 17, 2024, EU Member States must implement the NIS2 Directive into their national laws. Failure by critical infrastructure organizations to comply with additional cybersecurity obligations can result in consequences including financial penalties and reputational damage.