With growing dependence on digital platforms, the concern for businesses of all scales relating to cyber threats is growing with time. From a small-scale startup business to a large enterprise, protecting data and systems against cyber-attacks is a high priority. To increase protection many turn to a threat intelligence platform.
However, with the numerous options in the marketplace, choosing the right one can be a tough decision to make. Let’s explore what you can expect from a threat intelligence platform vendor so that you can find the right fit for your organization.
Understanding Your Organization’s Needs
Before you start talking to service providers, take a step back and consider what you need for your business. Not every company is alike, and some may want different systems that suit their needs.
Consider your needs within the industry, company size, and regulations that you will have to abide by. Are you in a sector frequently targeted by cybercriminals, such as finance or healthcare? Do you have a dedicated security team, or are you working with limited resources?
Create a checklist. What features are must-haves, based on your circumstances? It will be useful to have this to refer to as you compare the offers from professional teams like ImmuniWeb.
Core Platform Features to Look For
There are several key features that a strong threat intelligence platform should offer. Here is a short overview:
- Threat data aggregation. This refers to the aggregation of data that must be pulled from a variety of sources, internal and external. This includes feeds, logs, and reports from the partners. The more comprehensive the data is, the deeper your understanding of the threat will be.
- Threat scoring and prioritization. Not all threats are the same, and a good TIP will label various threats with a risk level to help you focus on the most critical ones first. In that regard, your team will know to prioritize high-risk alerts over lower-level ones, ensuring that the most dangerous threats are dealt with quickly.
- Real-time alerts and notifications. When it comes to cybersecurity, every minute counts. Your platform should provide immediate alerts and notifications so your team can timely intervene.
- Integration capabilities. This would ensure your TIP can easily integrate with other security tools that you have installed, like SIEM systems, firewalls, and endpoint protection.
- Automated response capabilities. Many TIPs will automatically respond to known threats or low-risk threats. This saves so much time and enables your team to focus on more complex problems.
Those are the basic features you would want to have in your platform. But what features a vendor should have to deliver?
What to Look for When Choosing a Vendor
In cybersecurity, you want a reliable partner like ImmuniWeb. That can be achieved by looking at how a potential partner has behaved in the past. Go through the customer reviews and look at the available industry awards. Search for insight from analyst reports. The point here is to identify a team that is first of all professional, and second of all reliable.
Data privacy is also one of the biggest concerns. You should inquire if a threat intelligence platform provider has adhered to relevant regulations. Do they implement best practices concerning data privacy and security? Do they use encryption? Is the data storage secure and are access controls strong? You should not feel any hesitation in asking vendors what they have done to handle these aspects in the past and how exactly will they be able to help you.
Another point is that a platform should be user-friendly. If your team has limited cybersecurity expertise, it would be easier for them to handle it. Available customization for a dashboard is always a good thing too: make it easy to navigate, and intuitive for data visualization. It just makes it easier to comprehend and then act upon the security risks with threat intelligence platform vendors at your side.
Reliable customer support is important toot, especially during the setup phase and in case of incidents that might occur. Good support typically means 24/7 availability, a real account manager, and extensive documentation. See whether the vendor provides further assets such as training, webinars, or even a knowledge base for customers that will help your team take full advantage of the platform.
This is a high-investment venture, so it is vital to understand pricing models. They range from subscription-based plans to pay-as-you-go or tiered pricing structures. Make sure the platform fits into your budget and thoughtfully consider the potential return on investment. A TIP that makes its promise of simplifying the threat detection and response lifecycle may save you money by reducing data breaches that will cost more later, not to mention a reduction in security costs.
With time, the needs in your organization will change too. Since you need something that can scale up with the changing needs, it’s best to go for a TIP that can do so. This means it will adapt to changes in your needs over time and be able to provide you value into the future as your business scales.
Cyber threats keep changing, so you want a team for a threat intelligence platform committed to remaining well ahead of the curve. Consider those vendors that invest in innovation and implement advanced technologies like AI and ML to further enhance their threat detection capabilities. One such vendor updates their platform quite regularly and keeps up with industry trends.
Any cybersecurity challenge or regulatory requirement isn’t the same, and neither is every industry. It can be a challenge to find a vendor with experience in your particular industry, that genuinely understands the nuances of your sphere. Such experience can go a long way in guiding you through various issues and challenges you might face.
With all that, by paying attention to those requirements, you will be on your way to finding the best partner for your particular needs
Conclusion
Picking the right TIP vendor is one of the crucial decisions that can hugely affect your organization’s cybersecurity. Understanding your particular needs and core features, along with other factors, is what will help you make an informed decision when picking a business partner that will help you with your cybersecurity.