Dissemination of Intelligence Data
What is intelligence dissemination?
Intelligence dissemination is an important part of the threat intelligence cycle, the continuous process that organisations go through to collect, analyse and share data in order to identify potential cyber threats. It involves the sharing of finished intelligence with relevant parties such as government agencies or decision-makers. The goal of intelligence dissemination is to make sure that the collected information is clearly communicated to decision-makers, as it plays a key role in helping them make informed choices and take the necessary measures. Intelligence information comes in different forms, from brief observations to lengthy studies.
What is the purpose of intelligence dissemination and how is it related to the intelligence cycle?
Intelligence dissemination is a crucial stage in the intelligence cycle. Once the intelligence requirements have been identified and the information gathered from different sources, it can be processed and analysed to produce meaningful intelligence. This intelligence can then be shared, or ‘disseminated’, with relevant stakeholders. Intelligence dissemination ensures that the relevant information gets to decision-makers in good time, allowing them to make informed decisions based on it and take appropriate action. With this relevant and timely information, decision-makers can respond effectively to potential threats such as organised crime, terrorism, cybersecurity, natural disasters, drug trafficking and more. In short, intelligence dissemination creates a bridge between analysis and action.
How does intelligence dissemination work?
Here is how intelligence dissemination usually works:
- Report generation – After threat intelligence has been collected, processed and analysed for meaningful insights, patterns and potential threats, intelligence analysts create reports summarising their findings.
- Report format – These reports can be in any form, including written documents, briefings and presentations, and are tailored to the specific needs of the recipients. This may involve summarising complex findings, providing visual aids or highlighting pertinent sections.
- Dissemination planning – The next step is to plan how, when and with whom the intelligence will be shared, with consideration given to the timeliness of the information, the nature of the threat and the information needs of the recipient.
- Dissemination channels – Intelligence can be shared through briefings or meetings with relevant parties, as well as written reports.
- Timeliness and relevance – Intelligence is disseminated promptly to ensure its relevance and timeliness in decision-making. This may involve real-time notifications or scheduled updates.
Follow up and feedback – Recipients use the intelligence provided to take appropriate actions. Feedback from recipients is crucial for assessing the effectiveness of dissemination and improving future efforts.
Requirements and procedures: What must the dissemination of information regarding intelligence sources include?
When carrying out intelligence dissemination, it is important to:
- Create and enforce authorisation processes to control who has access to sensitive intelligence. This prevents unauthorised access and ensures that only people with the right permissions have access to the information.
- Ensure consistency in the reporting formats to improve clarity and make them easier to understand for all stakeholders. This improves the effectiveness of intelligence communication and reduces the risk of misinterpretation.
- Maintain up-to-date distribution lists of authorised recipients for different types of intelligence, to avoid sending information to the wrong people.
- Find ways for recipients to give feedback on the usefulness and reliability of the intelligence, which helps improve future processes, correct inaccuracies and improve the overall intelligence cycle.
- Conduct regular reviews of dissemination methods to find areas for improvement. This ensures that dissemination processes keep pace with evolving threats, technologies and organisational needs.
- Keep legal and ethical requirements in mind, as dissemination must comply with these to prevent any misuse of information or violation of laws.
How can Silobreaker help with intelligence dissemination?
Silobreaker streamlines your intelligence workflow by providing a centralised platform for collecting, analysing, monitoring, collaborating on and disseminating intelligence directly to stakeholders.
Its comprehensive library of cyber threat intelligence dashboards and watchlists, customisable by Silobreaker or your own teams, enables you to rapidly monitor ransomware, CVEs, threat actors, phishing and more. Comprehensive visualisations, heat rankings, time series and relationship maps ensure that intelligence is easily understood by any audience.
Silobreaker’s report generation feature then helps intelligence teams summarise any key intelligence findings, which can then be shared across teams or with decision-makers. With just a few clicks, the results can be emailed either as reports or scheduled alerts, preserving sources for later reference.
Effective intelligence dissemination is vital to ensuring that key intelligence reaches the right individuals at the right time, enabling them to make informed decisions regarding security measures and responses to stop threats faster.