Cyber threat intelligence analysts play an indispensable role in helping organizations understand their threat landscape and protect against risk. Without them, even the most thorough threat intelligence programs become less effective, and security teams tend to miss important indicators that tell them how to best focus their defense efforts and prevent attacks.
As the demand for cybersecurity professionals grows and CTI analysts become more in demand, individuals from a variety of backgrounds may be interested in moving into this role. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that demand for cybersecurity professionals will grow 33 percent by 2030, providing ample opportunity for workers to break into the field and make a difference in protecting organizations and the people they serve from harm.
The skills that make a great cyber threat analyst
While there are certain career paths that might make the path to cyber analyst a little more direct, many CTI analysts transition into cybersecurity through adjacent fields and develop their knowledge as they gain experience. Employers often require a bachelor’s degree, although it may not necessarily be in cyber security; IT, computer science, or other related fields are common educational backgrounds for threat analysts.
Recommended Reading: What Does an Intel Cyber Threat Analyst Do?
With differences in the formal requirements needed to land a cyber analyst role, candidates should focus on the skills they bring to the table to help them succeed. These qualities are what will help you transition into the world of threat analysis and thrive.
Technical knowledge
When dealing with cyber threats, it is imperative that you possess a strong ability to perform technical tasks and understand the workings of the digital landscape you are dealing with. Hard skills, such as coding, are valuable for a CTI analyst. Knowledge of intrusion detection and prevention systems, attack methodologies, security operations and incident response technology is important and plays a central role in the work you will be responsible for.
Expertise in the core pillars of threat intelligence
Threat intelligence can be divided into strategic, operational, and tactical domains, each of which is a key component of the risk detection and remediation process. Cyber threat analysts are responsible for discerning as much information as possible from the threat intelligence provided to them, including where and how the attack originated, the tactics, techniques and procedures (TTP) used by threat actors, and any trends or patterns that may help in stopping the development of the threat.
This requires strategic, operational and tactical acumen to cover the full range of knowledge that can be gleaned from threat intelligence, and is one of the most important skills a cyber threat analyst can have to help security teams operate effectively.
Comfort with communication
While technical skills are important, another big part of a cyber threat analyst’s job is communicating findings and observations to teams that likely don’t have such a deep level of applied cybersecurity understanding. In a high-pressure situation, the ability to work alongside the security team and communicate clearly quickly and effectively is essential to achieving the best possible outcome.
The ability to break down technical information for stakeholders is also essential to day-to-day operations and helps keep your team’s relationship with management open and honest. This increases the likelihood that your organization can provide its security and threat intelligence teams with the tools they need to do their jobs well.
Creative problem solving
Facing new challenges is a standard part of a CTI analyst’s job, and there are many occasions where creative solutions will be key to overcoming problems. In the event of an attack, it is up to threat analysts to assess threats as they evolve and work with the security team to propose innovative solutions.
Flexibility and desire to learn
All of the skills mentioned so far are incredibly important to succeeding and enjoying your role as a cyber threat analyst. However, another important part of a strong threat analyst team is diversity in backgrounds, capabilities and mindsets – this diversity expands an organization’s capacity to detect and respond to threats before they do harm.
Therefore, the most important skill an individual on a threat analyst team can have is the ability and willingness to continue learning and developing their competencies. Any knowledge gaps they may have are filled in this way, and by deepening their understanding of how and why things work, they also improve their team’s skills.
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