A Shared Cyber Threat Intelligence Solution for SMEs

Electronics, vol. 10, pp. 2913

Abstract

Small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) frequently experience cyberattacks, but often do not have the means to counter these attacks. Therefore, cybersecurity researchers and practitioners need to aid SMEs in their defence against cyber threats. Research has shown that SMEs require solutions that are automated and adapted to their context. In recent years, we have seen a surge in initiatives to share cyber threat intelligence (CTI) to improve collective cybersecurity resilience. Shared CTI has the potential to answer the SME call for automated and adaptable solutions. Sadly, as we demonstrate in this paper, current shared intelligence approaches scarcely address SME needs. We must investigate how shared CTI can be used to improve SME cybersecurity resilience. In this paper, we tackle this challenge using a systematic review to discover current state-of-the-art approaches to using shared CTI. We find that threat intelligence sharing platforms such as MISP have the potential to address SME needs, provided that the shared intelligence is turned into actionable insights. Based on this observation, we developed a prototype application that processes MISP data automatically, prioritises cybersecurity threats for SMEs, and provides SMEs with actionable recommendations tailored to their context. Subsequent evaluations in operational environments will help to improve our application, such that SMEs are enabled to thwart cyberattacks in future.

Authors 12

1. Max van Haastrecht corresponding Aachen Leiden Institute of Advanced Computer Science

   Leiden University

   Affiliation as printed

   Leiden Institute of Advanced Computer Science (LIACS), Leiden University, Niels Bohrweg 1, 2333 CA Leiden, The Netherlands

2. Guy Golpur
   Affiliation as printed

   KPMG Somekh Chaikin, KPMG Millenium Tower 17 Ha’arba’a Street, Tel Aviv 6473921, Israel

   KPMG Somekh Chaikin, KPMG Millenium Tower 17 Ha'arba'a Street, Tel Aviv 6473921, Israel

3. Gilad Tzismadia
   Affiliation as printed

   KPMG Somekh Chaikin, KPMG Millenium Tower 17 Ha’arba’a Street, Tel Aviv 6473921, Israel

   KPMG Somekh Chaikin, KPMG Millenium Tower 17 Ha'arba'a Street, Tel Aviv 6473921, Israel

4. Rolan Kab
   Affiliation as printed

   KPMG Somekh Chaikin, KPMG Millenium Tower 17 Ha’arba’a Street, Tel Aviv 6473921, Israel

   KPMG Somekh Chaikin, KPMG Millenium Tower 17 Ha'arba'a Street, Tel Aviv 6473921, Israel

5. Cristian Priboi
   Affiliation as printed

   CERT-RO, Italiană Street 22, 030167 Bucharest, Romania

6. Dumitru David
   Affiliation as printed

   CERT-RO, Italiană Street 22, 030167 Bucharest, Romania

7. Adrian Răcătăian
   Affiliation as printed

   CERT-RO, Italiană Street 22, 030167 Bucharest, Romania

8. Louis Baumgartner

   FHNW University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute for Interactive Technologies (IIT), University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW), Bahnhofstrasse 6, 5210 Windisch, Switzerland

9. Samuel Fricker

   FHNW University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland · Blekinge Institute of Technology

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute for Interactive Technologies (IIT), University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW), Bahnhofstrasse 6, 5210 Windisch, Switzerland

   SERL-Sweden, Campus Gräsvik, Blekinge Institute of Technology, 371 79 Karlskrona, Sweden

10. Esteban Armas

    Atos (Spain)

    Affiliation as printed

    Atos SA, Calle Albarracin 25, 28037 Madrid, Spain

11. Matthieu J. S. Brinkhuis

    Utrecht University

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Information and Computing Sciences, Utrecht University, Princetonplein 5, 3584 CC Utrecht, The Netherlands

12. Marco René Spruit Aachen Department of Public Health and Primary Care Leiden Institute of Advanced Computer Science

    Leiden University · Utrecht University · Leiden University Medical Center

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Information and Computing Sciences, Utrecht University, Princetonplein 5, 3584 CC Utrecht, The Netherlands

    Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), Albinusdreef 2, 2333 ZA Leiden, The Netherlands

    Leiden Institute of Advanced Computer Science (LIACS), Leiden University, Niels Bohrweg 1, 2333 CA Leiden, The Netherlands