Our Thesis: Enhancing Cyber Threat Intelligence:
A Holistic Framework for Addressing Research
Gaps
1. INTRODUCTION
Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI) is a critical component of modern
cybersecurity, enabling organizations to transition from reactive to proactive
security measures. However, existing CTI research presents several limitations,
including:
• Limited cross-industry applicability
• High false positive rates in threat detection
• Lack of empirical validation through real-world case studies
• Poor integration of CTI with business decision-making
• Interoperability issues between different CTI-sharing frameworks
• Legal and ethical challenges in threat intelligence sharing
To overcome these challenges, this document proposes a new theoretical
framework that enhances CTI implementation, decision-making, automation,
standardization, and ethical considerations across various industries.
2. Identified Problems and Solutions
2.1. Limited Cross-Industry Applicability
Issue:
• Existing research predominantly focuses on finance, government, and
military applications of CTI, neglecting other industries like healthcare,
retail, manufacturing, and SMEs (Small and Medium Enterprises).
• Cybersecurity threats vary significantly across industries; a one-size-fits-
all approach to CTI is ineffective.
Proposed Solution: Cross-Industry Cyber Threat Intelligence Adoption
Framework
A scalable, adaptable CTI framework must be developed, allowing different
industries to tailor CTI methodologies to their specific threats.
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Implementation Strategy:
➢ Industry-Specific Threat Modeling: Identify unique attack vectors for
each industry (e.g., ransomware in healthcare, phishing in retail, supply
chain attacks in manufacturing).
➢ Cross-Industry Case Studies: Conduct comparative studies to understand
the unique CTI adoption challenges across various sectors.
➢ Modular CTI Approach: Design customizable CTI modules that
industries can adopt based on their cybersecurity priorities.
2.2. Lack of Empirical Validation & Real-World Implementation Data
Issue:
• Most research is theoretical or based on literature reviews, lacking real-
world case studies or implementation data.
• No concrete metrics to measure CTI effectiveness in organizations.
Proposed Solution: Large-Scale Empirical Case Studies for CTI Validation
CTI models must be tested in real-world environments with measurable
performance indicators.
Implementation Strategy:
➢ Deploy CTI frameworks in live environments (e.g., companies from
various industries adopting and testing new CTI models).
➢ Measure CTI performance using key metrics such as threat detection
accuracy, response time, and false positive rates.
➢ Compare CTI adoption between different company sizes (large
corporations vs. SMEs) to determine scalability.
2.3. Poor Integration of CTI with Decision-Making Beyond IT Teams
Issue:
• CTI is often limited to IT teams and not used for strategic decision-
making by executives, risk managers, and business leaders.
• Cybersecurity threats impact business continuity, regulatory compliance,
and financial risks, yet CTI is not integrated into corporate risk
assessment strategies.
Proposed Solution: Multi-Level CTI Decision-Making Model
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A structured model should be developed where CTI insights inform decision-
making at multiple organizational levels:
Implementation Strategy:
➢ Operational Level: IT teams use automated CTI tools to detect and
mitigate threats.
➢ Managerial Level: Risk management teams leverage CTI reports to
prioritize cybersecurity investments and regulatory compliance.
➢ Executive Level: CEOs and board members receive simplified CTI
dashboards to assess cybersecurity risks in business strategy.
2.4. High False Positives in Threat Detection
Issue:
• Many CTI systems generate too many alerts, leading to alert fatigue and
wasted resources.
• False positives reduce trust in automated threat intelligence systems.
Proposed Solution: AI-Driven CTI with Human Oversight
To reduce false positives and enhance accuracy, CTI models should incorporate:
Implementation Strategy:
➢ Machine Learning (ML) Models Trained on Real-World Data: Improve
accuracy by analyzing historical attack data to differentiate between
actual threats and false alarms.
➢ Behavior-Based Threat Detection: Instead of relying on static threat
indicators, models should analyze user behavior and detect anomalies.
➢ Explainable AI (XAI): Provide clear reasoning behind threat alerts so
security teams understand AI-generated decisions.
➢ Human-in-the-Loop Verification: Allow security analysts to validate
critical alerts before automated responses are triggered.
2.5. Lack of Standardization & Interoperability in CTI Sharing
Issue:
• Different organizations use incompatible CTI frameworks (e.g., STIX,
TAXII, OpenIOC), creating challenges in seamless intelligence sharing.
• Lack of standardized formats makes cross-organization collaboration
difficult.
Proposed Solution: Unified, Interoperable CTI-Sharing Model
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An API-driven, standardized approach must be adopted to enhance data-sharing
capabilities between organizations.
Implementation Strategy:
➢ Develop a universal API-based CTI-sharing platform that automatically
translates different CTI formats into a common structure.
➢ Standardize threat intelligence taxonomies to ensure uniform
classification of cyber threats across organizations.
➢ Encourage government and industry-backed CTI-sharing collaborations
to incentivize cross-sector intelligence exchange.
2.6. Legal & Ethical Barriers to Threat Intelligence Sharing
Issue:
• Many organizations hesitate to share threat intelligence due to privacy
concerns, legal restrictions (GDPR, CCPA), and liability risks.
• Lack of trust between organizations leads to isolated cybersecurity efforts
instead of collaborative defense strategies.
Proposed Solution: Trust-Based & Privacy-Preserving CTI Sharing
To encourage ethical and secure CTI-sharing, organizations must adopt:
Implementation Strategy:
➢ Anonymized Intelligence Sharing: Use differential privacy techniques to
mask sensitive data while still sharing actionable threat intelligence.
➢ Legal Protections for CTI Collaboration: Governments should develop
legal frameworks that protect organizations from liability when sharing
threat intelligence in good faith.
➢ Blockchain-Based Threat Intelligence Networks: Use distributed ledger
technology to ensure tamper-proof, verifiable, and secure CTI exchanges.
➢ Industry-Wide CTI Consortiums: Establish cross-industry cybersecurity
alliances to foster trust and collaboration.
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3. CONCLUSION
The current research on CTI provides valuable insights, but significant gaps
exist in real-world implementation, industry-wide adoption, decision-making
integration, and data-sharing mechanisms.
This proposed enhanced CTI framework ensures:
➢ Stronger industry-wide CTI adoption
➢ Better integration with executive decision-making
➢ Improved AI-driven automation to reduce false positives
➢ Seamless interoperability in threat intelligence sharing
➢ Ethical and legally compliant CTI collaboration
By addressing these research gaps, organizations can create a proactive,
scalable, and globally interconnected cybersecurity ecosystem that effectively
combats evolving cyber threats.
COMPARISON OF OUR THESIS WITH
RESEARCH PAPERS 1-5
1. INTRODUCTION
Our thesis on Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI) presents a
comprehensive framework that surpasses existing research in several
key aspects. This document compares "Our Thesis" with five research
papers and highlights why our approach is superior through structured
analysis and visual representations.
2. Comparative Analysis
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