How does threat intelligence contribute to incident response?

Threat intelligence plays a crucial role in incident response by delivering context on current threats and adversary tactics. It encompasses the analysis of data to inform the incident response team about the tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) used by adversaries. This contextual knowledge allows security teams to understand the nature of threats they may face, anticipate potential attack vectors, and prioritize the response strategies accordingly.

When an incident occurs, access to pertinent threat intelligence enables the incident response team to identify whether the attack aligns with known threat patterns, assess the severity of the incident, and determine effective mitigation steps. Moreover, it can offer insights into specific vulnerabilities that may be exploited, allowing for a more targeted and efficient response.

In contrast to the other choices, threat intelligence is not primarily concerned with system performance data, automation of response processes, or employee training. Those aspects, while valuable in their own right, do not directly enrich the incident response efforts with actionable insights into the current threat landscape or specific adversary behaviors, which is why the concept of threat intelligence is key in enhancing the effectiveness of incident response.