Skill and Power Duo: Threat Intelligence and Reverse Engineering

The 2024 Summer Olympics could attract as much cybersecurity media attention as the games themselves. Every two years, threat actors from multiple countries seek publicity by attempting or succeeding in compromising one of the world’s biggest sporting events, giving cybersecurity teams everything they can to mitigate potential threats.

While no incidents disrupted the more than 300 medal competitions in dozens of sporting events held in Paris, authorities in France reported more than 140 cyberattacks during this year’s Summer Games. From late July to the closing ceremony on Aug. 11, France’s national cybersecurity agency, ANSSI, recorded 119 reports of “low-impact security incidents” and 22 additional incidents in which malicious actors successfully compromised IT systems. The attacks focused primarily on government agencies, as well as sports, transportation and telecommunications infrastructure, ANSSI said.

From the Olympics to financial institutions and across most industries, organizations need their employees to have the best cybersecurity skills possible. A recent survey of IT professionals by Pluralsight found that the two most important skills needed to dismantle the most dangerous emerging security threats are threat intelligence and reverse engineering.

Organizations that arm themselves with a workforce that brings this one-two punch to cybersecurity are better prepared to defend against malicious actors. When threat analysis, reporting, and response (threat intelligence) are combined with discovering how malware works and identifying vulnerabilities (reverse engineering), the results play a significant role in helping future-proof a company’s defenses.

Taking action against innovative, new cyber threats

Using threat intelligence and reverse engineering in tandem can optimize cyber risk mitigation programs and strengthen cybersecurity defenses. Professionals trained in threat intelligence and reverse engineering are more likely than those without these skills to develop updates and deploy patches to quickly and effectively prevent risks.

Threat Intelligence helps with early detection and better response to threats by analyzing patterns and indicators of threat, and provides security teams with more effective incident response plans to quickly mitigate threats. Reverse engineering provides a better understanding of malware by analyzing its structure and methods of operation, and developing mechanisms to detect its characteristics. Even in the face of innovative, new cyber threats, teams that have these skills will be ready to take immediate action.

Incidents like the BlackCat ransomware attack, the Poly Network hack, and several high-profile breaches in the healthcare sector reflect current cyber threat trends and underscore the importance of implementing robust cybersecurity measures across all industries.

Companies that lag behind in their efforts to upskill and train their IT teams on cyber threats will become increasingly vulnerable to opportunistic attackers. In 2023, Pluralsight found that surveyed IT professionals know they will need to learn AI skills to secure their careers, with 96% saying that staying up-to-date with AI skills is the best way to ensure job security.

As a result, organizations need to close the cyber skills gap by training their employees on the latest technology trends to ensure they have the expertise they need to proactively protect themselves from attacks. Cloud misconfigurations, increasingly sophisticated ransomware and vendor hacks are all contributing to the rise in cyberattacks, according to a report from the Sloan School of Management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The threat landscape continues to grow

As organizations scramble to fill traditional cybersecurity positions or create new ones to defend themselves, the threat landscape continues to grow. According to the Biden administration’s Director of National Intelligence, ransomware attacks worldwide are expected to increase by a whopping 74% in 2023. In testimony before Congress earlier this year, Avril Haines said that U.S. entities were the most targeted last year, with attacks in sectors like healthcare doubling between 2022 and 2023.

The current and future cybersecurity landscape will be characterized by a range of threats and factors that include the role of skill development in protecting against cyberattacks, from everyday business operations to high-profile events such as the Olympic Games, mass public gatherings and political elections.

In the United States, cybersecurity concerns surrounding the 2024 presidential election have already come under the spotlight after a trove of confidential information from Donald Trump’s campaign was hacked. Although a handful of news organizations that received the information from an anonymous source chose not to publish any of it, the damage had already been done, orchestrated by a hacker who identified himself only as “Robert.”

To stay ahead of opportunistic bad actors, it’s more important than ever for organizations to build a workforce that has the most in-demand cybersecurity skills, such as threat intelligence and reverse engineering. In today’s competitive job market, this means not only recruiting and hiring the best talent available, but also fostering a culture of continuous learning throughout the company to ensure that skill gaps are identified and that the workforce remains best equipped to prevent cyberattacks.

This includes proficiency in understanding how GenAI can be properly used to detect threats and as a tool to respond to emerging attacks. Amid the changing landscape of AI, its adoption by malicious actors, and the ongoing cybersecurity skills gaps among the technology workforce, Pluralsight found that over 80% of surveyed IT professionals are concerned about AI-based threats.

By implementing AI-enabled cyber defense, organizations can leverage their strengths in threat detection and prevention, incident response, vulnerability management, user authentication, fraud detection, and threat prediction. As such, AI can enhance cybersecurity by providing advanced threat detection and response tools, automating routine tasks, and improving the overall efficiency of security operations.

According to an IBM report, in 2023, the average cost savings for organizations that widely adopted AI and automation for cybersecurity and breach prevention was $2.22 million compared to companies that did not. The report also found that the average cost of a data breach worldwide was $4.8 million, up 10% from the previous year and the highest total cost of a breach on record. The results also revealed that one in three breaches involved hidden data, showing that the proliferation of data is making it harder to secure.

Defending digital assets and ensuring the security and reliability of systems

By upskilling their workforce and implementing the right technologies and practices, organizations can protect their digital assets and ensure the confidentiality and integrity of their data and networks. A multi-faceted cybersecurity discipline is essential to ensuring the safe and reliable operation of technology systems. Armed with the right skills and constantly practicing how to respond to simulated cyberattacks, organizations can create the best possible defense against an increasingly active threat landscape.