Security Threat Analysis: Comprehensive 5-Day Course Outline

Course Overview

Security threat analysis is a critical discipline enabling cybersecurity professionals to identify, assess, and neutralize potential threats before they materialize into damaging incidents. This intensive 5-day advanced training program provides comprehensive knowledge of threat intelligence gathering, malware analysis, behavioral analytics, adversary tactics, and predictive threat modeling. Participants will master frameworks like MITRE ATT&CK, threat hunting methodologies, intelligence-driven defense strategies, and advanced analytical techniques essential for proactive security postures in today’s dynamic threat landscape.

Course Objectives

By completing this security threat analysis training, participants will:

• Master threat intelligence collection and analysis methodologies

• Apply structured analytical techniques to security threats

• Understand adversary tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs)

• Conduct comprehensive malware and forensic analysis

• Implement threat hunting and proactive detection strategies

• Utilize threat intelligence platforms and analytical tools

• Develop threat models and risk assessment frameworks

• Create actionable intelligence reports for decision-makers

Day 1: Threat Intelligence Fundamentals and Frameworks

Morning Session: Introduction to Cyber Threat Intelligence

Duration: 3 hours

This foundational session explores cyber threat intelligence (CTI) concepts, lifecycle, and strategic importance in modern security operations. Participants learn the distinction between data, information, and actionable intelligence while understanding the intelligence-driven defense philosophy.

Key Learning Points:

• Cyber threat intelligence definition and evolution

• Intelligence lifecycle: direction, collection, processing, analysis, dissemination

• Strategic, operational, and tactical intelligence levels

• Intelligence requirements definition and prioritization

• Threat intelligence consumers: executives, SOC, IR teams, threat hunters

• Intelligence-driven security operations philosophy

• Threat intelligence maturity models

• Building threat intelligence programs

• Legal and ethical considerations in intelligence gathering

• Industry threat intelligence sharing communities: ISACs, ISAOs

Afternoon Session: Threat Intelligence Frameworks and Standards

Duration: 3 hours

Participants master industry-standard threat intelligence frameworks that provide structured approaches to understanding, categorizing, and communicating threats. This session covers MITRE ATT&CK, Cyber Kill Chain, Diamond Model, and intelligence sharing formats.

Framework Deep Dive:

• MITRE ATT&CK Framework: tactics, techniques, procedures (TTPs)

• ATT&CK matrix navigation and practical applications

• Cyber Kill Chain: reconnaissance through actions on objectives

• Diamond Model of Intrusion Analysis: adversary, capability, infrastructure, victim

• Lockheed Martin Kill Chain vs. unified kill chain

• STIX/TAXII protocols for intelligence sharing

• OpenIOC and YARA rule formats

• Threat actor classification: nation-states, cybercriminals, hacktivists, insiders

• Attribution challenges and techniques

• Confidence levels and intelligence reliability assessment

Workshop Activity:
Map real-world attack scenarios to MITRE ATT&CK framework, identify TTPs, and develop defensive countermeasures using structured frameworks

Day 2: Threat Intelligence Collection and Sources

Morning Session: Intelligence Collection Methods

Duration: 3 hours

This technical session teaches diverse intelligence collection techniques including Open Source Intelligence (OSINT), Dark Web monitoring, technical intelligence gathering, and human intelligence sources relevant to cybersecurity.

Collection Methodologies:

• Open Source Intelligence (OSINT): public sources, social media, technical forums

• Dark Web and Deep Web intelligence gathering

• Social media intelligence (SOCMINT) techniques

• Technical intelligence: network traffic, log analysis, honeypots

• Indicators of Compromise (IoC) collection: IPs, domains, hashes, file artifacts

• Threat actor tracking and profiling

• Malware repositories and sample collection

• Vulnerability intelligence sources: CVE, NVD, exploit databases

• Threat feeds: commercial, open-source, community-based

• Internal telemetry and organizational intelligence

Afternoon Session: Threat Intelligence Platforms and Tools

Duration: 3 hours

Participants gain hands-on experience with threat intelligence platforms (TIPs) and analytical tools that aggregate, enrich, and analyze threat data from multiple sources for actionable insights.

Intelligence Tools and Platforms:

• Threat Intelligence Platforms (TIPs): ThreatConnect, Anomali, MISP

• OSINT collection tools: Maltego, theHarvester, Shodan, Censys

• VirusTotal and hybrid-analysis platforms

• AlienVault OTX (Open Threat Exchange)

• Passive DNS and WHOIS intelligence tools

• Threat hunting platforms: Recorded Future, Flashpoint

• Malware analysis sandboxes: Cuckoo, ANY.RUN

• Network analysis: Wireshark, Zeek (Bro), Suricata

• Log analysis: Splunk, ELK Stack for intelligence extraction

• Automation and orchestration: Python, APIs, SOAR platforms

Hands-on Lab:
Configure MISP threat intelligence platform, collect IoCs from multiple sources, enrich threat data, and create intelligence feeds for security tools

Day 3: Malware Analysis and Adversary Profiling

Morning Session: Malware Analysis Techniques

Duration: 3 hours

This advanced session covers static and dynamic malware analysis methodologies that reveal malicious code functionality, capabilities, and indicators. Participants learn to safely analyze malware samples and extract actionable intelligence.

Malware Analysis Framework:

• Malware types: viruses, worms, trojans, ransomware, rootkits, APTs

• Static analysis: file properties, strings, PE structure, disassembly

• Dynamic analysis: behavioral monitoring in sandboxed environments

• Reverse engineering fundamentals

• Analysis tools: IDA Pro, Ghidra, OllyDbg, x64dbg, PEiD

• Malware sample acquisition and safe handling procedures

• Obfuscation and packing detection

• Command and Control (C2) infrastructure identification

• Malware family classification and tracking

• Documenting findings and writing malware reports

• YARA rule creation for malware detection

Afternoon Session: Adversary Tactics and Behavior Analysis

Duration: 3 hours

Participants explore adversary behavior patterns, attack campaigns, and threat actor profiling techniques that enable predictive defense and targeted security improvements.

Adversary Intelligence:

• Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) group tracking

• Nation-state cyber operations and geopolitical context

• Cybercriminal organization structures and motivations

• Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTP) analysis

• Attack pattern recognition and campaign correlation

• Infrastructure analysis: domains, IPs, hosting providers

• Threat actor attribution methods and challenges

• Behavioral analysis and predictive modeling

• Intrusion set identification and tracking

• Adversary simulation and emulation for testing defenses

• Red team vs. actual threat actor distinctions

Workshop Activity:
Analyze malware samples in controlled environment, extract IoCs, map behaviors to MITRE ATT&CK, and develop threat actor profile based on campaign analysis

Day 4: Threat Hunting and Proactive Detection

Morning Session: Threat Hunting Methodologies

Duration: 3 hours

This practical session introduces proactive threat hunting approaches that identify hidden threats and sophisticated adversaries that evade traditional security controls. Participants learn hypothesis-driven hunting and data-driven investigation techniques.

Threat Hunting Framework:

• Threat hunting definition: proactive vs. reactive security

• Hypothesis-driven hunting: creating and testing assumptions

• Intelligence-driven hunting: leveraging CTI for focused searches

• Data-driven hunting: anomaly detection and baseline deviation

• Threat hunting maturity model: HMM0 through HMM4

• Crown Jewel Analysis: protecting critical assets

• Hunt mission planning and scoping

• Hunting platforms: EDR, SIEM, network monitoring tools

• Indicators of Attack (IoA) vs. Indicators of Compromise (IoC)

• Documentation and knowledge management for hunts

• Continuous hunting programs and metrics

Afternoon Session: Advanced Detection Techniques

Duration: 3 hours

Participants master advanced threat detection methods including behavioral analytics, anomaly detection, User and Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA), and machine learning applications in threat identification.

Detection Technologies:

• Behavioral analytics and baseline establishment

• User and Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA) implementation

• Anomaly detection algorithms and statistical methods

• Machine learning in threat detection: supervised and unsupervised learning

• Network traffic analysis for hidden threats

• Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) for threat hunting

• Memory forensics and volatile data analysis

• Living off the Land (LOLBins) detection techniques

• Fileless malware and PowerShell attack detection

• Lateral movement and privilege escalation indicators

• Data exfiltration pattern recognition

• Custom detection rule development

Hands-on Lab:
Conduct structured threat hunt using EDR platform, develop hunting hypotheses, query security data lakes, identify hidden threats, and document findings

Day 5: Threat Modeling, Risk Assessment, and Intelligence Operations

Morning Session: Threat Modeling and Risk Analysis

Duration: 3 hours

This strategic session teaches comprehensive threat modeling methodologies that identify potential attack vectors, assess organizational risks, and prioritize security investments based on threat likelihood and impact.

Threat Modeling Framework:

• Threat modeling methodologies: STRIDE, PASTA, VAST, Trike

• Asset identification and valuation

• Attack surface analysis and mapping

• Attack tree and attack graph development

• Threat scenario development and analysis

• Risk assessment frameworks: qualitative and quantitative

• Likelihood and impact determination

• Risk matrices and heat maps

• Vulnerability-threat-asset correlation

• Security control gap analysis

• Threat model maintenance and updates

• Integration with enterprise risk management (ERM)

Afternoon Session: Intelligence Operations and Reporting

Duration: 3 hours

The final session covers intelligence production, dissemination, and operational integration that transforms raw threat data into actionable intelligence for various stakeholders and security functions.

Intelligence Operations:

• Intelligence analysis techniques: link analysis, timeline analysis, pattern analysis

• Structured Analytic Techniques (SATs)

• Hypothesis testing and alternative analysis

• Cognitive biases in threat analysis: confirmation bias, mirror imaging

• Intelligence writing and reporting standards

• Traffic Light Protocol (TLP) for information sharing

• Executive briefings and strategic intelligence reports

• Tactical intelligence for SOC and incident responders

• Intelligence requirements management

• Feedback loops and intelligence effectiveness measurement

• Intelligence-driven incident response

• Threat intelligence metrics: coverage, accuracy, timeliness

• Building intelligence-sharing partnerships

• Future trends: AI in threat intelligence, predictive analytics

Capstone Project:
Develop comprehensive threat analysis report including intelligence collection plan, adversary profile, TTPs mapped to MITRE ATT&CK, threat hunt findings, risk assessment, and defensive recommendations with executive summary

Course Synthesis:

• Integration of threat intelligence into security operations

• Career pathways: GCTI, GIAC Cyber Threat Intelligence

• Continuous professional development resources

• Threat intelligence community engagement

• Emerging challenges: AI-generated threats, deepfakes, quantum computing

• Building organizational threat intelligence capabilities

Course Deliverables

Participants receive comprehensive resources including:

• Threat intelligence frameworks and templates

• MITRE ATT&CK navigator configurations

• Malware analysis toolkit and guides

• Threat hunting playbooks

• Intelligence report templates

• IoC collection and enrichment scripts

• Threat modeling templates

• YARA and Sigma rule libraries

• Professional certification preparation materials

• Course completion certificate

Target Audience

This course is designed for cybersecurity analysts, threat intelligence analysts, SOC analysts, incident responders, security architects, penetration testers, malware analysts, security researchers, threat hunters, and information security professionals responsible for proactive threat detection and intelligence-driven defense across government, finance, healthcare, technology, defense, and critical infrastructure sectors.

Prerequisites

Strong understanding of networking protocols, operating systems (Windows/Linux), and cybersecurity fundamentals required. Experience with security tools (SIEM, IDS/IPS, firewalls) beneficial. Familiarity with scripting languages (Python, PowerShell) recommended. Prior incident response or SOC experience advantageous.

Master security threat analysis and transform raw intelligence into proactive defenses against sophisticated adversaries.