Beyond IoCs: Modernizing Cyber Defense in the CISA 2015 Lapse

"These threats out-pace traditional Indicators of Compromise (IoCs) that were once a core tenant of information sharing strategy. With the CISA 2015 temporarily lapsing, this moment spotlights the ways in which the U.S. must rethink its cyber intelligence strategy - moving from reactive, infrastructure-based signals to proactive, behavior-driven insights that enable organizations to anticipate and disrupt attacks before they materialize."

"Modernizing information sharing frameworks requires more reliable threat intelligence that focuses on behavior-based analytics, to contextualize the likely behaviors that drive tactics and techniques used in threat actors' tradecraft. Even more important, the threat intelligence must be actionable and curated in a way that is applicable and useful to organizations - focusing on "what is happening," instead of relying on stale intelligence derived from IoCs that frames what has already happened."

AI-powered and identity-based attacks increasingly threaten U.S. infrastructure, with 80% of ransomware attacks now powered by AI. Traditional IoC-focused information sharing has become inadequate because IoCs change frequently and short-lived attacker infrastructure enables stealth and persistence. The temporary lapse of CISA 2015 exposes the need to move from reactive, infrastructure-based signals toward proactive, behavior-driven insights. Modernized frameworks should emphasize behavior-based analytics that contextualize tactics and techniques and supply actionable, curated intelligence applicable to organizations. Emphasizing quality over quantity in threat intelligence and improving information sharing are essential for whole-of-state cybersecurity resilience.

Read at Securitymagazine