Come to the Dark Side

Charity Wright, threat intelligence analyst at Recorded Future and a former NSA Chinese linguist, offers an introduction to security intelligence and an invitation into the field. She opens with the stakes: ransomware payments up 300 percent in 2020, domestic disinformation spread through online forums, and nation-states inside sensitive networks. She defines intelligence as information used to answer tactical questions and predict behaviour, then distinguishes cyber threat intelligence from the broader security intelligence that also watches brand abuse, third parties, geopolitics and physical risk. An iceberg walk-through covers the clear web, hidden sources behind logins and paywalls, and the dark web reached through Tor, which she calls a gold mine for studying criminals rather than a wasteland, while noting its legitimate uses under authoritarian regimes. She stresses writing three to five intelligence requirements before collecting, illustrated by an insurer facing REvil, which targets insurance customers, and a global technology firm tracking China, sanctions and supply-chain risk. She closes with paths into the profession: degrees, certifications, reserve military intelligence, meetups, internships and Trace Labs volunteering.