Key Skills for Advanced Threat Intelligence Reporting
Learn to research threats, attribute attacks, and create actionable intelligence reports for decision-makers.
Duration
4 weeksWeekly study
2 hours
Key Skills for Advanced Threat Intelligence Reporting
This course has been certified by the CPD Certification Service as conforming to continuing professional development principles. Find out more.
Turn threat data into intelligence that drives security decisions
How do you transform raw threat data into intelligence that guides security decisions? As threats evolve rapidly, organisations need clear, actionable intelligence that helps leaders allocate resources and respond effectively.
This course takes you through the complete threat intelligence lifecycle, from research and analysis through to creating reports for executives and technical teams. Through hands-on work with industry tools and a final capstone project, you’ll develop skills that advance your career in cyber security.
You’ll explore the essential components of effective threat intelligence over four weeks.
Build foundations in threat intelligence
Learn to distinguish between data and intelligence, and develop skills for sourcing reliable information. You’ll understand how to validate information across multiple channels to ensure accuracy. Building trust in your intelligence reports starts with solid research foundations and rigorous validation processes.
Analyse threats and attribute attacks
Develop skills to correlate malware samples, map attacker infrastructure, and assess risks to prioritise threats facing your organisation. You’ll learn attribution techniques to identify threat actors and understand their methods.
These analytical skills help you understand not just what happened, but who was responsible and what they might do next.
Create effective intelligence reports
Learn to produce tailored intelligence briefs that communicate findings clearly to executives, technical teams, and other stakeholders. You’ll develop data storytelling skills that make complex threats understandable.
You’ll walk away with experience creating intelligence reports that drive security decisions with confidence.
Explore our ExpertTrack: Advanced Cyber Defence & Offensive Security.
Syllabus
Week 1
Introduction to Threat Intelligence
Lesson 1: Understanding Threat Actors and Ethical Intelligence Practices
This lesson introduced threat intelligence fundamentals, covering threat actor types, motivations, and frameworks like MITRE ATT&CK, Diamond Model, and Cyber Kill Chain.
Lesson 2: Intelligence Collection and Infrastructure Analysis
This lesson built practical skills in threat intelligence collection and infrastructure analysis using OSINT tools like Shodan, VirusTotal, and Maltego to map and correlate threat data.
Lesson 3: Data Analysis and Validation
This lesson covered data enrichment, validation, and analysis using TIPs, STIX/TAXII, and structured techniques like ACH and red teaming to link TTPs to threat actors confidently.
Week 2
Strategic Analysis, Attribution & Threat Modelling
Lesson 4: Structured Analytical Techniques: ACH and Red Teaming
This lesson developed advanced skills in threat assessment using ACH, red teaming, and scenario modeling to analyze complex threats, reduce bias, and produce evidence-based conclusions.
Lesson 5: Attribution Frameworks and Challenges
This lesson built advanced attribution analysis skills, teaching students to apply frameworks, assess evidence quality, and handle deception or bias in threat actor attribution.
Lesson 6: Intelligence Confidence and Enterprise Risk Modelling
This lesson focused on communicating analytical uncertainty and building threat models for enterprise risk. Students applied confidence scales and frameworks like STRIDE, ATT&CK, and PASTA.
Week 3
Threat Research, Correlation & Infrastructure Mapping
Lesson 7: Advanced Collection and Analysis
This lesson taught advanced collection planning and OSINT tradecraft, including honeypots and dark web monitoring. Students analyzed malware, correlated campaigns, and applied attribution with confidence scoring.
Lesson 8: Structured Analysis and Strategic Context
This lesson applied structured analytic techniques to complex threats, using ACH, red teaming, and scenario modeling to map risks, analyze deception, and strengthen strategic assessments.
Lesson 9: Tools and Technology Integration
This lesson provided hands-on experience with advanced threat intelligence tools like ThreatConnect, MISP, and Maltego, teaching students to integrate, automate, and enrich CTI analysis workflows.
Week 4
Reporting and Communication of Intelligence
Lesson 10: Strategic Intelligence Communication
This lesson focused on translating technical intelligence into strategic insights for executives. Students learned to align threat data with business goals, use platforms like Recorded Future, and create executive-ready reports.
Lesson 11: Audience-Focused Communication
This lesson developed stakeholder-focused communication and presentation skills. Students practiced data storytelling, visual reporting, and tailoring intelligence briefings for different audiences with clarity and impact.
Lesson 12: Professional Intelligence Writing
This lesson built professional intelligence writing and collaboration skills. Students practiced clear, objective reporting, confidence communication, and teamwork using tools like MISP and ThreatConnect.
Lesson 13: Course Conclusion
Congratulations on completing the course! You are now equipped with the advanced skills to conduct strategic threat intelligence research, analyze complex threats, and communicate actionable insights to safeguard your organization
Who is this accredited by?
The CPD Certification Service was established in 1996 and is the leading independent CPD accreditation institution operating across industry sectors to complement the CPD policies of professional and academic bodies.
Learning on this course
On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.
What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...
- Differentiate between data, intelligence, threats, and threat impacts, and identify reliable sources for threat data collection.
- Apply appropriate intelligence collection methodologies to analyze threat infrastructure and correlate malware and campaign data for enrichment and validation.
- Evaluate intelligence across multiple sourcesd conduct risk assessments to identify and prioritize threats to enterprise infrastructure.
- Develop strategic intelligence reports tailored to target audiences, and communicate findings clearly to executives, peers, and stakeholders using data storytelling techniques.
Who is the course for?
This course is ideal for IT professionals, security analysts, CISOs, and business leaders who want to develop skills in threat research, attack attribution, and intelligence reporting for stronger cyber security programmes.
Who will you learn with?
Who developed the course?
Starweaver
Starweaver is a next generation platform that engages your workforce as no other. Combining business and technical skills, Starweaver provides real-time skill building that is in line with your business objectives and strategies, and in your associates day to day tasks and jobs.
What's included?
This is a premium course. These courses are designed for professionals from specific industries looking to learn with a smaller group of like-minded individuals.
- Unlimited access to this course
- Includes any articles, videos, peer reviews and quizzes
- Certificate of Achievement to prove your success when you're eligible
- Download and print your Certificate of Achievement anytime
Still want to know more? Check out our FAQs
Learning on FutureLearn
Your learning, your rules
- Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
- Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
- Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores
Join a global classroom
- Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
- Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
- Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others
Map your progress
- As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
- Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
- Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate
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