Cyber Threat Intelligence Podcast Season 1 - Episode 18 (Pedro Kertzman & Freddy Murre)
"Basically, everyone just do whatever they feel like and then call it intelligence." With these provocative words, Freddy Murre cuts straight to the heart of what's wrong with most cyber threat intelligence practices today.
Drawing from 13 years of intelligence experience spanning military operations and private sector work, Freddy exposes the critical disconnect between intelligence methodology and what many CTI teams actually deliver. Most security teams, he argues, are producing cyber threat information, not intelligence—pushing technical indicators without context, relevance, or the crucial "so what" that decision-makers need.
The conversation explores how CTI professionals often fall back on their technical comfort zones rather than embracing true intelligence tradecraft. Freddy walks us through the intelligence cycle, explaining how requirements drive collection and analysis to produce actionable insights. He challenges the industry norm of one-directional "data dumps" from vendors to customers, advocating instead for a more tailored approach that considers each organization's specific technologies, vulnerabilities, and business needs.
Perhaps most valuable is Freddy's practical guidance on stakeholder engagement—identifying who your intelligence serves, understanding their decision-making needs, and continually validating that your work delivers measurable value. "If they can't articulate the decisions they made based on your intelligence," he warns, "you're in a dark space." His Ferrari analogy brilliantly illustrates how CTI teams must find the right fit between capabilities and stakeholder requirements.
The episode also tackles AI's impact on intelligence work, with Freddy offering a sobering assessment of large language models' limitations while acknowledging their potential benefits when properly understood as tools rather than solutions. Whether you're a seasoned CTI professional or just building your program, this conversation provides an essential framework for elevating your practice from information sharing to true intelligence production.
Thanks for tuning in! If you found this episode valuable, don’t forget to subscribe, share, and leave a review. Got thoughts or questions? Connect with us on our LinkedIn Group: Cyber Threat Intelligence Podcast—we’d love to hear from you. If you know anyone with CTI expertise that would like to be interviewed in the show, just let us know. Until next time, stay sharp and stay secure!