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Threat Intelligence Vs. HTTPS Content Scanning

As the number of cyber threats continues to grow, organizations are looking for ways to protect themselves against attacks. Two popular security technologies are Threat Intelligence and HTTPS Content Scanning, both of which can be deployed on the gateway level to help prevent attacks. In this blog post, we’ll compare these two technologies and explore their strengths and weaknesses.

What is Threat Intelligence?

Threat Intelligence is a set of information sources and analytical techniques used to identify and respond to cybersecurity threats. It can help organizations detect both known and unknown threats through the use of machine learning, behavioral analysis, and other techniques. Threat Intelligence sources can include internal and external sources such as SIEM, threat feeds, dark web, honeypots, etc.

Threat Intelligence can be highly accurate, depending on the quality of the sources used and the analytical techniques applied. However, it may not be effective against zero-day attacks or advanced persistent threats. Additionally, it can have a high performance impact, depending on the number of sources used and the amount of data analyzed.

What is HTTPS Content Scanning?

HTTPS Content Scanning is a security technique that involves scanning the content of encrypted web traffic (HTTPS) at the gateway level to detect and prevent malware, phishing, and other malicious activity. Various scanning techniques, such as signature-based scanning, heuristic-based scanning, sandboxing, etc., can be used to detect malicious content hiding in encrypted web traffic.

HTTPS Content Scanning can be highly accurate, depending on the quality of the scanning techniques used and the ability to decrypt and scan encrypted traffic. However, it may not be effective against attacks that use non-standard encryption or that use other techniques to evade detection. Additionally, it can also have a high performance impact, depending on the amount of traffic being scanned and the scanning techniques used.

Comparison between Threat Intelligence and HTTPS Content Scanning

While both Threat Intelligence and HTTPS Content Scanning can help protect organizations against cyber threats, they have different strengths and weaknesses. Threat Intelligence can help detect both known and unknown threats and can be highly accurate, but it may not be effective against zero-day attacks or advanced persistent threats. HTTPS Content Scanning can detect malicious content hiding in encrypted web traffic and can also be highly accurate, but it may not be effective against non-standard encryption or other techniques used to evade detection.

Another key difference between the two technologies is their sources of information. Threat Intelligence sources can include both internal and external sources, such as threat feeds and the dark web. HTTPS Content Scanning, on the other hand, relies on various scanning techniques to detect malicious content in encrypted traffic.

In terms of deployment, both technologies can be deployed on-premises or in the cloud, and can be integrated with other security technologies.

Conclusion

In conclusion, both Threat Intelligence and HTTPS Content Scanning are important security technologies that can help protect organizations against cyber threats. While they have different strengths and weaknesses, they can be complementary technologies when used together. Organizations should carefully consider their specific needs and threat landscape when choosing which technology to deploy, or whether to use a combination of both technologies to achieve the best possible protection.

TG8 Security is a pioneer in developing a unified platform of DPI firewall and security gateways that addresses the shortcomings of both UTMs and NGFWs. Established in Texas, USA, TG8 Security works with channel partners worldwide to provide and support its products.