Reading weak signals: how small anomalies become early warnings
A look at how individually unremarkable events can be correlated into an early, actionable picture of intrusion.
IntelligenceBefore Impact.
Cyber threats evolve continuously. We help organizations see further, respond faster, and build resilience through intelligence-led security.
In plain words: we spot online dangers early, before they can hurt your organization.
- a computer or account we watch
- information moving between them
- something odd, being checked
pretend data, not a real network · move your mouse to look around
the intelligence advantage
Most security begins at the moment of impact. Intelligence moves the work earlier.
In plain words: instead of waiting for something bad to happen, we look for the warning signs early, while there is still time to stop it.
Anticipate threats
Know what might be coming.
Learn which attackers and tricks are most likely to be aimed at your organization, before they ever show up.
Identify exposure
Find the doors left open.
Find the weak spots those attackers would use — in computers, accounts and everyday habits — and rank them by how risky each one is.
Strengthen defenses
Lock the doors and put up alarms.
Close the most important gaps first, and set up alarms for exactly the kind of trouble you now expect.
Respond decisively
If trouble comes, act fast.
If something still happens, act fast and calmly, already knowing what it probably is, what it can reach and what to do first.
solutions
Eight areas of practice, one way of working: start from the threats you actually face.
Service areas are indicative. Every engagement is scoped individually, around your environment and the questions you need answered.
In plain words: these are the different jobs we can do to keep you safe. Pick one to see what it means.
fig. 03.1 threat intelligence
“Which threats actually apply to us?”
In plain words: we study the bad guys (who they are and how they attack) so you are ready before they come.
We turn information gathered from many outside sources into a clear picture of the attackers and tricks most relevant to your sector, so decisions about protection are based on evidence rather than headlines.
- Profiles of likely attackers
- What is happening in your industry
- Context behind warning signs
- Short briefings for leaders
fig. 03.2 security operations & monitoring
“Are we seeing what we should be seeing?”
In plain words: we keep an eye on your computers and accounts, and raise the alarm when something looks wrong.
Alarms only help when someone understands them. We help design and run monitoring that fits your systems, with clear steps for who acts when, and fewer false alarms for the people on call.
- Setting up the right alarms
- Sorting real alarms from noise
- Checking nothing is left unwatched
- Step-by-step playbooks
fig. 03.3 vulnerability assessment
“What could be used against us today?”
In plain words: we check every door and window in your systems to find the ones left open.
A careful, organized search for weak spots in your networks, websites and settings, ranked by how easy they are to reach and how much harm they could cause, so fixing effort goes where it helps most.
- Mapping what can be reached from outside
- Checking settings and updates
- A ranked list of weak spots
- Help fixing them, then re-checking
fig. 03.4 penetration testing
“How far could an attacker actually get?”
In plain words: with your permission, we try to break in the way a real attacker would, then show you how to stop it.
Agreed, carefully limited testing that follows the paths a skilled attacker would take, from the first way in to the things you care about most, with every step written down so it can be repeated and fixed.
- Testing networks and apps
- Clear rules agreed in advance
- The story of how we got in
- Proof for every finding
fig. 03.5 incident response
“Would we know what to do in the first hour?”
In plain words: if something bad happens, we help you stop it, clean it up and get back to normal.
When an attack is suspected, we help contain it, find out what happened and get things running again. We also help you prepare beforehand with plans and practice runs, so the first hour is not guesswork.
- Stopping the attack from spreading
- Plans for what to do
- Practice drills for your team
- Looking back to learn
fig. 03.6 security consulting
“Where should our next security investment go?”
In plain words: we help you decide what to fix first and plan how to stay safe over time.
Independent advice on how your security is organized and built, based on your real risks and limits, and written in language your leadership can act on.
- Reviewing your security plan
- Checking how systems are designed
- Rules and responsibilities
- A clear, ordered to-do list
fig. 03.7 digital forensics
“What exactly happened, and when?”
In plain words: like detectives, we follow the digital clues to find out exactly what happened.
Careful collection and study of digital evidence from computers, servers, online services and records, handled so nothing is changed, to rebuild a reliable timeline of events.
- Collecting evidence safely
- Rebuilding the timeline
- Studying harmful software
- A clear written report
fig. 03.8 cloud & infrastructure security
“Is our cloud configured the way we think it is?”
In plain words: we make sure the online services and computer systems you rely on are locked up properly.
Review and hardening of cloud accounts, logins, networks and servers, focused on the wrong settings and too-wide permissions that most often turn a small break-in into a big one.
- Checking cloud settings
- Who can access what
- Separating systems safely
- Safe default settings
the CIS intelligence interface
Follow one signal from first sight to decision.
An interactive walk-through of how intelligence-led security handles a single suspicious event. The environment, events and timings are fictional.
In plain words: this is a pretend story about a stolen password. Press play, or click the steps, to watch how we notice it, work out what is going on, and fix it.
step 1 of 4 · notice it
Someone logs in from a strange laptop
A staff account is used from a laptop and a place we have never seen before. On its own, that might be nothing, maybe a new computer. But it is worth a look.
- what we saw
- A login from an unknown laptop
- where
- The login system
- when
- The start
- how sure
- Not very. It is just one clue
methodology
A cycle, not a checklist.
Four stages that repeat for as long as the threat landscape keeps changing — which is to say, always.
In plain words: we watch, we work out what is going on, we protect, and we learn. Then we start again, a little smarter each time.
stage 1 of 4
ObserveWatch closely
Keep a steady eye on your computers, accounts and the outside world, so any change is noticed as soon as it happens.
- A list of everything to protect
- Useful outside sources
- A picture of what “normal” looks like
stage 2 of 4
UnderstandMake sense of it
Join the clues together, check our ideas, and tell real dangers apart from harmless noise.
- Clues joined together
- Why it matters
- What is most urgent
stage 3 of 4
DefendProtect
Fix the weak spots, improve the alarms, and when something happens, follow a plan instead of guessing.
- A fix-it plan
- Better alarms
- Calm, planned actions
stage 4 of 4
EvolveGet better each time
Use everything we learned to make the next round stronger, because attackers keep changing, so we do too.
- Lessons learned
- New priorities
- An updated “normal”
insights & research
Notes from the field.
In plain words: short articles that explain online dangers, and how to stay safe from them, in simple words.
sample content
These entries show the publication format. Real articles will replace them once published.
All insightsabout CIS
Cyber Intelligence Solutions studies how online attackers behave, so the organizations we work with can stop them before they cause harm.
In plain words: we are a team that watches out for online dangers, the way a lighthouse watches the sea, and helps organizations stay safe.
CIS brings threat intelligence, testing, monitoring and incident response together in one practice. Each part helps the others: what we learn while fixing real problems shapes how we test, and what testing finds shapes what we watch for.
We work with organizations that need security based on evidence, such as those holding private data, following strict rules, or running complicated systems.
how we work
- Evidence before assertion
- We only tell you what we can back up with proof, and we say how sure we are.
- Context over volume
- More alarms do not mean more safety. We focus on the few things that really matter to you.
- Discretion by default
- Security work involves private information. We keep it private and share it only with the people who need it.
- Plain-language reporting
- Clear reports anyone can read, with the next steps written in order: what to do first, second and third.
contact
Talk to an expert.
Tell us what you are trying to understand or protect. A short description is enough to start.
In plain words: just tell us what worries you, in your own words. You don’t need to know any technical terms.
Prefer email?
contact@example.comwhat happens next
- We read your message and find the right person to answer it.
- We reply to set up a conversation at a time that suits you.
- Before any work starts, we agree together what we will do and keep it private.