Finding Beacons in the Dark: A Guide to Cyber Threat Intelligence
“Finding Beacons in the Dark: A Guide to Cyber Threat Intelligence”
Finding Beacons in the Dark
A Practical Guide to Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI)
“Finding Beacons in the Dark” is a concept-driven guide focused on Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI)—helping security teams identify, analyze, and interpret malicious communication patterns (beacons) hidden within normal-looking network traffic.
Rather than relying solely on alerts or signatures, this guide emphasizes analytical thinking, context, and intelligence-driven defense.
What “Beacons” Mean in Cybersecurity
In threat intelligence, beacons refer to repetitive, patterned communications often used by:
Malware command-and-control (C2) channels
Compromised hosts checking in with attackers
Persistence mechanisms in advanced threats
Detecting these signals is like finding faint lights in a dark network landscape.
What the Guide Covers
1. Cyber Threat Intelligence Fundamentals
What CTI is and why it matters
Tactical vs operational vs strategic intelligence
Intelligence lifecycle (collection → analysis → dissemination)
2. Beaconing Behavior (Conceptual)
Time-based and frequency-based patterns
Low-and-slow communication techniques
Why beacon traffic blends into normal activity
(High-level behavioral understanding — no attacker instructions)
3. Data Sources for Detection
Network logs and telemetry
DNS and proxy data
Endpoint and EDR signals
Threat intelligence feeds (contextual use)
4. Analysis & Correlation
Separating noise from signal
Identifying anomalies over time
Correlating indicators with threat context
Reducing false positives
5. Defensive Use in SOC & Blue Teams
Enhancing detection logic
Supporting incident response
Threat hunting mindset
Improving visibility and response time
Learning Outcomes
Understand how beaconing fits into real attacks
Improve threat-hunting intuition
Strengthen detection strategies beyond signatures
Apply intelligence-driven security thinking
Prepare for CTI, SOC, and blue-team roles
Who This Guide Is For
SOC analysts (Tier 1–3)
Threat hunters
Cyber Threat Intelligence analysts
Blue-team & IR professionals
Security students and researchers
Ethical & Legal Focus
This guide is designed exclusively for defensive security, education, and authorized analysis.
It does not provide instructions for creating or hiding malicious activity.
Modern attacks don’t shout.
They whisper.
Finding beacons is about patience, context, and intelligence—not just tools.