/building-threat-intelligence-platform

name: building-threat-intelligence-platform
description: Design and deploy a Threat Intelligence Platform (TIP) by integrating open-source CTI tools (MISP, OpenCTI, TheHive, Cortex) into a unified system with feed ingestion pipelines, enrichment workflows, STIX/TAXII interoperability, and analyst dashboards. Use when architecting or standing up a centralized CTI platform to collect, analyze, and disseminate threat intelligence across a security team.
domain: cybersecurity
subdomain: threat-intelligence
tags:
- threat-intelligence
- cti
- ioc
- mitre-attack
- stix
- platform-building
- misp
- opencti
version: '1.0'
author: mahipal
license: Apache-2.0
nist_csf:
- ID.RA-01
- ID.RA-05
- DE.CM-01
- DE.AE-02
mitre_attack:
- T1071
- T1588.001
- T1591

Building Threat Intelligence Platform

Overview

Building a Threat Intelligence Platform (TIP) involves deploying and integrating multiple CTI tools into a unified system for collecting, analyzing, enriching, and disseminating threat intelligence. This skill covers designing TIP architecture using open-source tools (MISP, OpenCTI, TheHive, Cortex), configuring feed ingestion pipelines, establishing enrichment workflows, implementing STIX/TAXII interoperability, and building analyst dashboards for CTI operations.

When to Use

• When deploying or configuring building threat intelligence platform capabilities in your environment
• When establishing security controls aligned to compliance requirements
• When building or improving security architecture for this domain
• When conducting security assessments that require this implementation

Prerequisites

• Docker and Docker Compose for deploying platform components
• Python 3.9+ with `pymisp`, `pycti`, `thehive4py` libraries
• Elasticsearch/OpenSearch cluster for data storage
• Redis and RabbitMQ for message queuing
• Understanding of STIX 2.1 data model and TAXII 2.1 transport
• API keys for enrichment services (VirusTotal, Shodan, AbuseIPDB)

Key Concepts

TIP Architecture Components

1. **Collection Layer**: Feed ingestion from OSINT, commercial, and internal sources 2. **Storage Layer**: Elasticsearch/OpenSearch for indexed CTI data with STIX 2.1 schema 3. **Analysis Layer**: OpenCTI for knowledge graph analysis and MISP for IOC correlation 4. **Enrichment Layer**: Cortex analyzers for automated IOC enrichment 5. **Response Layer**: TheHive for case management and incident response integration 6. **Sharing Layer**: TAXII server for outbound intelligence sharing

Platform Integration Points

• **MISP <-> OpenCTI**: Bidirectional sync via OpenCTI MISP connector
• **OpenCTI <-> TheHive**: Alert/case creation from high-confidence indicators
• **TheHive <-> Cortex**: Automated analysis and enrichment of case observables
• **All <-> SIEM**: Real-time IOC push to Splunk/Elastic via API or Kafka

Workflow

Step 1: Deploy Platform with Docker Compose

version: '3.8'
services:
  # --- Storage Layer ---
  elasticsearch:
    image: docker.elastic.co/elasticsearch/elasticsearch:8.12.0
    environment:
      - discovery.type=single-node
      - xpack.security.enabled=false
      - "ES_JAVA_OPTS=-Xms2g -Xmx2g"
    ports:
      - "9200:9200"
    volumes:
      - es-data:/usr/share/elasticsearch/data

  redis:
    image: redis:7
    ports:
      - "6379:6379"

  rabbitmq:
    image: rabbitmq:3-management
    ports:
      - "5672:5672"
      - "15672:15672"

  minio:
    image: minio/minio
    command: server /data --console-address ":9001"
    ports:
      - "9000:9000"
      - "9001:9001"

  # --- MISP ---
  misp:
    image: ghcr.io/misp/misp-docker/misp-core:latest
    ports:
      - "8443:443"
    environment:
      - MISP_ADMIN_EMAIL=admin@tip.local
      - MISP_BASEURL=https://localhost:8443
    volumes:
      - misp-data:/var/www/MISP/app/files

  # --- OpenCTI ---
  opencti:
    image: opencti/platform:6.4.4
    environment:
      - APP__PORT=8080
      - APP__ADMIN__EMAIL=admin@tip.local
      - APP__ADMIN__PASSWORD=TIPAdminPassword
      - APP__ADMIN__TOKEN=tip-opencti-token-uuid
      - ELASTICSEARCH__URL=http://elasticsearch:9200
      - MINIO__ENDPOINT=minio
      - RABBITMQ__HOSTNAME=rabbitmq
      - REDIS__HOSTNAME=redis
    ports:
      - "8080:8080"
    depends_on:
      - elasticsearch
      - redis
      - rabbitmq
      - minio

  # --- TheHive ---
  thehive:
    image: strangebee/thehive:5.3
    environment:
      - TH_CORTEX_URL=http://cortex:9001
    ports:
      - "9000:9000"
    depends_on:
      - elasticsearch

  # --- Cortex ---
  cortex:
    image: thehiveproject/cortex:3.1.8
    ports:
      - "9001:9001"
    depends_on:
      - elasticsearch

volumes:
  es-data:
  misp-data:

Step 2: Configure Feed Ingestion Pipeline

from pymisp import PyMISP
from pycti import OpenCTIApiClient
import json

class TIPFeedManager:
    """Manage threat intelligence feed ingestion across platform components."""

    def __init__(self, misp_url, misp_key, opencti_url, opencti_token):
        self.misp = PyMISP(misp_url, misp_key, ssl=False)
        self.opencti = OpenCTIApiClient(opencti_url, opencti_token)

    def configure_osint_feeds(self):
        """Enable default OSINT feeds in MISP."""
        osint_feeds = [
            {"name": "CIRCL OSINT", "id": 1},
            {"name": "Botvrij.eu", "id": 2},
            {"name": "abuse.ch URLhaus", "id": 5},
            {"name": "abuse.ch Feodo Tracker", "id": 6},
        ]
        for feed in osint_feeds:
            try:
                self.misp.enable_feed(feed["id"])
                self.misp.fetch_feed(feed["id"])
                print(f"[+] Enabled feed: {feed['name']}")
            except Exception as e:
                print(f"[-] Failed: {feed['name']}: {e}")

    def configure_opencti_connectors(self):
        """List and verify OpenCTI connector status."""
        connectors = self.opencti.connector.list()
        for conn in connectors:
            print(
                f"  Connector: