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How to write an RFP for threat intelligence

Requirements, questions, and evaluation criteria specific to threat intelligence procurement

6 min read

Threat intelligence platforms (TIPs) are complex systems requiring careful evaluation to ensure they integrate effectively with existing security infrastructure and provide actionable insights. A well-structured RFP is crucial for differentiating between vendors offering basic data aggregation and those providing advanced, AI-driven threat analysis capabilities.

What makes threat intelligence RFPs different

Threat intelligence RFPs are unique due to the need to assess both the breadth and depth of threat data, as well as the platform's ability to transform raw data into actionable intelligence. Evaluating integration capabilities with SIEM, SOAR, and EDR solutions is paramount, along with the vendor's expertise in specific threat landscapes relevant to the organization's industry and geographic location.

Compliance with data privacy regulations and the vendor's data sourcing transparency are also critical considerations.

  • Data source diversity and quality
  • Integration with existing security tools and workflows
  • AI-driven analysis and automation capabilities
  • Vendor's threat research expertise and support

RFP vs RFI vs RFQ

Here's when to use each document type when procuring threat intelligence software.

RFI

Request for Information

Use early in your search to understand what vendors offer and narrow your list. Gather general capabilities, company background, and high-level pricing ranges.

RFP

Request for Proposal

Use when you know your requirements and want detailed vendor solutions and pricing. This is your main evaluation document for shortlisted vendors.

RFQ

Request for Quote

Use when requirements are fixed and you just need final pricing. Often used after RFP when you're ready to negotiate with finalists.

In the context of threat intelligence, an RFI is useful for initial market research to understand the range of available data feeds and platform capabilities. An RFP is essential for a detailed evaluation of a vendor's technical capabilities, data quality, integration options, and pricing, while an RFQ is generally not suitable due to the complex and customized nature of threat intelligence solutions.

Technical requirements checklist

Use this checklist when defining your RFP scope.

Data Feed Requirements

  • Coverage of relevant threat actors and campaigns
  • Real-time data updates
  • Data source diversity (OSINT, commercial, proprietary)
  • Historical threat data availability

Platform Capabilities

  • Data ingestion and normalization
  • Threat intelligence enrichment and correlation
  • Automated threat scoring and prioritization
  • Integration with SIEM, SOAR, and EDR solutions

Integration Requirements

  • API integration capabilities
  • Pre-built integrations with existing security tools
  • Custom integration options
  • Data export formats

Reporting and Analytics

  • Customizable dashboards and reports
  • Threat intelligence visualization
  • Automated report generation
  • Executive-level reporting

Security and Compliance

  • Data encryption and security measures
  • Compliance with relevant regulations (e.g., GDPR, CCPA)
  • Data residency options
  • Vendor security certifications (e.g., SOC 2 Type II)

Questions to include in your RFP

Data Sources & Quality

  • Describe all data sources used in your threat intelligence feeds, including open-source, commercial, and proprietary sources.
    Understanding the origin of the data is critical for assessing its reliability and relevance.
  • What methods do you use to ensure the accuracy and validity of your threat intelligence data?
    Ensuring data accuracy is paramount for preventing false positives and wasted analyst time.
  • How frequently is your threat intelligence data updated?
    Real-time updates are essential for staying ahead of emerging threats.
  • Can you provide sample threat intelligence reports relevant to our industry?
    Provides insight into the type of intelligence provided and its relevance to the organization.

Platform Functionality

  • Describe your platform's ability to ingest, normalize, and correlate threat intelligence data from various sources.
    Efficient data processing is essential for deriving actionable insights from diverse data feeds.
  • Explain your platform's threat scoring and prioritization capabilities.
    Automated threat scoring helps analysts focus on the most critical threats.
  • How does your platform support threat hunting and incident response workflows?
    Ensures the platform can be used effectively for proactive threat detection and incident mitigation.
  • What type of reporting and visualization capabilities are included in your platform?
    Reporting and visualization help communicate threat intelligence insights to stakeholders.

Integration Capabilities

  • Detail your platform's integration capabilities with SIEM, SOAR, and EDR solutions.
    Seamless integration is crucial for automating security workflows and improving threat detection.
  • Do you offer pre-built integrations with our existing security tools? If not, what are the options for custom integration?
    Reduces integration costs and time.
  • Describe your API and its capabilities for data exchange with other security systems.
    API access enables custom integrations and automated data sharing.
  • What data formats are supported for exporting threat intelligence data?
    Data export flexibility is important for sharing threat intelligence with other systems.

AI & Automation

  • Describe how your platform uses AI and machine learning to enhance threat intelligence analysis and automation.
    AI-driven analysis can improve threat detection accuracy and reduce manual effort.
  • Can your platform automatically attribute attacks to specific threat actors?
    Attribution helps understand the motivations and tactics of attackers.
  • Does your AI capability extend to agentic actions, such as reasoning, rule creation, and autonomous triage?
    Agentic AI allows for active defense.
  • Explain how your platform uses AI to predict future attacks based on adversary behavioral modeling.
    Predictive capabilities enable proactive security measures.

Security & Compliance

  • Describe the security measures implemented to protect threat intelligence data from unauthorized access.
    Ensuring data security is critical for maintaining confidentiality and integrity.
  • Are you compliant with relevant data privacy regulations, such as GDPR and CCPA?
    Compliance is essential for protecting personal data and avoiding legal liabilities.
  • What data residency options are available?
    Data residency is important for meeting regulatory requirements.
  • Do you have SOC 2 Type II certification?
    SOC 2 certification demonstrates a commitment to security and reliability.

Vendor Support & Expertise

  • Describe your threat research team and their expertise in relevant threat landscapes.
    Vendor expertise is essential for providing accurate and actionable threat intelligence.
  • What type of support and training do you offer to your customers?
    Adequate support and training are essential for successful platform adoption.
  • Can you provide customer references in our industry?
    Relevant references demonstrate experience with similar requirements and use cases.
  • What is your process for handling and resolving customer issues?
    A well-defined issue resolution process ensures timely and effective support.

Compliance and security requirements

Depending on your industry, you may need to require proof of these certifications and standards.

GDPR

Required if processing personal data of eu residents. If applicable, request confirmation of GDPR compliance and data processing agreements

CCPA

Required if processing personal data of california residents. If applicable, request confirmation of CCPA compliance and data processing agreements

SOC 2 Type II

Required generally recommended for all saas providers. If applicable, request a copy of the latest SOC 2 Type II report

NIST Cybersecurity Framework

Required for organizations aligned with nist standards. If applicable, request documentation on how the platform aligns with the NIST Cybersecurity Framework

Evaluation criteria

Here is the suggested weighting for threat intelligence RFPs.

Data Source Quality and Relevance Accuracy, timeliness, and relevance of threat intelligence data
25%
Platform Functionality and Usability Ease of use, reporting capabilities, and overall platform functionality
20%
Integration Capabilities Seamless integration with existing security tools and workflows
15%
AI and Automation Capabilities Effectiveness of AI-driven threat analysis and automation features
15%
Vendor Expertise and Support Vendor's threat research expertise and support capabilities
10%
Security and Compliance Security measures implemented to protect threat intelligence data
10%
Total Cost of Ownership Implementation, licensing, and ongoing costs
5%

Some weights were adjusted based on your priorities.

  • Increase if complex integration landscape exists

Red flags to watch

  • "Black Box" Data Sources

    Lack of transparency regarding data sources makes it difficult to assess the quality and reliability of threat intelligence.

  • Static Threat Scoring

    Threat scores that don't decay over time indicate a lack of lifecycle management and increase the risk of false positives.

  • Limited Integration Options

    Poor integration capabilities can hinder automation and reduce the effectiveness of threat intelligence.

  • Vague Pricing Models

    Unclear pricing indicates potential hidden costs and makes it difficult to accurately assess TCO.

  • Over-Reliance on OSINT Feeds

    Vendors who primarily resell free OSINT feeds offer little added value.

Key metrics to request

Ask vendors to provide benchmarks from similar customers.

Threat detection rate

Indicates the platform's ability to identify malicious activity.

False positive rate

Measures the accuracy of threat intelligence data and reduces wasted analyst time.

Mean time to detect (MTTD)

Indicates how quickly the platform can identify threats.

Integration time with existing security tools

Helps estimate the time and resources required for platform deployment.

Customer satisfaction score

Provides insight into the vendor's customer service and support quality.