The Compendium

New to CTI? You're in the perfect place! Let's go over what CTI actually is, the frameworks everyone references, a self-check for whether it's a fit, a hands-on exercise, and Katie Nickels' self-study plan.

Free, safe, hands-on exercises: run your first IOC lookup, then test your pivoting instincts in an interactive lab.

The terms our field runs on, in plain language. Useful at any level, not just when you’re starting out.

Free and paid courses, self-study resources, vendor trainings, and my opinions you didn't ask for lol! From beginner-friendly to advanced.

The analyst toolkit: TIPs, IOC enrichment, sandboxes, and more. Includes a full capability matrix so you know exactly what each tool does.

Who to follow, which organizations produce the best research, and other watering holes (pun intended) in the CTI community.

Certifications worth knowing about, what they cost, and my VERY candid thoughts on certifications.

Where the community convenes: from DEF CON to SANS CTI Summit to local BSides. Includes pricing tiers and my personal favorites.

CTI-specific as well as some general security podcasts worth your commute (or your gym session).

Where to find CTI and cybersecurity roles, plus a note on job titles, because CTI positions go by a lot of different names.

Know your adversaries. My recommended threat actor databases and references. No reinventing the wheel.

Programs I have personally participated in or recommend for breaking into CTI and growing in the field.

The questions I get asked most often: what CTI actually is, how to break in, which certs to get, and more.