Why Measuring The Right Threat Intelligence Metrics Is Key To SOC Success

With the number and sophistication of artificial intelligence (AI)-powered cyberattacks continuing to increase, many security operations centres (SOCs) are being pushed to their limits.

Organisations must detect, investigate, and respond to threats faster than ever. Success depends on measuring the right threat intelligence metrics which are those that can separate meaningful insights from overwhelming noise. For businesses, failing to do so risks reputational damage and financial loss.

Increasing numbers of security teams are coming to the realisation that accurate threat intelligence is the backbone of proactive defence. It allows analysts not only to react to ongoing attacks but also to anticipate them.

However, simply having access to intelligence feeds isn’t enough. For cyberthreat intelligence (CTI) teams, the challenge lies in focusing on the metrics that improve efficiency, streamline workflows, and align with both operational and business objectives.

In practice, this means prioritising four broad categories: effectiveness, operational efficiency, threat landscape coverage, and business impact.

Effectiveness

The first question every SOC leader must ask is simple: does available intelligence actually help detect threats? Without effective detection, intelligence feeds risk becoming just another stream of data.

There are several benchmarks that can provide clarity. A high threat detection rate shows that intelligence is stopping attacks early, while a strong true positive rate ensures analysts are focused on real dangers rather than wasting hours chasing false alarms. Equally important is reducing the false positive rate, which directly lowers analyst fatigue and operational costs.

Perhaps the most telling measure is the mean time to detect (MTTD). Cutting detection from 12 hours to two hours, for example, can prevent attackers from escalating privileges or exfiltrating sensitive data. Threat intelligence platforms now play a pivotal role in improving these metrics, with machine learning helping analysts prioritize the most credible alerts.

Operational efficiency

Even when threats are detected, SOC teams must act quickly, and measuring operational metrics ensures teams can respond without becoming overwhelmed.

Two key measures dominate: mean time to investigate (MTTI) and mean time to respond (MTTR). Faster investigation and action not only reduces dwell time for attackers but also limits the impact of breaches.

Another often overlooked factor is intelligence redundancy. Duplicate or overlapping indicators inflate costs and slow down investigations. Streamlining feeds to ensure only the most relevant intelligence reaches analysts can turn a SOC from being reactive to proactive.

Threat landscape coverage

Threat intelligence is only as valuable as its relevance to an organisation’s risks. Coverage gaps can leave companies exposed to sector-specific adversaries or evolving tactics that traditional feeds miss.

Metrics here include threat coverage breadth, which ensures monitoring extends across emerging techniques, industry-specific risks, and evolving adversaries. Similarly, the incident correlation rate (the degree to which threat intelligence aligns with real-world incidents) is critical in proving the direct value of intelligence investments.

Proactive blocking is another important measure. A high percentage of indicators blocked before escalation demonstrates that intelligence is preventing threats at the earliest possible stage. Equally vital is the prompt removal of outdated indicators of compromise (IoCs), which otherwise create noise and waste analyst effort.

Also, there are threat attribution success rates. These measure the ability of a security team to connect incidents to known actors or campaigns which, in turn, empowers an organisation to build targeted defence strategies and improve executive decision-making.

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Business impact

nce must also prove its value in financial terms. Beyond technical benefits, CTI teams need to quantify how intelligence lowers costs, reduces risk, and ensures compliance.

Metrics such as mean time to containment (MTTC) illustrate how quickly incidents are neutralised, minimising downtime and data loss. Demonstrating a strong return on investment (ROI) for threat intelligence tools is equally important, showing how reduced breach costs and improved efficiency outweigh the expenses of feeds and platforms.

From Tactical to Strategic

The importance of these metrics extends beyond technical optimisation. By demonstrating measurable improvements, SOC leaders can secure continued investment, reduce the risk of analyst burnout, and ensure security operations align with broader business goals.

The shift that is taking place shows threat intelligence is no longer just a tactical advantage but a strategic enabler of resilience. Companies that measure the right benchmarks can cut through the noise, accelerate response, and build defences that evolve alongside adversaries.

In Conclusion

Threat intelligence is only as valuable as the outcomes it delivers. SOCs that fail to measure and act on the right metrics risk being buried in irrelevant data and slow responses, leaving attackers with the upper hand.

The way forward is therefore data-driven. By tracking effectiveness, operational efficiency, coverage, and business impact, organisations can move from reactive firefighting to strategic defence.

For businesses navigating an era of relentless cyber pressure, the message is clear. They need to start measuring threat intelligence before it’s too late.