Financial Threat Intelligence Reporting in the Banking Sector

Table of contents

• What is Financial Threat Intelligence Reporting
• Why it is essential for the financial sector
• The building blocks of an FTIR report
• DORA Compliance and Regulatory Requirements
• Proactive Intelligence: Machine Learning and AI
• Third parties and supply chain management
• Integration with SIEM and incident response systems

When it comes to cyber security in the banking sector, a new frontier stands out as an indispensable bulwark: Financial Threat Intelligence Reporting. This is a structured activity that collects, analyzes and shares information on cyber threats aimed in particular at the financial sector.

In this article we will see what it is, how it works and why it is essential for financial institutions, in a context in which sophisticated cyber attacks, digital fraud, data theft and criminal operations on the dark web can compromise their data, reputation and regulatory compliance, such as that required by the DORA regulation.

What is Financial Threat Intelligence Reporting

Financial Threat Intelligence Reporting (FTIR) is a set of practices and processes that aim to collect, analyze, contextualize and communicate information on threats that specifically affect the financial sector.

It goes beyond simply receiving raw data, but provides contextualized intelligence, useful for financial fraud prevention , incident response and proactive measures.

Unlike traditional threat intelligence, which can be more generic or technically oriented, financial intelligence is modeled on the cyber risks of the financial sector, on the attack vectors typical of the sector, and on the behaviors of threat actors operating against banks, fintech platforms and third parties involved in the management of services.

Why it is essential for the financial sector

Banks and financial institutions are prime targets for cybercriminals , as they handle large amounts of money, their own sensitive data and critical infrastructure. Attacks can cause significant economic damage, loss of reputation and regulatory fines.

The most common threats include:

• Fraud and theft through phishing and social engineering
• Ransomware targeting IT and OT infrastructure
• DDoS Attacks Against Payment Platforms and Online Banking
• Misuse of stolen credentials on the dark web
• System compromise via banking malware and advanced evasion techniques

Financial Threat Intelligence Reporting allows you to anticipate these scenarios, identifying suspicious patterns, early signs of compromise, and security solutions adapted to the specifics of the financial domain. Real-time monitoring and advanced data analysis enable a faster and more targeted incident response.

The building blocks of an FTIR report

A threat intelligence report aimed at the financial context has a methodical and layered structure. It is not a static document nor a simple list of indicators, but a coordinated set of technical analyses, strategic contextualizations and operational recommendations , built to support financial fraud prevention, DORA compliance and incident response. Let’s look at its main components in detail.

1. Executive Summary

The first section of the report, intended for management or digital security managers, is the executive summary. It clearly summarizes:

• The nature of the threat
• The potential impact on data, systems or processes
• The main actors involved (e.g. APT groups or threat actors active on the dark web)
• Urgent measures to be taken

This part must be readable even by non-technical figures, but with decision-making roles.

Example
“A new criminal group (APT-FinXX) is exploiting a known vulnerability in financial management software to exfiltrate credentials. The risk of exposing your data is high. It is recommended to immediately block connections from reported IPs.”

2. Tactical and strategic analysis

Here we get to the heart of financial threat intelligence , with a detailed description:

• Of the identified threat (malware, phishing, zero-day vulnerability, social engineering fraud, etc.)
• Of the tactics, techniques and procedures (TTPs) used by the criminal group
• Of the attack chain (kill chain), related to the MITRE ATT&CK frameworks for the financial sector
• The motivation for the attack (espionage, fraud, sabotage, ransomware with crypto ransom)

Example of TTP table:

3. Indicators of Compromise (IOCs)

IOCs are the technical building blocks of the report. They are measurable signals that indicate a possible attack or compromise is already underway. These can include

• Malicious file hash (SHA256, MD5)
• IP addresses used by botnets
• Domains used for command & control (C2)
• Strings in system logs
• Suspicious registry keys
• Phishing URLs

This data must be easily integrated into the SIEM systems and intrusion detection and network monitoring solutions already present in the bank.

Technical example in JSON (excerpt):

{

"ioc_type": "IP Address",

"value": "185.244.25.3",

"threat_actor": "APT-FinXX",

"threat_type": "Credential Theft",

"confidence": "High",

"first_seen": "2025-05-20",

"last_seen": "2025-06-02"

}

4. Data from OSINT sources, dark web and closed feeds

The best FTIRs combine Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) sources with data from:

• Dark web marketplace (where banking credentials or attack tools can be sold)
• Underground forum
• Honeypots managed in threat hunting environments
• Paid commercial feeds (e.g. Flashpoint, Intel471, Mandiant, Recorded Future)

These sources serve to verify whether data from the institution has already been compromised and is circulating online, or whether there are conversations in which a specific attack on the bank or a related third party is being planned.

5. Associated risk and business impact

Every threat must also be assessed in terms of operational risk and business impact. An attack is not just an IT problem: it can cause reputational damage, service disruptions, fines for non-compliance, and a collapse in investor confidence.

The report must therefore estimate:

• Risk Level (e.g. Low / Medium / High / Critical)
• Systems and processes involved (e.g. SWIFT, open banking APIs, CRM systems)
• Mean time to compromise and propagation
• Potential costs if the attack is successful

Example
“The detected malware impacts the core banking system. Estimated propagation time: 8 hours. Potential damage: exposure of 5,000 customer records, blocking interbank transactions for 12 hours.”

6. Operational recommendations and mitigation

Every financial threat intelligence report should include a concrete section, with specific actions to mitigate risks. These can include:

• Instant patch application
• Isolating Compromised Machines
• Enabling Firewall Rules or DNS Blocking
• Updating indicators in SIEM systems
• Reviewing Remote Access Policies
• Security solutions (antivirus, EDR, IDS/IPS) verification

Automatic playbooks are also included to execute in response to the raised alarm.

YAML example (simplified):

playbook:

- step: Isolate endpoint

tools: EDR

priority: High

- step: Notify SOC team

channel: MS Teams

- step: Add IOC to SIEM blocklist

system: Splunk

7. Legal and compliance implications

The report must take into account the applicable regulatory framework, in particular for DORA , GDPR, PSD2 and NIS2 compliance. The following must therefore be reported:

• Accident reporting obligations
• Communication times to ENISA or Central Bank
• Log Retention Policy
• Banks cyber security requirements set at EU level

Example
“The threat falls within the categories of relevant ICT incidents pursuant to art. 17 DORA. It must be notified to the Bank of Italy within 4 hours.”

8. Lessons learned and post-incident reviews

Finally, an essential part of the report concerns continuous learning: lessons learned. Each threat analyzed must generate:

• An update on internal policies
• Improving monitoring and response processes
• Training teams on what happened
• Identifying gaps in current systems

This process is essential to strengthen the overall resilience of the system and prevent similar attacks in the future.

DORA Compliance and Regulatory Requirements

Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) enacted, banks and financial institutions must demonstrate their ability to identify and mitigate ICT risks, including those arising from cyber threats. Financial threat intelligence reporting is not only a useful tool, but an implicit requirement for regulatory compliance.

In particular, art. 9 of the DORA imposes the obligation to monitor threats and adopt a structured response framework , integrated with the cyber security incident response plan and operational resilience management.

Proactive Intelligence: Machine Learning and AI

The evolution of financial threat intelligence is pushing towards the use of advanced techniques such as machine learning and artificial intelligence . Machine learning algorithms can identify anomalies in transaction flows, recognize fraudulent behavior even when there are no specific precedents, and predict potential attacks before they materialize.

Example of AI detection:

from sklearn.ensemble import IsolationForest

model = IsolationForest(n_estimators=100)

model.fit(transaction_features)

anomalies = model.predict(new_transaction_batch)

flagged = [tx for i, tx in enumerate(new_transaction_batch) if anomalies[i] == -1]

This technology enables financial institutions to strengthen their security systems, reducing reliance on manual interventions and improving real-time response capabilities.

Third parties and supply chain management

One of the main vulnerabilities in the financial sector concerns the interaction with third parties : cloud service providers, API platforms, fintech partner companies. An attack on these entities can compromise the digital security of the entire bank.

Financial Threat Intelligence Reporting should also include an analysis of supply chain risks. For example, a compromised shared API can open backdoors that can lead to data exfiltration or accounting manipulation.

For this reason, reports must also cover indirect vectors , reporting indicators related to external providers and suggesting effective mitigation measures (e.g. network segmentation, zero-trust access, continuous log monitoring).

Integration with SIEM and incident response systems

The data provided by financial threat intelligence reporting must be integrated into the Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) systems and incident response platforms already in use by banks. Only in this way is it possible to:

• Correlate events in real time
• Enable automatic playbooks
• Define roles and responsibilities in responding to critical incidents
• Gain a centralized view of risks

The goal is not only to mitigate the attack, but also to learn from the data to prevent future breaches (lessons learned).

Questions and answers

1. What is Financial Threat Intelligence Reporting?
   It is a process of gathering and analyzing information about cyber threats targeting the financial sector.
2. What is the difference with generic threat intelligence?
   The “financial” version specializes in monitoring threats aimed at banks and financial services.
3. Why banks need to adopt it?
   To prevent targeted attacks, comply with DORA and protect sensitive customer data.
4. What data does an FTIR collect?
   Indicators of Compromise, malicious actor TTPs, vulnerabilities, and defensive recommendations.
5. How does it integrate into enterprise systems?
   Through SIEM tools, centralized dashboards, and incident response procedures.
6. Is it mandatory for regulatory compliance?
   Not explicitly, but it is strongly recommended to comply with DORA and European standards.
7. What threats do you monitor most often?
   Phishing, ransomware, email fraud, banking malware, third-party attacks.
8. Can it be automated?
   Yes, through machine learning algorithms and automated threat intelligence platforms.
9. How do you protect against third-party risks?
   By tracking and reporting vendor-related indicators and recommending security measures.
10. What is the competitive advantage?
    A bank equipped with threat intelligence reacts faster, reduces damage and gains trust in the market.