CREST Practitioner Threat Intelligence Analyst

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The CPTIA examination is an entry-level qualification aimed at individuals who are seeking to establish themselves within the Threat Intelligence industry. There is no requirement for a candidate to have a specified amount of previous experience working in the Threat Intelligence industry.

The CPTIA qualification demonstrates that an individual has a solid understanding of the theory and practice of cyber threat intelligence operations and is competent to undertake operational Threat Intelligence activities under the supervision of a CREST Certified Threat Intelligence Manager.

The examination consists of a multiple-choice paper. Candidates are required to meet or exceed a two-thirds pass mark in the multiple-choice paper to obtain CREST Practitioner status.

Examination Format
The examination is a multiple choice written assessment.

You can download the following documents from the links below:

Syllabus for the CPTIA examination
Notes for Candidates to aid examination preparation

Cost
For costs and availability please refer to individual country booking. The examination is delivered at Pearson Vue test centres.

Training Providers
In our mission to support individuals in their examination preparation and professional growth, we collaborate with training providers. Search for a Training Provider using our Training Provider Search.

Recommended Preparation Material

CREST recommends that candidates familiarise themselves with the content in our FAQS which have been created specifically for those attempting a practical examination.

The following material and media have been cited as helpful preparation for this examination by previous candidates:

Reading Material:
Farnham, G. (2013). Tools and standards for cyber threat intelligence projects. The SANS Institute.
Poputa-Clean, P. (2015). Automated Defense – Using Threat Intelligence to Augment Security. The SANS Institute.
Lawson, C. and McMillan, R. (2014). Technology overview for machine-readable threat intelligence. Gartner, Inc.
Cabinet Office (2016). National cyber security strategy 2016-21. Crown Copyright.
Marinos, L. (2019). ENISA Threat Landscape 2018. European Union Agency for Network and Information Security (ENISA).
Heuer, R. (1999). Psychology of intelligence analysis. Center for the Study of Intelligence, CIA.
KPMG (2013). Cyber threat intelligence and the lessons from law enforcement. KPMG International Cooperative.
Holland, R. (2013). Five steps to building an effective threat intelligence capability. Forrester Research, Inc.
Mitre (2018c). ATT&CK Resources. Retrieved from https://attack.mitre.org/resources/. The MITRE Corporation.
ACPO (2007). Practical Advice: Introduction to Intelligence-Led Policing. ACPO Centrex.
Caltagirone, S. et al (2013). The Diamond Model of Intrusion Analysis. ThreatConnect.
Bazzell, M. (2018). Open Source Intelligence Techniques. CCI Publishing.
Moore, David T., (2007). Critical Thinking and Intelligence Analysis. National Defense Intelligence College Occasional Paper #14.
Butterfield, A. (1993). The Accuracy of Intelligence Assessment. United States Naval War College.
Wheaton, K et al. (2006). Structured Analysis of Competing Hypotheses. Strategic and Competitive Intelligence Professionals (SCIP).
Dartnall, R. (2018). Intelligence Preparation of the Cyber Environment. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bXr-CF9NBI.
Dartnall, R. (2017). The use of conventional intelligence methodologies in Cyber Threat Intelligence. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzHw8lkocXA.
CTIPs (2019). What is Cyber Threat Intelligence and how is it used?
Bank of England (2016): CBEST Intelligence-Led Testing, CBEST Implementation Guide. Version 2.0. Retrieved from: https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/-/media/boe/files/financial-stability/financial-sector-continuity/cbest-implementation-guide 
European Central Bank (2018): Tiber-EU Framework. How to implement the European framework for Threat Intelligence-based Ethical Red Teaming. Retrieved from: https://www.ecb.europa.eu/pub/pdf/other/ecb.tiber_eu_framework.en.pdf
ENISA Threat Landscape – 2020:  https://www.enisa.europa.eu/topics/threat-risk-management/threats-and-trends
Bertram, S (2017): F3EAD: Find, Fix, Finish, Exploit, Analyze and Disseminate – The Alternative Intelligence Cycle. Retrieved from: https://www.digitalshadows.com/blog-and-research/f3ead-find-fix-finish-exploit-analyze-and-disseminate-the-alternative-intelligence-cycle/
Definitive Guide to Cyber Threat Intelligence (by Jon Friedman/Mark Bouchard)
Psychology of Intelligence Analysis (by Richards J. Heure Jr)

Useful Information for Candidates
Details of the Logistics and Timings of CREST examinations can be found in the Examination Preparation pages for your country of choice
CREST’s Policy for Candidates requiring special arrangements including additional time to accommodate a medical condition (including examinations delivered via Pearson Vue.
Terms and Conditions for CREST Examinations (includes hard disk drive wiping policy)