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Introduction: The Art of the Pivot
In threat intelligence, the difference between a collection of indicators and a coherent threat picture often comes down to one skill: pivoting.
Pivoting is the process of following digital breadcrumbs – domains to IP addresses, hashes to infrastructure, alias to forum post, following the breadcrumbs to uncover the broader context behind an adversary’s activity. It’s the connective tissue that turns data points into insight.
If you’ve ever tried to move a sofa up a narrow stairwell while Ross screamed “PIVOT!” at you — congratulations, you already understand the essence of cyber threat intelligence. Because, let’s be honest: in CTI, we’re all trying to move unwieldy chunks of data up the narrow staircase of time, hoping it doesn’t crash down on us before we reach insight (help)
The humble pivot – an analyst superpower the helps us turn a single suspicious hash or domain into a web of connections that actually means something *ehem* dare I say actionable?
We know that threats are often fast-moving and opportunistic, so arguably mastering the pivot is essential not just for detection, but for collaboration across industry as well. When we share intelligence with peers or partners, we’re most valuable when we can say why something matters, not just what we saw.
And when you work in retail (just like me!), especially approaching the peak shopping season, mastering the art of the pivot can be the difference between spotting a campaign early and becoming the next headline.
It Started With One Suspicious Domain…
Let’s picture it: It’s November. Inboxes are overflowing with fake shipping updates, “Black Friday exclusive” phishing emails (no really, it’s an exclusive just for you), and more “urgent payment notifications” than anyone needs (quick, before your account gets deleted!).
Then it happens – a weird-looking domain lands in front of you:
“amaz0n-shipping-confirm.com” (because apparently “subtlety” isn’t a threat actor’s strong suit).
Rather than just blocking and forgetting it, we pivot.
- A quick WHOIS lookup shows a recently registered domain using privacy protection (classic).
- Passive DNS reveals a few sibling domains like “ebay-returns-info.com” and “bestbuy-ordertrack.net.”
- A sandbox run confirms the domain drops a credential-harvesting script we’ve seen before.
That’s three pivots later- and suddenly, what started as one sketchy domain becomes a campaign targeting multiple retailers.
And that’s when we know: it’s time to share.
💡 From Data Points to Storylines
Open-source data is our friend here — not because it’s free, but because it’s fast. When things are moving at speed, you can’t always wait for private intelligence reports.
My usual open-source toolkit looks a little bit like this…
- VirusTotal & URLScan for quick infrastructure overlap.
- Shodan & Censys for spotting reused certificates or misconfigured services.
- Dark web monitoring feeds for chatter about new campaigns & scams.
- Maltego or SpiderFoot for graphing those delicious infrastructure linkages.
But tools are only as good as your curiosity. Pivoting is about asking:
“Okay, what else could this be connected to?”
“Who benefits if this works?”
“And where have I seen this pattern before?”
When you can answer those questions, you move from simply collecting indicators to telling stories about adversaries.
🤝 Pivoting Together: The Joy of Shared Intel
Once we mapped that campaign, we pushed the sanitized findings to our retail ISAC. Within 24 hours, another member spotted similar domains spoofing their checkout portal.
Together, we:
- Confirmed the shared infrastructure.
- Identified overlapping registration details.
- Coordinated takedowns with domain registrars.
That’s the real magic of shared intelligence — not hoarding shiny IOCs, but contributing context so others can act fast.
(Also, let’s be honest, few things are more satisfying than watching a malicious domain go poof right before a criminal’s big weekend sale.)
🧠 The Secret Sauce: Sharing Methods, Not Just Data
You know what’s even more valuable than an indicator? The tradecraft behind how you found it.
Sharing your methodology — how you pivoted, what tools you used, where you stopped chasing noise — helps others replicate your success.
When I post findings to our trust group, I don’t just drop a CSV of domains. I include:
- The analyst reasoning (“these domains share registrar patterns seen in prior campaigns”).
- The confidence level (because not every lead is a slam dunk).
- The recommended action (“monitor for DNS requests to these domains; consider pre-emptive blocking if risk appetite allows”).
That transparency not only helps others validate your findings — it builds trust.
❤️ Giving Back to the Intel Community
‘Tis the season for sharing — and not just cookies. CTI is a team sport, and the best analysts know how to give as well as receive.
Here’s how I try to give back when I can:
- Share early, even if imperfectly.
A half-finished lead can still help someone else’s investigation. - Publish case studies or “how we found it” stories.
Strip out sensitive bits, keep the narrative — people learn more from process than perfection. - Contribute to open datasets.
Upload samples to sandboxes, report malicious domains to public trackers, enrich the commons. - Be generous with feedback.
If someone’s intel helped your hunt — tell them! Recognition builds stronger collaboration. - Keep it human.
Behind every indicator is a human trying to do the right thing. Kindness is also a form of defense.
🎁 Wrapping It All Up
Open-source pivoting is one of the simplest, fastest ways to supercharge your investigations — and your contributions to the broader retail security community.
It’s about following the thread, connecting the dots, and telling a story that helps others defend smarter.
Because at the end of the day, CTI isn’t about who has the most data — it’s about who can make sense of it first… and share it well.
So, this holiday season, may your pivots be fruitful, your indicators enriched, and your Slack channels full of wholesome memes.
Stay curious. Stay collaborative. And, above all —
Keep pivoting.
