OpenCTI
Short for Open Cyber Threat Intelligence, an open-source intelligence tool to help organizations manage and make sense of cyber threat information. Developed by Filigran, OpenCTI brings structure and clarity to how technical and non-technical threat details are collected, stored, organized, and visualized. It aims to facilitate this process by offering a extensible and integrated platform for cyber threat intelligence management, making security practices accessible to a broader audience, including businesses without extensive resources or highly specialized teams.
Features and Overview
It is not just a data repository; it is a framework to offer a holistic view of threat data. Its architecture enables users to aggregate threat intelligence from multiple sources, enrich it, correlate it with existing knowledge, and drive actionable insights. For instance, organizations can bring in data from open source feeds, commercial threat feeds, internal monitoring, and external observables. All of this information is modeled and stored in OpenCTI’s graph-based database, allowing for exploration and linking between entities such as threat actors, campaigns, malware, vulnerabilities, and indicators of compromise. The system’s intuitive dashboards and visualizations are crafted for both analysts and decision-makers, bridging gaps between technical and operational security personnel.
Connectors serve as integrations and automation points between OpenCTI and other tools or sources, creating data flows within an organization's technology stack. Connectors are available out-of-the-box for a variety of formats and data sources, covering areas from SIEM solutions to MISP, Threat Intelligence Platform (TIP), intrusion detection systems, and external feeds. Most connectors are maintained by Filigran or the open-source community, keeping a wide breadth of coverage and active development.
Deployment and Usability
Deploying OpenCTI has become straightforward. The platform is container-friendly and supports deployments via Docker and Docker Compose, making it fairly easy to spin up in cloud or on-premise environments. Setup guides are provided within the documentation, allowing users including those with limited security engineering backgrounds to get started.
Administration is managed through a clean user interface and role-based access control (RBAC), giving control over user permissions, segregation of duties, and data retention policies. For analysts and administrators, Filigran offers training modules through the Filigran Academy and other educational resources, addressing the needs of newcomers and experienced practitioners alike.
Importing and exporting data can be conducted via APIs, connectors, or manually within the user interface. The taxonomy system supports custom classification, allowing organizations to align threat intelligence with internal risk language and taxonomies. Visualization tools help users to build dashboards and reports tailored to their operational requirements, supporting informed action in response to threats.
Value for Small Businesses
The democratization of cyber threat intelligence is an element of the OpenCTI philosophy. Where traditional TIPs and commercial cyber threat intelligence solutions often come with high costs and complex licensing models, OpenCTI offers a free, open-source alternative that is particularly suited for small businesses and IT consultants. Its low entry barrier means budget-conscious organizations can deploy and operate their own TIP using standard infrastructure and without substantial licensing or per-seat costs. The flexibility of its deployment models via Docker on commodity hardware, for example means even small business environments with limited IT staff can benefit from structured threat intelligence.
Beyond cost, OpenCTI’s practical design makes it accessible for organizations lacking a dedicated security operations center. The user guide and documentation are crafted to support beginner practitioners, while the community Slack and Filigran Academy offer active support for troubleshooting and usage questions. As cyber threat intelligence becomes a standard part of regulatory and certification frameworks (such as SOC 2 or ISO 27001), having a platform like OpenCTI helps small businesses formalize and mature their security posture without requiring an enterprise budget.
For small businesses, the ability to leverage open-source connectors, community-developed automation, and a visualization engine means operational effectiveness can scale with security maturity. Retention policies and custom taxonomies allow the platform to serve both compliance-driven and practical operational needs, building a single source of truth for threat analysis and reporting.
Licensing and Community Engagement
The open-source nature is central to its adoption and community-driven evolution. The platform is released under a permissive license, which is designed to favor widespread use, collaboration, and extension. The documentation and ecosystem explicitly encourage community contributions, with the Filigran team consistently engaging with users for feedback and improvements. This fosters innovation and the inclusion of new connectors, features, and best-practice integrations.
The license also permits small businesses to use the platform for free and even commercial use without onerous restrictions. Detailed licensing terms are available in the documentation, helping users understand their rights and obligations typically, this means organizations can use, modify, and redistribute the software in compliance with open-source norms. Training resources, blog posts, and video guides supplement the documentation, making sure users remain up-to-date and proficient, regardless of their background.
The OpenCTI Ecosystem and Future-Proofing
It is not a static tool; it is an extensible ecosystem. As new threats and data sources appear, connectors are developed and maintained to ensure, real-time intelligence flows. The platform integrates with popular security tooling and can export knowledge to virtually any other system, ensuring future-proofing and data portability an impoortant consideration for businesses worried about vendor lock-in.
A good tool for helping you with threat intelligence:
https://github.com/OpenCTI-Platform/opencti