In order to “Detect and understand cyber threats from state and non-state actors engaged in malicious cyber activity to inform and enable national security decisionmaking, cybersecurity, and the full range of response activities” the IC will:

• Increase our awareness and understanding of adversaries’ use of cyber operations—including leadership plans, intentions, capabilities, and operations—to inform decisions and enable action.
• Expand tailored production and appropriate dissemination and release of actionable cyber threat intelligence to support the defense of vital information networks and critical infrastructure.
• Expand our ability to enable diplomatic, information, military, economic, financial, intelligence, and law enforcement plans and operations to deter and counter malicious cyber actors and activities.

The national strategy further defines Cyber Threat Intelligence as:

“Cyber threat intelligence is the collection, processing, analysis, and dissemination of information from all sources of intelligence on foreign actors’ cyber programs, intentions, capabilities, research and development, tactics, targets, operational activities and indicators, and their impact or potential effects on U.S. national security interests. Cyber threat intelligence also includes information on cyber threat actor information systems, infrastructure, and data; and network characterization, or insight into the components, structures, use, and vulnerabilities of foreign cyber program information systems.”