Priority Intelligence Requirements (PIR) Management

PIRs are the foundation of relevant intelligence. They define what stakeholders need to know and drive all collection and analysis priorities. Without PIRs, a CTI team produces intelligence nobody asked for.

What is a PIR?

A PIR is a question that, when answered, directly supports a stakeholder's decision-making. PIRs are:

• Stakeholder-driven — not what the analyst finds interesting
• Decision-oriented — answering them enables action
• Bounded — specific enough to collect against
• Reviewable — can be assessed for satisfaction

PIR Format (SMART)

Each PIR should be:

• Specific: Clear scope and focus
• Measurable: Can determine when it's answered
• Achievable: Can be collected against with available resources
• Relevant: Directly supports stakeholder decisions
• Time-bound: Has a review/expiry date

PIR Template

Store in data/pirs/active/PIR-XXX-<slug>.md:

---
pir_id: PIR-001
title: "What ransomware groups are actively targeting the European healthcare sector?"
created: 2026-01-15
review_date: 2026-04-15
status: active
priority: high
stakeholder: CISO
collection_sources: [osint, virustotal, otx]
knowledge_cells: [ransomware-ecosystem]
last_satisfied: 2026-03-01
satisfaction_count: 3
---

## Context
Why this PIR matters to the stakeholder. What decisions depend on the answer.

## Standing Requirements
- Monitor for new ransomware campaigns targeting healthcare
- Track ransomware group infrastructure changes
- Assess likelihood of targeting our specific organisation

## Collection Guidance
- OSINT: Monitor vendor reports, ISAC feeds, government advisories
- Technical: Enrich IOCs from healthcare-targeted campaigns
- Dark web: Monitor ransomware leak sites for healthcare victims

## Satisfaction History
| Date | Product | Summary |
|------|---------|---------|
| 2026-03-01 | Flash Report FR-2026-03-01 | New BlackCat campaign targeting EU hospitals |
| 2026-02-15 | Intelligence Summary IS-2026-02-15 | Monthly ransomware landscape update |

PIR Lifecycle

1. Creation

• Stakeholder engagement: "What do you need to know to do your job?"
• Draft PIR in SMART format
• Assign priority (Critical / High / Medium / Low)
• Map to collection sources and knowledge cells
• Set review date (default: quarterly)

2. Collection Planning

For each active PIR:

• Identify collection sources that can answer it
• Set up standing collection tasks
• Map to relevant knowledge cells for context
• Document collection guidance

3. Satisfaction

When intelligence answering a PIR is produced:

• Link the product to the PIR
• Update last_satisfied date
• Increment satisfaction_count
• Add to satisfaction history

4. Review (Quarterly)

For each active PIR:

• Is this still relevant to the stakeholder?
• Has it been satisfactorily answered?
• Should priority change?
• Should scope be adjusted?
• Should it be retired?

5. Retirement

When a PIR is no longer needed:

• Set status: retired
• Move from data/pirs/active/ to data/pirs/archive/
• Document reason for retirement

PIR Priority Guide

Common PIR Examples

Strategic PIRs

• "What nation-state actors are likely to target our sector in the next 12 months?"
• "How is the ransomware threat landscape evolving, and what are the implications for our risk posture?"
• "What emerging technologies or attack vectors could change our threat profile?"

Operational PIRs

• "What TTPs are currently being used against organisations in our sector?"
• "Which vulnerabilities are being actively exploited that affect our technology stack?"
• "Are there any active campaigns targeting our supply chain?"

Tactical PIRs

• "What IOCs are associated with current campaigns targeting our sector?"
• "What detection rules should we prioritise for the current threat landscape?"
• "Are any of our assets or credentials appearing on dark web marketplaces?"

Orchestrator Integration

The orchestrator should:

1. Check active PIRs before starting any new work
2. Route collection and analysis tasks to relevant PIRs
3. Tag all products with related PIR IDs
4. Alert when a Critical PIR hasn't been satisfied in 30+ days
5. Facilitate quarterly PIR reviews