Threat intelligence is a cornerstone of modern cybersecurity strategy. It refers to the process of collecting, analyzing, and applying information about current and emerging cyber threats in order to strengthen defensive postures, anticipate attacker behavior, and respond effectively to incidents. The goal is to provide contextual insight that transforms raw data into actionable knowledge. Threat intelligence feeds into security operations, incident response, risk assessments, and even executive decision-making. Understanding the various sources, types, and mechanisms of threat intelligence is essential for any cybersecurity practitioner.