Dubbed the Advanced Threat Resource Center, the Web site offers information security pros access to threat analyses, white papers, videos and webcasts that outline many of the techniques, tools and social engineering tactics hackers use to compromise organizations.

What are advanced threats? Dell defines advanced threats as any threat in which a determined adversary is actively engaged in targeting and attacking an organization. That attack could be for financial gain, intellectual property theft, intelligence collection or competitive advantage or is intended to harm an organization's reputation.

Real-World Security Guide

The Advanced Threat Resource Center information offers organizations knowledge of the different types of advanced threats, the ways advanced threat actors operate, the people and organizations they target, and the strategies and tactics they use to breach them.

Jon Ramsey, CTO at Dell SecureWorks, said that by understanding how these advanced threats operate, organizations can better protect themselves. In an age where threats seem to be morphing, an Advanced Threat Resource Center could turn the heads of some information security pros.

"Our Counter Threat Unit research team, which is often the first in the security industry to identify emerging threats and new exploit techniques, has engaged with a diverse range of security leaders who are actively defending against advanced threats every day," Ramsey said. "Collectively, we have assimilated a knowledge base that gives organizations a real-world guide on how to detect, resist, respond and mitigate the risks from these targeted threats."

Getting Ahead of Threats

Charles King, principal analyst at Pund-IT, said the Advanced Threat Resource Center is a step up in broadening of services for Dell via SecureWorks.

"Certainly, given the increasing number of threats that people are facing online, everyone seems to be interested in getting a better handle on advanced threats," King said, noting that Dell's move may be an example of a trend toward advanced threat security centers being more of a requirement than a value-add for companies doing business in the security market.

"Finding out that you have a problem with a virus a week or two after the fact or a piece of malware days or weeks after your system has become infected just doesn't cut it anymore," King said. "For businesses, the potential cost of that kind of attack is just getting higher and higher, just in terms of potentially lost IP and possible damage to customer relationships."