What is Threat Hunting? Everything You Need to Know (2023)

What is Threat Hunting?

In an era where cyber threats are more sophisticated and prevalent than ever, how can organizations stay ahead of the game? Enter threat hunting: a proactive approach to identifying and mitigating cyber threats that have managed to evade traditional security defenses. But what exactly is threat hunting, and how can it help organizations strengthen their cybersecurity posture?

In this blog post, we dive into the world of threat hunting, exploring its evolution, key components, methodologies, and real-world applications. By examining the challenges and future trends in this field, we’ll help you gain a deeper understanding of the importance of “what is threat hunting” in today’s ever-evolving digital landscape.

Summary

• Threat hunting is a proactive security measure that involves actively searching for potential threats within an organization’s network.

• It combines manual techniques such as analyzing malicious activity with the use of automated software to uncover potential threats and mitigate risks.

• It is an essential part of a strong cybersecurity strategy. It requires skilled professionals, advanced tools, and comprehensive data analysis to be successful.

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Understanding Threat Hunting

Threat hunting is the practice of proactively searching for hidden malware or attackers that have gone undetected, as well as identifying patterns of suspicious activity within an organization’s network. It’s an essential component of robust cybersecurity strategies, as it helps organizations identify and neutralize cyber threats that managed to bypass initial endpoint security defenses.

The process of threat hunting involves using queries and automation to generate hunting leads from raw data, which are then analyzed by skilled threat hunters. These experts investigate various tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) to spot new threat behaviors and patterns in the gathered data, ultimately aiding in the detection and response to potential cyber threats.

The Evolution of Threat Hunting

Threat hunting has come a long way since its inception in the mid-2000s, when the Air Force first coined the term “hunter-killer” for missions involving teams of security experts deployed for “friendly force projection”. Over the years, it has evolved into a proactive method for uncovering unknown or ongoing non-remediated threats within an organization’s network.

Today, threat hunting is an indispensable part of modern cybersecurity strategies. By actively searching for and addressing threats before they can cause significant damage, threat hunting helps organizations maintain a strong security posture in the face of evolving cyber risks.

Key Components of Effective Threat Hunting

For a threat hunting program to be successful, it requires a combination of skilled professionals, advanced tools, and comprehensive data analysis. Each of these components plays a crucial role in ensuring that organizations can effectively identify and mitigate hidden threats.

Skilled Professionals

The human element is vital in threat hunting, as skilled security professionals bring a level of expertise that automated systems simply cannot replicate. These experts are responsible for closely examining any anomalies detected by advanced analytics and machine learning, rooting out stealthy threats that might otherwise go unnoticed.

The importance of seasoned threat hunters cannot be overstated, especially since automated detection techniques are often predictable, making it easier for attackers to develop methods to bypass them. In this context, the human brain remains the most effective detection engine for threat hunting, capable of identifying sophisticated targeted attacks.

Advanced Tools

Threat hunting relies on a variety of advanced tools, such as Managed Detection and Response (MDR), Security Information and Event Management (SIEM), and security analytics tools. These tools help threat hunters collect and analyze vast amounts of data, identifying irregularities that could indicate malicious activity.

For example, MDR uses threat intelligence and proactive threat hunting to identify and address advanced threats, reducing the time attackers spend within a network and enabling quick, effective responses to attacks. SIEM systems, on the other hand, provide real-time monitoring and analysis of security events, detecting user behavior anomalies and other irregularities that can serve as leads for further investigation.

Comprehensive Data Analysis

Thorough data analysis is crucial for identifying potential threats and improving an organization’s overall cybersecurity posture. Enriched security telemetry provides the insight and detail needed to quickly identify and respond to potential threats. Extended storage allows threat hunters to access both real-time and historical data, providing greater visibility and context for more complete and accurate investigations.

Unified log sources, such as security detections and threat intelligence, help hunters accurately pinpoint detections matching adversary techniques and behaviors, thus reducing false positives. Moreover, having all security data in a central repository enables easier searching and connection of different data sets, allowing security hunters to more accurately identify adversary techniques and behaviors.

Threat Hunting Methodologies

There are several approaches to threat hunting, with the three main types of investigations being hypothesis-driven, indicator-based, and machine learning-assisted investigations. Hypothesis-driven investigation begins when a new threat is spotted among a large amount of collected data, helping to understand the latest methods, techniques, and procedures used by attackers.

Indicator-based investigation, on the other hand, utilizes tactical threat intelligence to list known Indicators of Compromise (IOCs) and Indicators of Attack (IOAs), which serve as flags to uncover hidden attacks or ongoing malicious activity.

Machine learning-assisted investigations leverage artificial intelligence to streamline threat detection and response, providing additional context about threats and aiding in the analysis of large amounts of data.

Implementing a Threat Hunting Program

To establish a threat hunting program within an organization, it’s essential to consider data sources such as endpoint logs, Windows event logs, antivirus logs, and proxy/firewall logs. Selecting the right tools and technologies that aid in data analysis and management is also crucial.

Setting clear objectives and establishing processes for managing and tracking the threat hunting program can help ensure its effectiveness and efficiency. It’s also important to train staff in the necessary skills and expertise to be successful at threat hunting, such as identifying sophisticated targeted attacks.

Challenges in Threat Hunting

Threat hunting comes with its share of challenges, such as the evolving tactics of attackers, the lack of standardization in threat hunting methodologies, and the need for rapid data analysis. Limited budgets can make it difficult to acquire the necessary tools and resources needed to effectively identify and respond to cyber threats.

The skill shortage in the cybersecurity industry, particularly with regard to seasoned threat hunters, is another significant challenge. Time constraints also pose a problem, as threat hunting requires ample time for analyzing data, recognizing potential threats, and taking necessary action.

The Role of Managed Threat Hunting Services

Outsourcing threat hunting to managed service providers can help address skill shortages and cost concerns. Managed threat hunting services offer proactive searching for undetected cyber threats, significant threat intelligence, and the information needed to contain and recover from threats, ultimately improving an organization’s security posture.

Managed Detection and Response (MDR) is one such service, providing a remote team of threat hunters who identify, analyze, investigate, and respond to threats the organization may face. Relying on managed service providers for threat hunting can help tackle the lack of expertise in the cybersecurity sector, reduce costs associated with recruiting and training staff, and offer continuous hunting with unparalleled visibility to identify threats from all angles.

Case Studies: Successful Threat Hunting in Action

Real-world examples of successful threat hunting strategies provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of various techniques. By examining threat hunting hypothesis examples and their implementation, as well as researching specific threat hunting techniques used in actual situations, we can learn from the successes of others and apply those strategies to our own organizations.

For instance, combining data analysis, threat intelligence, and investigative techniques can help put threat hunting hypothesis examples into action, leading to the identification and response to potential threats. Similarly, using specific threat hunting techniques in real-world scenarios can aid in the detection and response to possible threats through data analysis, threat intelligence, and investigative techniques.

Future Trends in Threat Hunting

In the future, we can expect artificial intelligence (AI) and automation to play an increasingly important role in threat hunting. These technologies can streamline threat detection and response, provide additional context about threats, and help analyze large amounts of data to uncover potentially dangerous events.

Advanced analytics will continue to be a critical component of threat hunting, as they enable the analysis of vast amounts of data to detect patterns or anomalies that may indicate potential threats.

By staying abreast of emerging trends and technologies in threat hunting, organizations can be better prepared to face the ever-evolving landscape of cyber threats.

Summary

In conclusion, threat hunting is an essential component of modern cybersecurity strategies, helping organizations proactively identify and mitigate hidden cyber threats. By understanding the key components of effective threat hunting, such as skilled professionals, advanced tools, and comprehensive data analysis, organizations can bolster their security posture in the face of increasingly sophisticated cyber risks.

As the landscape of cyber threats continues to evolve, staying informed about emerging trends and technologies in threat hunting will prove invaluable. By learning from real-world examples and adopting best practices, organizations can stay one step ahead of attackers and ensure their networks remain secure in an ever-changing digital world.

How to stay safe online:

• Practice Strong Password Hygiene: Use a unique and complex password for each account. A password manager can help generate and store them. In addition, enable two-factor authentication (2FA) whenever available.
• Invest in Your Safety: Buying the best antivirus for Windows 11 is key for your online security. A high-quality antivirus like Norton, McAfee, or Bitdefender will safeguard your PC from various online threats, including malware, ransomware, and spyware.
• Be Wary of Phishing Attempts: Be cautious when receiving suspicious communications that ask for personal information. Legitimate businesses will never ask for sensitive details via email or text. Before clicking on any links, ensure the sender's authenticity.
• Stay Informed. We cover a wide range of cybersecurity topics on our blog. And there are several credible sources offering threat reports and recommendations, such as NIST, CISA, FBI, ENISA, Symantec, Verizon, Cisco, Crowdstrike, and many more.

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