Why Threat Hunting Is the Next Big Thing in Cybersecurity

In today's world, cyber threats are getting more complex. Just relying on automated security isn't enough anymore. With cybercrime costs expected to hit over $10 trillion by 2025 and 72% of companies facing ransomware attacks in 2023, we need a new approach. Threat hunting is this new strategy that's changing how we fight cyber threats.

Key Takeaways

• Threat hunting is a proactive way to find and stop advanced cyber threats that traditional security can't catch.
• For effective threat hunting, you need full network visibility, detailed endpoint data, and tools like SIEM with strong search features.
• Threat hunters use threat intelligence, the MITRE ATT&CK framework, and a focused investigation to find hidden attackers.
• Doing threat hunting all the time helps companies stay ahead of complex attackers and reduce how long threats last.
• Threat hunting needs a mix of security knowledge, data analysis, and skills in handling incidents.

What Is Threat Hunting?

Threat hunting is a proactive way to find threats that are new or still not fixed in a network. It's key for keeping safe against threats that automated security can't catch.

Definition and Importance

It's about skilled IT security folks looking for and stopping threats in a network. Automated tools and SOC analysts can tackle about 80% of threats, but the rest are tougher and can do a lot of damage. These threats can hide for up to 280 days before being found. Good threat hunting cuts down the time it takes to spot an attack, lessening the damage. The Cost of a Data Breach report says a breach can cost a company almost USD 4 million on average.

Proactive Approach to Cybersecurity

Threat hunting is key to a strong defense plan because attackers can hide in a network for months. Hunters work to find threats faster, which helps lessen the damage from attacks. There's a big shortage of skills in cybersecurity, making experienced threat hunters very valuable. A top threat hunting service needs skilled people, lots of data, and strong analytics to work well.

*Out of the Woods: The Threat Hunting Podcast | Ep. 8: https://youtube.com/watch?v=H3c3toLJvTU

Threat hunters look at data to spot trends, fix weaknesses, and make security better. Managed security services offer deep knowledge and constant watch for a lower cost than having a team in-house. Keeping security data for a long time helps find hidden threats and focus on the most important weaknesses. CrowdStrike Falcon OverWatch is a 24/7 security solution that actively hunts, checks out, and gives advice on threats in a company's setup.

Why Threat Hunting Is Essential

As cyberthreats get more complex, the need for threat hunting is clear. Automated systems help, but cyber threat hunting is key to fully protect assets by finding threats that automated systems miss.

These threats can evade automated security, staying hidden for up to 280 days on average. In this time, attackers can gather data and plan a big attack. This can cost millions and hurt a company's reputation. Threat hunting cuts down the time it takes to find these threats, reducing the damage they can do.

Sophisticated Threats Evading Automated Security

Security systems often don't alert us to every sign of trouble to avoid false alarms. This lets attackers hide. Threat hunters must know their network well to spot unusual signs and guess where attacks might come from.

Reducing Dwell Time and Mitigating Damages

Threat hunting is not just guessing; it's using data to make educated guesses. By actively looking for threats, companies can stop damage before it starts. This is key against the growing threat of sophisticated cyberthreats.

"Threat hunting is structured and disciplined, involving the formulation of hypotheses, investigating data, and specific identification and remediation steps."

How Threat Hunting Works

Threat hunting is a way to use data to keep systems safe. It depends on an organization's "data fertility" - the amount of data its security tools collect. This data helps skilled hunters find and stop complex cyber threats that others might miss.

Data Fertility and Enterprise Security Systems

Threat hunters look at a lot of data from tools like SIEM systems, network traffic analyzers, and EDR solutions. They use this data to find hidden malware and spot suspicious patterns. This helps them catch threats that automated systems might overlook.

The Human Element Complementing Automated Systems

Cyberthreat hunting adds a human touch to security, working alongside automated tools. Threat hunters are experts who actively search for and investigate threats. They use their skills and knowledge to find and stop threats early.

*Fundamentals: 11 Strategies of a World-Class SOC | SANS Blueprint Podcast Season 4 Intro: https://youtube.com/watch?v=6PRmCvRCKTQ

"Threat hunting is the process of proactively and methodically searching through networks and datasets to detect and isolate advanced threats that have evaded traditional security solutions." - Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)

Types of Threat Hunting

Threat hunting is a proactive way to find and stop advanced threats before they happen. It comes in three main types: structured, unstructured, and situational or entity-driven.

Structured Threat Hunting

Structured threat hunting looks for signs of attacks using indicators of attack (IoA) and known threat behaviors. It uses the MITRE ATT&CK framework, a detailed guide on how attackers act. This method helps find complex threats like APTs and zero-day attacks.

Unstructured Threat Hunting

Unstructured threat hunting starts when something unusual is found, like an indicator of compromise (IoC). It digs into past and present data to find hidden dangers and understand an attack's full extent. Tools like proxy logs and network data help guide this search.

Situational or Entity-Driven Hunting

This type of hunting looks at what's most at risk in a network, like important accounts or assets. It focuses on these areas to catch threats that could really hurt the organization. This way, it's more effective at stopping threats that matter the most.

Good threat hunting mixes different methods, using threat intelligence and insights to find and stop advanced threats.

Threat Hunting Models

In the world of cybersecurity, threat hunting is a key way to find and stop advanced threats early. There are two main ways to do this: intel-based threat hunting and hypothesis-based threat hunting.

Intel-Based Hunting

Intel-based threat hunting uses indicators of compromise (IoCs) from threat intelligence to find and stop bad activity. This helps security teams keep up with new threats and act fast when they find something suspicious.

Hypothesis Hunting

Hypothesis-based threat hunting is more forward-thinking. It uses a threat hunting library based on the MITRE ATT&CK framework to spot advanced threats. This method looks for signs of attacks and tactics to catch threats before they can do harm.

Both methods aim to stop threats before they can hurt an organization. Using both, security teams can get better at finding threats early, making their cybersecurity stronger.

*Threat Hunting with Data Science, Machine Learning, and Artificial Intelligence: https://youtube.com/watch?v=fdqFdnkf9I4

"Threat hunting is not just about finding the needle in the haystack, but about understanding the whole ecosystem and being able to anticipate the next move of the adversary."

Knowing about these threat hunting models helps organizations protect their assets and stay ahead in the fight against threats.

Why Threat Hunting Is the Next Big Thing in Cybersecurity

Threat hunting is becoming key in modern cybersecurity. As cyber threats get more complex, old security methods can't keep up. Threat hunting is a proactive way that helps find and stop threats that others miss.

It's not just about waiting for threats to show up. Threat hunters actively look for signs of bad activity. They check data from many places, like network traffic and system logs, to find clues. This proactive method cuts down the time it takes to spot an attack, reducing the harm it can do.

Threat hunting is vital for catching the 20% of threats that automated tools miss. These attacks are smart and tricky, making them hard to catch. By finding these threats, companies can make their cybersecurity stronger.

It also helps teams learn about security risks. By looking at data and patterns, they can understand how attackers work. This helps them improve their defenses and stay ahead in cybersecurity innovation.

As cybersecurity changes, threat hunting will play a big role in staying ahead. It works with automated tools and traditional responses to keep companies safe from complex threats.

"Threat hunting is essential in low-maturity, vulnerable, and consequential OT environments where novel human-operated attacks pose a serious threat."

Threat Hunting Techniques

Threat hunters use various methods to find hidden threats in a company's network. They focus on baselining and attack-specific hunting.

Baselining and Attack-Specific Hunting

Baselining sets a standard for normal system and user actions. This makes it easier to spot unusual activities that might signal a threat. It helps companies stay ahead of threats that automated systems might miss, often staying hidden for up to 280 days.

Attack-specific hunting targets certain threat actors or malware. It uses threat intelligence and data to find signs of compromise and tactics used by attackers. This method can cut down the time it takes to find an intrusion, reducing the harm caused by cyber attacks.

Validation and Testing

Threat hunters must check and test their methods regularly. This ensures they keep up with new attacker strategies and avoid false alarms. It's vital, as a data breach can cost a company almost $4 million.

Using different threat hunting techniques helps companies catch and stop threats early. This reduces the risk of expensive data breaches. Skilled IT security experts, or threat hunters, are key in this effort. They use their knowledge to find and stop threats in the network.

As threats change, threat hunting is more crucial for a strong cybersecurity plan. By using these methods, companies can stay ahead of complex attackers. This helps protect their important data and assets.

Threat Hunting Tools

Threat hunters use special tools to help with their work. These include Managed Detection and Response (MDR), Security Information and Event Management (SIEM), and Security Analytics. These tools help teams find, investigate, and act on complex cyber threats.

Managed Detection and Response (MDR)

MDR services use threat intelligence and proactive hunting to find and act on advanced threats. This helps lower the time an attack goes unnoticed. It's a cost-effective way for companies to get skilled threat hunters and the latest security tech without building their own team.

Security Information and Event Management (SIEM)

SIEM systems watch and analyze security events in real-time, finding oddities that might signal threats. While basic SIEM tools might not be good enough for hunting threats, some like Splunk and Exabeam support more advanced hunting.

Security Analytics

Security Analytics uses big data, machine learning, and AI for deeper insights and faster threat investigations. Tools like SecBI's machine learning look at network traffic to spot signs of a breach. EDR products, such as Endgame and CrowdStrike, now have "Hunting Modules" to help with their main tasks.

These tools, along with security experts, help companies stay ahead in the fight against cyber threats.

The Threat Hunting Process

Threat hunting is a proactive way to keep an eye on cybersecurity. It means looking for and checking out possible threats in an organization's networks and systems. This process has three main steps: trigger, investigation, and resolution.

Trigger

The trigger stage starts when something unusual happens that makes a threat hunter look into it. This could be a security alert, strange activity, or anything that seems off. Teams of threat hunters usually include experts from the security operations center or other skilled security folks.

Investigation

In the investigation phase, the threat hunter digs deeper into the possible threat. They use different tools and methods to collect data, look for patterns, and figure out where the threat comes from and what it is. This can take a lot of time because there's so much data to go through. Tools like clustering, grouping, and stack counting help spot potential threats.

Resolution

The resolution stage is when the threat hunter shares their findings with security teams. Then, they start working on fixing the threat. This might mean adding security controls, updating rules, or doing other things to fix the problem. Threat hunting can be done in a planned way or more by instinct, based on what the organization needs and the hunter's skills.

Good threat hunting mixes data analysis, security knowledge, and always getting better. By actively looking for threats, companies can cut down on how long threats stay around and lessen the damage from security breaches.

Conclusion

Threat hunting has become a crucial component of a strong cybersecurity strategy. By leveraging human expertise, advanced tools, and data analysis, threat hunting helps identify and address sophisticated threats that traditional methods may miss. Its proactive approach significantly reduces the time it takes to detect threats, minimizing the potential damage from cyberattacks.

In today’s fast-evolving threat landscape, with increasingly cunning attackers, threat hunting is essential. It provides companies with the ability to stay ahead of hidden dangers and protect themselves from major cyber risks.

Looking forward, the importance of threat hunting will continue to grow in digital defense. With the integration of automation and advanced threat intelligence, threat hunting will become even more effective at detecting and neutralizing cyber threats. By enhancing their threat hunting capabilities, companies can safeguard their digital assets with greater confidence.

To learn more about how threat hunting and other advanced security solutions can protect your business, visit Peris.ai Cybersecurity. Let us help you stay ahead of emerging threats and strengthen your digital defenses today.

FAQ

What is threat hunting?

Threat hunting is a proactive way to find threats that are new or still active in a network. It's crucial because some threats can slip past automated security tools.

Why is threat hunting essential?

Automated tools and security teams can catch about 80% of threats. But the other 20% are often advanced threats that can do a lot of damage. Threat hunting helps find these threats faster, reducing the damage they can cause.

How does threat hunting work?

Threat hunting uses an organization's data to find clues for hunters. It adds a human touch to security, working with automated tools to find and stop threats early.

What are the different types of threat hunting?

There are three main types of threat hunting: structured, unstructured, and situational. Each type uses different methods to find and investigate threats.

What are the threat hunting models?

The main threat hunting models are intel-based and hypothesis-based. Intel-based hunting looks for signs of past attacks. Hypothesis-based hunting uses specific signs and tactics to find threats before they strike.

What techniques do threat hunters use?

Hunters use techniques like baselining to spot unusual activity. They also focus on specific threats or malware. It's important to keep testing and refining these methods.

What tools do threat hunters use?

Hunters use tools like Managed Detection and Response (MDR) and Security Analytics. These tools help them find and analyze threats.

What is the threat hunting process?

The process starts with a trigger that sets off the hunt. Then, the investigation collects and analyzes data. Finally, the resolution steps are taken to fix the issue and prevent future threats.