How do you incorporate threat hunting into your analysis plan?

Why, by making sure the only 'threat' we're hunting is the elusive coffee thief in the office! In my analysis plan, I integrate threat hunting by actively seeking out and investigating potential security breaches before they escalate. By proactively searching for anomalies and indicators of compromise, I ensure a vigilant approach to safeguarding our systems and data, enhancing our overall cybersecurity posture with preemptive actions.

Based on company approaches I’ve seen in the past, Threat Hunting techniques within a corporate cybersecurity programme requires the following tips to be really effective: — Definition of Hypothesis/Scenario on which the operation carried out within the infrastructure is based. — Identification of Adversary that is related to the hypothesis. — Proposition of ATT&CK MITRE tactics and techniques that are intended to be identified during the hunting exercise. — Compilation of malware artifacts, legitimate tools and other binaries that can generate those techniques and tactics that are trying to be identified on the network. — Indicators of compromise detected in security audits, Threat Intelligence Platforms or previous hunting missions.

Defining your objectives upfront is a smart approach to threat hunting. It's all about knowing what you're up against and pinpointing exactly what you're looking for, from potential risks to specific indicators of compromise. Deciding on your data sources and tools, plus setting clear metrics for success, keeps your efforts targeted and efficient.

Incorporating threat hunting into your analysis plan involves proactive and continuous searching for signs of malicious activity or security threats within your organization's environment, systems, and networks. Identify advanced threats and uncover hidden indicators of compromise (IOCs)

Certainly, here's an opinion on the matter: Having a well-defined scope and goal before embarking on any cybersecurity initiative is not just advisable; it's a fundamental necessity. In the constantly evolving landscape of digital threats, a proactive and strategic approach is paramount. Without a clear understanding of what one is looking for and why, it's akin to navigating a complex maze blindfolded. The emphasis on identifying main threats, indicators of compromise, and the careful selection of data sources and tools reflects a thoughtful and systematic approach to cybersecurity. It's not just about reacting to incidents but proactively seeking to understand and mitigate potential risks.

Choosing a hypothesis for threat hunting requires a blend of creative thinking and evidence-based speculation. Establish a 'Threat Lab' where cross-functional teams, including non-technical stakeholders, contribute diverse perspectives to hypothesize potential security breaches. This lab would leverage collective intelligence, fostering a culture of security mindfulness across all organizational levels and creating hypotheses that are as diverse and complex as the potential threats.

In the realm of threat hunting, adopting a systematic and purposeful approach is paramount. It's not a haphazard or passive endeavor; rather, it requires the formulation of a hypothesis or a guiding question to steer the investigation. This might involve speculating that a particular malware strain has infiltrated the network or that an unauthorized party has breached a sensitive database. Constructing these hypotheses should be informed by a combination of threat intelligence, familiarity with the environment, and a degree of intuition. Furthermore, assessing the likelihood and potential impact of each hypothesis is crucial for prioritizing efforts, allowing for a focused response to the most critical and urgent threats.

This can often be one of the hardest places for new threat hunters to start. ChatGPT levering the MITRE ATT&CK framework can be a great resources to help you get started though, to give you ideas on different types of attacks you're trying to find in the environment.

Choosing a hypothesis is a central step in threat hunting, transforming it from a passive to a strategic, hypothesis-driven pursuit. This involves formulating a specific question or assumption to guide the hunt—for instance, positing the presence of malware in the network or unauthorized access to sensitive data. A well-crafted hypothesis is grounded in robust threat intelligence, deep understanding of the operational environment, and informed intuition. It's not merely about guessing; it's an educated inference that directs focused investigation. Assessing the probability and potential impact of the hypothesis is crucial, enabling prioritization based on urgency and criticality.

The art of data collection and analysis for threat hunting is not merely about quantity but the strategic layering of data for depth. Empower threat hunters with advanced toolsets that offer multidimensional analysis, enabling them to slice through data layers and glean actionable insights. Envision a dashboard that not only presents data but also suggests connections and patterns, transforming raw numbers into a storyboard of potential security narratives.

After formulating a hypothesis in the context of threat hunting, the subsequent steps involve a meticulous gathering and analysis of pertinent data to either validate or refute the hypothesis. Depending on the nature of the hypothesis, data may need to be collected from diverse sources like logs, network traffic, endpoints, or cloud services. Employing suitable tools and techniques becomes crucial in filtering, correlating, and visualizing the gathered data, with the objective of identifying patterns, anomalies, or any evidence that either supports or contradicts the initial hypothesis.

Before starting to go down a new threat hunt, make sure you have the data necessary to do so. If you do not have access to network data but it would be required for a specific hunt, choose something different before you waste too much time chasing your tail.

Following the development of a hypothesis for threat hunting, the next phase requires the careful collection and examination of relevant data to confirm or disprove your theory. This process often necessitates sourcing data from a variety of areas, including system logs, network traffic, endpoint activities, and cloud-based operations. The use of specific tools and methodologies is essential for effectively filtering, correlating, and visualizing this data. The goal is to uncover any patterns, irregularities, or concrete evidence that supports or challenges your original hypothesis. This approach ensures a thorough and evidence-driven investigation, enhancing the precision and effectiveness of threat-hunting efforts.

Incorporating threat hunting into your analysis plan entails setting clear objectives, collecting data comprehensively from various sources, generating hypotheses, analyzing data for anomalies, correlating findings, validating and prioritizing alerts, identifying and responding to confirmed threats, and continuously refining the process. This proactive approach enables the early detection and mitigation of potential security risks, enhancing overall cybersecurity posture and resilience.

Upon confirming a hypothesis in threat hunting, immediate action is required following incident response plans. Communication with stakeholders is key, and documenting lessons learned is crucial for refining security measures. In case of a rejected hypothesis, a thorough review is necessary, exploring new or alternative explanations for the situation. This dynamic and iterative approach ensures adaptability and continuous improvement in cybersecurity efforts.

Each specific threat hunt you run should have associated responses documented, even before the threat hunt begins (not that we wait though!). Be prepared to answer the question - "What if we found THIS in the environment?" Then what do you do?

Threat hunting is most definitely not a one-time event, but should be a repeatable process. While you are able to re-run your existing hunts on a regular basis, continue to add new hunts into your repertoire over time to grow the program and find more bad things in the environment. The more "bad things" you find, the more effective your threat hunting program is.

Here are a couple of suggestions for automating threat hunting (using TTPS) in a SOC. 1. Alert triggered hunting. When a security alert fires automatically hunt for TTPs either side of the alert. Ideally link the key attributes of the alert (User, Device, Mitre, etc) and hunt for any suspicious activity across all entities involved in the alert. This is similar to automating incident investigation playbooks. 2. Scheduled hunting plus allowlisting. Constantly threat hunt across your entire dataset and continuously allowlist/tune false positives as they arrive. You will need to be reasonably selective as to the scope of this when using TTPS so develop ‘RED, AMBER, GREEN’ sets of queries where GREEN don’t have any FPs, and RED have lots.

Threat hunting is an ongoing and iterative process, not a sporadic task. Regular and scheduled activities are essential for adapting objectives, hypotheses, data sources, and tools to the evolving environment and threat landscape. Seeking feedback and collaboration with other analysts and experts enhances skills and capabilities, fostering continuous improvement in threat hunting and contributing to increased security maturity.

Threat hunting is a cyclical journey of discovery and improvement. Think of it as a series of 'sprints' in agile methodology, where each cycle is a sprint towards greater security maturity. Introduce regular 'retrospectives' after each threat hunting cycle, spaces for reflection and candid dialogue, which become crucibles for refining methods, tools, and perspectives in pursuit of cyber resilience.

It is crucial to understand your current environment to craft a tailored approach. Some industries are dealing with different kind of potential scenarios and testing everything that can happen is not realistic and nearly impossible to achieve without an unlimited budget. Therefore, understanding your threat landscape and current used technologies inside your environment will help you have a better understanding of what could happen. Then, you can use MITRE ATTACK framework to determine exactly what kind of attack vector could occur during your operations.

Incorporating threat hunting into security strategy extends beyond structured methods—it’s about fostering a culture of continuous learning and adaptability. Engage with cybersecurity communities for shared insights, prioritize team training, and leverage AI for data analysis efficiency. Adopt proactive threat intelligence, tailoring approaches to your unique environment and encouraging cross-departmental collaboration. Remember, cybersecurity is dynamic; regularly refine tactics based on the evolving threat landscape. This holistic approach not only enhances immediate defenses but also strengthens long-term organizational resilience against cyber threats.