What are the key indicators of compromise (IOCs) to monitor in endpoint security logs?

What to monitor for on an endpoint is dependent on the type endpoint for locally generated logs. Without being able to compare specific log entries to known IOCs/threat intel will mean that a security professional will focus on general and common log or event types. If the endpoint and its behavior is well known, an analyst would look for anomalous log and event IDs. They may also look for network traffic going to new/foreign destinations. I recommend focusing on log entries and events specific to authentication and the initiation of unknown processes that aren't normally executed on the given endpoint. The better that you know the function of the endpoint and how it normally behaves will help an analyst in detecting potential breach.

IOC - Critical Artifactcs observed in an attack. Indicators are can be multiple forms or types. As suggested by AI above it can be an IP,Hash,Domain,Cookie,URL,cert etc but when you start performing threat hunting you will come across various types and forms of indicators that can be usefull to define the apt group or organisation behind the attack. Apart from threat hunting the main purpose is to protect ourself from future threats via intelligence feeds.

Atomic IOCs in endpoint logs can be easily found as long as the monitoring tool such as SIEM is integrated with threat intelligence sources that can easily detect if any connection is opened with malicious IPs or C2C servers as well as if any malicious files exists based on file hashes reputation, so you can have full visibility about atomic IOCs related to the endpoints.

When monitoring atomic IOCs in endpoint security logs, it’s essential to integrate dynamic threat intelligence & sophisticated analysis methods. Leveraging real-time data from diverse sources & employing machine learning techniques can significantly improve detection accuracy by identifying nuanced or evolving threats. Correlating IOCs with broader network events enhances the overall context, aiding in a swift & informed response strategy. Active participation & collaboration in cybersecurity communities for shared intelligence are also crucial for understanding the broader scope of threats facing organizations in your industry & proactively employing defense strategies to mitigate any vulnerabilities being exploited by adversaries.

BIOCs are the complex version IOC. The complexity flow is IOC--} BIOC--}ABIOC ---} GBIOC --} AGBIOC --} BT As per AI Statement above it revolves around atomic IOC.

Monitor suspicious IPs and file changes using the latest threat intelligence to swiftly identify threats and reduce false positives. Employ real-time analysis with dynamic threat intelligence and machine learning to detect obfuscated IOCs. Focus on indicators like folder/file changes, Lolbin impersonation, hash values, process injections, and unusual network behaviors. Prioritize observations based on attack context, watching for subtle signs like odd network activities, rare file extensions, or abnormal application behavior. Stay vigilant for sophisticated threats that mimic normal activities or misuse trusted tools to ensure robust detection mechanisms are in place.

Folder based : File path ( System path, User path, Common mal loading path) File based : Extension type ( Regular ,Rare, double extension) Lolbin impersonation/Abuse: Unexpected network connection or authentication or username. Hash, Signer, Process injection, Dll loading, DNS queries, abnormal bytes upload and some regular IOC's as above.

From a IaaS/PaaS standpoint, some potential IoCs to monitor could include: IAM policy changes, privilege escalation, root acct activity, logging disabled, public access blocks removed, backup snapshot exfil, logins w/o MFA.