Many organizations have employed Security Analysts and Threat Hunters to identify the phishing emails and malware in the network or system, which could result in a cyber attack. This blog will provide you with the five phases of the Threat Hunting process to enhance the organization's security measures.
Cyber Threat Hunting is a process of identifying the signs of advanced threats that are difficult to locate using automated security systems. It includes machine learning, automation, SIEM, and User-Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA) techniques to alert the enterprise security teams of potential risks. Threat Hunting involves the proactive search for malicious activities in the organization's security systems to mitigate the initial stages of an attack.
Based on the threat intelligence techniques and other information, the Threat Hunters develop and test hypotheses of potential threats by collecting and analyzing the data from various organizational sources.
Phases of Threat Hunting
The Threat Hunting process is designed to enhance the efficiency of the threat hunt and protect organizations from threats by identifying the signs of potential threats in the network. This process involves five phases. They are as follows:
Hypothesis
The first phase of an effective Threat Hunting process is Hypothesis. In this process, the Threat Hunter understands the type of attack and vulnerabilities that the attackers can exploit. It can provide the attacker's Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTP) and vulnerabilities used. Threat Hunters need a starting point for the analysis, and they use threat intelligence, skills, and experience to develop strategies for identifying the risks.
Collect and Process Intelligence and Data
The second phase of the Threat Hunting process is collecting and processing high-quality data and threat intelligence to analyze. A strategic plan is required to collect, centralize, and explore the data. Threat intelligence is collected from various sources such as system log files, network traffic logs, software programs running in the firewall, and malware analysis reports generated by the Threat Hunters. Based on the information collected, Threat Hunters can identify the data sources that help to approve or disapprove the hypothesis.
Trigger
The trigger is the next phase of Threat Hunting, determining the active threats identified in the organization's network. It is required to set up the trigger events representing the threats actively available in the network. This phase helps Threat Hunters to initiate the investigation on a specified area of a network or a system where triggers are identified.
Investigate
The Investigation is the primary phase of the Threat Hunting, which is to determine the scope of the incident and helps to find out the ways to remediate it. By validating the data collected in the second phase and identifying triggers in the third phase, Threat Hunters can hunt deep into potential malicious anomalies in the network or network using Investigation techniques such as Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR).
Response
The final phase of Threat Hunting is to take the appropriate action to resolve the identified vulnerabilities. Depending on the severity of incidents, it is required to prepare a plan of action to implement and update the security controls. The actions involve:
Mitigating malware files
Updating the firewall
Modifying system configurations
Deploying the security patches
Restoring the modified or deleted files
Final Words
Cyber Threat Hunters collect the possible amount of data to draft the practical actions, techniques, and measures in this Threat Hunting process. The main goal is to analyze the collected data, mitigate the identified vulnerabilities, and take preventive measures to improve the organization's security system.
InfosecTrain offers an instructor-led training program on Threat Hunting Professional Online Training designed to provide a complete understanding of Threat Hunting methodologies and frameworks. If you want to become a professional Threat Hunter, check out and enroll now.
