Modern systems generate and use a great deal of data. There is a steady stream of network traffic, activity records, and events generated by both small and large companies. It takes a lot of work to keep track of all that data for security threats and assaults. Threat detection and threat hunting are used by Perch to take on the issue.

What is Threat Hunting?

While threat detection and threat hunting are closely related, threat hunting is a separate activity. Instead of depending on a threat detection system, hunters actively seek out and investigate risks. It’s possible to “search” for specific malicious activities as bad actors come up with new methods of attack and new vulnerabilities in technology are uncovered. In order to find “new” (or “unknown”) threats in your environment, threat hunters examine all of the data they can find, both current and historical.

How Threat Hunting Works

A threat hunter uses a combination of technical expertise and investigative techniques to sniff out prospective dangers armed with information on an attack-type or malicious actor. A “hunt” usually focuses on a single domain, such as the unique signatures of a newly found malware strain or the TTP linked to a certain actor. Perch’s analysts comb through ALL accessible data in search of previously identified dangers using a range of advanced threat hunting technologies.

What is Threat Detection?

Data is passively monitored for potential security concerns as part of threat detection. Firewalls and antivirus software, both of which are intrusion prevention systems, can halt most known high-fidelity threats to your network automatically. It’s our job at Perch to carry on from where your preventative measures have ended. An intrusion detection system (IDS) equipped with a Perch sensor inspects all network traffic against a set of the information offered by multiple communities such as Proof point’s Emerging Threats, Crowd Strike or H-ISAC to identify threats. Also, we use event notifications for custom alerting, which lets us keep track of logs from many places while also customizing alerts for each scenario.

How Threat Detection Works

Once a threat detection system has been installed, it begins scanning all network traffic and event logs for patterns it detects as potentially harmful. As an example of anything “matching,” consider a malware sample, connections across uncommon ports, or aberrant flow volumes. It might also be a compromised process that creates an executable file in the temporary directory. An alert is generated when a threat detection tool finds a match. Perch uses bot automation to filter out false positives and uncover real positives most of the time. The next stage is for a human to review the data and figure out what’s going on. Perch’s Security Operations Center steps in to conduct investigations and provide responses in this situation.

Detection vs. Threat Hunting: Which Is Better?

Threat hunting is a part of threat detection that takes place in the early stages and aims to identify threats as early as feasible in the attack or compromise process. When we use the word “threat detection,” we’re referring to the entire collection of activities involved in locating and identifying threats at any point in time. Tools for threat detection look for unusual activity that could indicate the presence of danger on a network, in an application, in data, or in human behavior

What Threat Hunting Looks Like Right Now: Pros and Cons

Although some threat hunting techniques have been in use for some time, threat hunting as a standalone component of business information security operations is still a relatively new development. Programs and maturity levels for detecting threats may differ widely amongst companies. It was discovered by the SANS Institute that most people who responded to a poll about the state of organizational threat hunting initiatives had success. 70% of respondents said they reduced their attack surface by adopting a more active threat hunting strategy, and 59% said that threat hunting improved their company’s ability to respond quickly and accurately to incidents. Overall, 52% of those surveyed said they discovered previously unknown risks as a result of threat hunting.

The SANS survey, on the other hand, indicated that many organizations have a long way to go in adopting this new discipline. A formal danger hunting program was not even in existence for four out of ten of those who answered the poll, and 88% thought that their threat hunting programs needed improvement. Fifty-three percent said their danger hunting technique was not well disguised from their enemies, and sixty-six percent complained about the time it took them to look for risks in the environment they’re in. Threat Hunting Techniques: Pros and Cons

Threat Hunting Best Practices

In order to launch a threat hunting program, develop standardized processes to lead the threat hunting operations from the very outset. In order for security teams to be clear about when and how hunting occurs (whether on a regular basis, in response to specific triggering actions, or continuously with the help of automated tools), what techniques are to be used, and which people and tools are in charge of performing specific threat hunting tasks, a timetable should be developed. SANS advises analyzing threat hunting performance based on dwell time, lateral movement, and reinfection for determining success.

Baselines for regular network, data, and user activities should also be established to make detecting anomalies easier while doing threat hunting. The study by SANS Institute shows that focusing on data sets such as IP addresses, DNS activity, file tracking, user behavior, and analysis is helpful in threat hunting.

Companies should expand their present threat hunting techniques and adapt them based on new threats discovered or lessons gained from previously detected threats as their threat hunting programs mature. Threat hunting maturity models are provided by the SANS Institute in a whitepaper published in February 2016 that businesses can use as they gain expertise and strive to improve, automate, and expand their programs.

Tips for Detecting and Hunting for Threats

When it comes to the implementation and management of successful threat hunting programs, many businesses are still finding their feet. Early detection of risks and the identification of any vulnerabilities is critical for every company, and aggressively seeking out potential dangers gives organizations the chance to implement preventative measures that stop threats before they become actual. Organizations can start hunting threats with their current resources by following a planned, staged strategy, and then establish processes for data collecting, monitoring, and analysis and scale their programs with the correct combination of employees and tools.

Summary

Threats to security are always growing, and it takes significant effort to stay on top of things. We need passive threat detection to stop the security vulnerabilities we already know about, while active threat hunting makes use of human experience to close any security gaps. A comprehensive security platform necessitates combining the advantages of both technologies.