401d8 read33 - carlosjorr/reading-notes GitHub Wiki

Threat Hunting with Security Onion

How are Threat Hunting and Pentesting different?

Threat Hunting:

Objective: Threat hunting involves actively searching for signs of malicious activity or potential security threats that might have evaded traditional security measures. Approach: It's a proactive approach where analysts use various data sources, tools, and techniques to uncover hidden threats within an organization's environment. Scope: Threat hunting focuses on identifying existing or potential threats that might be dormant or hidden within the network, endpoints, or other systems. Frequency: It's an ongoing and continuous process. Outcome: The goal is to identify and mitigate threats before they cause damage or breach security defenses. Penetration Testing (Pentesting):

Objective: Pentesting involves simulating a real-world attack on an organization's systems, applications, or network to identify vulnerabilities and weaknesses. Approach: Pentesters attempt to exploit vulnerabilities to gain unauthorized access, mimicking the behavior of actual attackers. Scope: Pentests are conducted on specific targets and have a defined scope. They often focus on known vulnerabilities and their potential impact. Frequency: Pentests are typically conducted periodically, such as annually or after significant changes to the infrastructure. Outcome: The goal is to discover vulnerabilities, assess their potential impact, and provide recommendations to improve security posture.

What is the primary objective of Threat Hunting?

The primary objective of threat hunting is to proactively identify and mitigate potential threats and security risks that might evade traditional security mechanisms. Threat hunters actively search for signs of compromise, unusual behavior, or indicators of attacks within an organization's environment. The goal is to reduce the dwell time of threats by detecting and responding to them before they can cause significant damage.

Your organization has a fully functioning SOC but not active Threat Hunting. How would you advocate for your security organization to start Threat Hunting activities?

Risk Mitigation: Emphasize that threat hunting can help identify hidden threats that might bypass traditional security measures. By proactively identifying and addressing these threats, the organization can reduce the risk of data breaches and financial losses.

Early Detection: Explain how threat hunting can lead to the early detection of potential threats, allowing for a quicker response and mitigation before an incident escalates.

Advanced Threats: Highlight the fact that advanced threats, such as APTs (Advanced Persistent Threats), often remain undetected for extended periods. Threat hunting can help uncover these stealthy threats that might not trigger alarms.

Continuous Improvement: Advocate for a proactive security stance by integrating threat hunting into the organization's cybersecurity strategy. This will ensure continuous improvement of security posture and a proactive approach to tackling emerging threats.

Data Enrichment: Emphasize how threat hunting can enrich the organization's security data and improve the effectiveness of other security tools by identifying false positives and tuning detection mechanisms.

Training and Skill Development: Discuss how implementing threat hunting can provide training and skill development opportunities for security analysts, enhancing their expertise in identifying and responding to threats.

Industry Best Practices: Reference industry best practices and case studies where threat hunting has been successful in identifying and mitigating threats.

Executive Support: Seek executive support by demonstrating how threat hunting aligns with the organization's strategic goals and contributes to a strong security posture.