Threat hunting is a proactive cybersecurity process that involves the continuous and iterative search through networks, endpoints, and datasets to identify threats that evade existing automated security solutions. It's not about waiting for an alert to respond to, but rather actively seeking out potential vulnerabilities and mitigating them. Threat hunting is a hands-on approach, requiring a high degree of skill, knowledge, and experience.

Unlike automated security systems that primarily react to threats, threat hunting is proactive, aiming to identify and address vulnerabilities before they can be exploited. This human-driven approach helps in identifying sophisticated threats that automated systems might miss. It also allows organizations to understand the nature of the potential threat, its origin, and its potential impact, enabling them to take immediate and effective action.

With the growing sophistication of cyber threats, the traditional reactive approach to cybersecurity is no longer sufficient. Cyber threats are not just increasing in volume but also in complexity, requiring a more proactive and dynamic approach. This is where threat hunting comes in, providing a proactive, agile, and effective approach to sophisticated threats.

Increasing threats with modern applications 

Modern applications have greatly increased the threat surface for organizations. Today, businesses use a wide range of applications, including cloud-based services, mobile apps, and IoT devices, which have increased the areas of vulnerability. These modern applications often involve complex architectures and multiple components, making them potential targets for cyber threats.

These applications are often interconnected, meaning a vulnerability in one application could potentially compromise the security of other applications. This interconnectivity, while beneficial for business operations, can pose significant security challenges. Given this scenario, it's crucial for organizations to adopt a proactive approach to cybersecurity, such as threat hunting.

Moreover, modern applications often handle a significant amount of sensitive data, making them prime targets for cybercriminals. Any breach could lead to substantial financial losses, reputational damage, and regulatory penalties. The increasing threat surface emphasizes the need for proactive measures like threat hunting, which can help organizations identify and address vulnerabilities in their applications before they are exploited.

Common app security threats to hunt down 

  1. Misconfigurations

Misconfigurations are a common threat to application security. They can occur at any level - from the network to the application - and can lead to serious security incidents. Misconfigurations can expose sensitive data, allow unauthorized access, or make systems vulnerable to attacks.

Threat hunting involves identifying potential misconfigurations and assessing their impact. It's not just about checking configuration settings, but also understanding how these settings interact with other components and the potential risks they pose. This thorough approach can help organizations address misconfigurations before they can be exploited.

  1. Insecure APIs

APIs, or Application Programming Interfaces, are a common component of modern applications. They allow different software components to interact with each other, enhancing functionality and user experience. However, insecure APIs can be a significant security vulnerability.

Insecure APIs can expose sensitive data and provide potential entry points for cybercriminals. They can also be exploited to gain unauthorized access to systems, manipulate data, or disrupt services. Therefore, threat hunting should involve a thorough examination of APIs to identify any potential vulnerabilities.

  1. Weak Authentication Mechanisms

Weak authentication mechanisms can make it easy for cybercriminals to gain unauthorized access to systems or data. This can include weak passwords, lack of multi-factor authentication, or insecure password recovery processes.

Threat hunting involves assessing the strength of authentication mechanisms and identifying potential vulnerabilities. This can help organizations strengthen their authentication processes, thereby enhancing their overall security posture.

  1. Insecure Data Storage and Transmission

Insecure data storage and transmission can expose sensitive data to cybercriminals. This can include storing data without encryption, transmitting data over insecure networks, or improper disposal of data.

Threat hunting involves identifying potential vulnerabilities in data storage and transmission. This can help organizations implement appropriate security measures, such as encryption, secure networks, and data disposal policies.

Steps in the threat hunting process 

1. Define Clear Objectives

Defining clear objectives will help you focus your threat hunting efforts where they're most needed. For instance, if you're worried about ransomware attacks, you may want to focus on detecting signs of phishing attempts and unusual file encryption activities. If you're more concerned about insider threats, you may want to focus on detecting unusual user behavior and unauthorized access attempts.

It's also important to define what success looks like. Is it simply finding threats that your automated systems missed? Or is it reducing the time it takes to detect and respond to threats? Having a clear definition of success will help you measure the effectiveness of your threat hunting efforts and make necessary adjustments along the way.

2. Gather and Analyze Available Data

This step involves collecting logs, network traffic data, and other relevant data from various sources within your organization. It's crucial to cast a wide net at this stage, as threats can come from any direction and affect any part of your organization.

Once you have gathered the necessary data, you need to analyze it to identify potential signs of compromise. This often involves using various tools and techniques to sift through the massive amount of data and extract meaningful insights. For instance, you may use a Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) system to correlate events across different sources and detect patterns that may indicate a threat.

3. Identify Patterns and Anomalies

Identifying patterns and anomalies is a critical step in the threat hunting process. This involves looking for indicators of compromise (IOCs) that may suggest a threat. IOCs can take many forms, from unusual network traffic patterns to suspicious file activities to unexpected changes in system configurations.

In addition to IOCs, you also need to look for indicators of attack (IOAs). Unlike IOCs, which are often signs of a successful compromise, IOAs are signs of an ongoing attack. They can provide you with valuable opportunities to stop an attack before it succeeds.

4. Investigate Potential Threats

Once you have identified potential threats, you need to investigate them to determine their nature and severity. This involves digging deeper into the data to understand how the threat operates and what it's trying to achieve.

Investigating potential threats can be a complex and time-consuming process. It often requires a deep understanding of various technologies and threat tactics. You may need to reverse-engineer malware, analyze network packets, or scrutinize system logs to piece together the puzzle.

5. Recommend and Implement Remediation Measures

Once you have a good understanding of the threat, the next step is to recommend and implement remediation measures. This involves determining the most effective ways to remove the threat and prevent it from causing further damage.

Depending on the nature of the threat, remediation measures may include patching vulnerable systems, blocking malicious IP addresses, resetting compromised credentials, or even isolating affected systems to prevent the threat from spreading.

6. Document Findings and Improve the Process

The final step in the threat hunting process is to document your findings and use them to improve the process. This involves recording what you have learned from your threat hunting efforts and using these insights to refine your strategies and tactics.

Documenting your findings not only helps you keep track of your efforts but also provides you with a valuable resource that you can refer to in the future. It can help you understand trends, identify recurring issues, and develop more effective threat hunting strategies.

Conclusion

Threat hunting serves as a proactive mechanism to identify vulnerabilities in application security, moving beyond traditional automated security measures that are reactive in nature. By employing a comprehensive approach to seek out misconfigurations, insecure APIs, weak authentication systems, and insecure data storage, threat hunting enables organizations to understand and neutralize vulnerabilities before they can be exploited.

The threat hunting process is structured and iterative, involving steps like defining objectives, gathering data, identifying patterns, investigating threats, and implementing remediation measures. Proper documentation of findings not only acts as a knowledge base but also aids in refining the threat hunting strategy for future endeavors. This underscores the role of threat hunting as a crucial component in enhancing an organization's cybersecurity posture.

Author:

Gilad David Maayan is a tech writer who has worked with over 150 companies including SAP, Imperva, Samsung NEXT, NetApp and Check Point; today heading Agile SEO marketing agency.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/giladdavidmaayan/