The Pros and Cons of Threat Hunting
AI Thority – PR Newswire
Threat hunters discover unknown or stealthy attacks that might have bypassed existing security measures. Threat hunting is especially crucial in supply chain attacks, which evade traditional detection systems because their patterns appear ânormalâ and donât trigger an alarm.

Threat hunting is a Security Operations Center (SOC) function. Itâs rare that an IT Pro or individual security pro has time to proactively search for, analyze, and identify potential security threats, especially in hybrid cloud environments.

The key tool in Microsoftâs threat hunting arsenal is Sentinel, the Magic Quadrant-leading Security Information and Event Management (SIEM). Sentinel provides the most robust way to scan for threats across the broadest set of IT systems. The Defender suite also has hunting capabilities along with Kusto Query Language (KQL) capability, if itâs not possible to use Sentinel.

Pros of Threat Hunting

Threat hunting enables: Early detection of attacks, identifying incidents before they cause damage. Improved security posture, by identifying and mitigating weaknesses in their security systems. Increased visibility into the network environment, allowing better understanding of the baseline behavior and the differences when attackers are present. Better resource allocation, by proactively reducing recovery and remediation time.

Challenges of Threat Hunting So why doesnât everyone take the CISA directions, and act. There are many factors on why itâs difficult. Threat hunting requires specialized skills, knowledge, and tools to effectively identify and analyze. That requires a deep understanding of the network and systems being monitored. Hunters need an understanding of attacker behavior and tactics. Hunting can result in a high number of false alarms, which can be challenging to manage and could lead to a decreased level of confidence in the security teamâs findings. Threat hunting requires significant time and effort, and may require additional staffing or specialized tools and expertise. People who wear multiple hats struggle prioritizing proactive tasks. What Can a Short-Handed Team Do?

Prioritizing resources: Focus on the most critical systems and data, and prioritize resources accordingly. Implementing basic security measures such as conditional access/MFA, firewalls and Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR), patching servers and PCs, and ensuring privileged access controls are in place and up to date. Using automated tools to collect and analyze data from various sources, such as network logs and security alerts. Collaborating with peer organizations in sharing threat intelligence and best practices, as well as participating in threat hunting exercises. Leveraging third-party security services, such as managed security service providers like eGroup | Enabling Technologies, to supplement the limited in-house resources.
Link: https://www.egroup-us.com/the-pros-and-cons-of-threat-hunting/