Over the course of becoming familiar with computers, you could have got yourself in some sort of cyber threat. It could be even a failed attempt from your antivirus coming across a corrupted file to your web browser. You will be seeing results of Google or pop-ups that you are not searching for or want to see. These are common signs of cyber threats but what if there is no evidence. No red flags, no notable behaviors on your computer or your network that indicate a cyber attack? Can you assume it’s all safe, or you should go for professional cyberthreat hunting?
During a survey, security professionals said that they handle security threats all the time. But, with cyber threat hunting, there is a 58% decrease in exposure to threats and a 53% increase in accuracy and speed.
Let’s Define Cyber Threat Hunting
Cyber threat hunting is one way that people take the security of their network into their own hands. You have to actively be on the lookout for things that are common threats to the well-being of their devices and data. But what is cyber threat hunting, really? It means that instead of just being responding to threats, you have to actively be on the search. A lot of companies depend on professional security or networking companies. When there is a threat or breach, they contact them for reviewing the problem and ensure fast solutions.
Time is changing as malware in business or cybercrimes rose to 79% since 2017. So, it is imperative that you turn over every stone in these hunts. You will be coming across some past threats as well that you were unable to detect. Sometimes, there is such dormant malware that can hack into your valuable information without any sign.
There are so many types of threats that exist in this form by cyber attackers who lurk in the shadows. They quietly gather your data without a trace, even making it into higher security tiers of the network if they wait long enough. Cyber threat hunting is the way to stop these kinds of attackers in their tracks. It is a powerful process of getting to them before they have the chance to pounce and do some real damage.
Why Hunt For Threats?
Do you know that the global cybercrime damage is going to reach $6 trillion in 2021? If we consider it as an economy then with the 3rd highest GDP it will be after US and China. Now, you might understand the power of hacking, spyware, malware, and black hat hackers. Most threats present themselves in different ways that are identifiable by professional defense platforms. The rise of suspicious behavior or the detection of a specific signature will make show detections on your system.
However, not every detection would be the same. Like we discussed above that sometimes you can come across dormant malware. You cannot always expect the same results as there are professional hackers that are doing it for the money. Today, data has become one of the most important assets for any company to survive in competition. And, most of these crimes are about that valuable information.
It means that no matter how much high security you have there is still a great chance of unseen attacks. Moreover, the FBI reports that in the Covid-19 pandemic the cyber crimes have been increasing by 300%. For such times you cannot be 100% sure as there are active threats all the time that you cannot see. And, they might not be coming with alerts that there is going to be an attack or some signs that can help you.
So, the concept of cyber threat hunting has become highly important to eliminate all present and future threats.
How To Start Threat Hunting
While every cyber threat hunt starts by assuming the attacker is actually present in the system. There are various ways for you can create your unique strategy for hunting. Some people use specific indicators, like “indicators of attack”, to determine the chance of a new type of threat being present in their network. When you look into specific sources of threat intelligence, you’ll find these indicators of attack. And you’ll know what to look for in your system. You’ll see the presence of these possible indicators as reason to start investigation in a certain part of the network. From there, you can use threat hunting tools to isolate and investigate those problem areas.
However, there are other technical methodologies as well that companies practice on a very professional level. You will see most of the security companies around the world using such advanced methods. They have the best AI hunting tools that can sense threats in a limited time. Not only that, it helps you to decide what decision to take at such important times. And especially at these times, such tools are proving to be more valuable than ever.
So, it is now totally up to you that whether you want to use a traditional method or use professional AI tools. If you are a big company and want to ensure that your most important asset is safe then invest in security. Saving on the cloud might seem like protection but it is a basic training of hackers to hack data from it.
How To Be Successful In Threat Hunting
Your goal should always be to uncover the threat that’s present, rather than to prove there isn’t one there. In any security investigation, it’s far better to assume the positive presence of an attacker. So that you can train yourself to think in the way an attacker would think. With your mind assuming an attack is right around the corner, you’ll handle the situation more proactively. Even after the detection or elimination of malware, you still need to do some digging. You might be thinking that why is that important now as you already did a great job. But, hackers can always leave something even if they cannot pass the security. So, you need to make sure that everything is safe in your network and then relax.
However, you have to remember that threat hunting is as important and as necessary as other cybersecurity measures, like password protection. You should do it regularly and treat it as a high-stakes investigation every time. That’s why it’s far easier to accomplish if you have a powerful threat hunting tool suite available. Because it can do the hard work for you.
You don’t have to go through the struggle and turn over every stone. If you have an AI tool, the updates can help you resolve even the slightest issue. With the increasing cybercrimes, there has been more demand for better tools that you can say are more like smoke detectors. If there is smoke, it detects in seconds without wasting your time. You can run for your life or check out the issue. It goes the same in this situation as cybercrimes are like smoke. They will hack into your system and would spread like a virus that you won’t be able to stop. So, make sure to check regularly and ensure a 100% safe networking system.
Conclusion
Cyber threats are one of the biggest issues the world is currently dealing with. However, cyber threat hunting is one of the most important protocols that actually needs to be a part of every company. Even if you have a good security company on your back, there is no harm to be extra careful. You can finally track down the silent presence in your system without spending a lot of money on security systems.
To make sure you’re always on top of this, keep on looking for the best ways to defend your business from online threats. Moreover, always assume the threat is there, and have your arsenal of tools to deal with it when it turns out to be true.
