Top Threat Hunting Examples: Real-World Tactics Explained

According to recent findings, cyber attack incidents have surged, pushing global cybercrime costs to an estimated $9.5 trillion by the end of 2024 and emphasizing the need for effective cyber threat hunting. Additionally, a recent SANS survey revealed that 64% of organizations are now measuring the effectiveness of their threat hunting efforts, reflecting a growing emphasis on proactive defense strategies

This article will cover real-world threat hunting examples to help you develop your cybersecurity skills. You'll learn practical techniques and see how threat hunting can pinpoint and neutralize threats effectively.

Real-World Threat Hunting Scenarios

Cyber threat hunting is a proactive approach to searching for network threats before damage is done. This means looking at networks, systems, applications, and devices for indicators of malicious activity (such as C2 servers). This proactive approach is key to fighting advanced and evolving threats with threat hunting.

Let's get into some real-world scenarios where cyber threat hunting was used.

Anomalous Network Traffic

Anomalous network traffic is the foundation of threat detection. Analyzing network traffic patterns allows you to find unusual spikes that may indicate data exfiltration or other malicious activity. Monitoring network traffic regularly helps to avoid potential attacks and detect threats early. Evaluating various sources of threat intelligence feeds is crucial, as threat intelligence data helps in identifying threats and optimizing security strategies.

In the article "How We Identify Malicious Infrastructure At Hunt.io", our research team discusses the approach to detecting anomalous network traffic by tracking over 110 unique malware families, including information stealers and C2 frameworks. They utilize various indicators such as TLS/SSL certificates, HTTP headers, and domain naming conventions to identify patterns that deviate from the norm. For instance, they highlight the detection of Gh0st RAT controllers by sending specific packets and analyzing responses, showcasing the importance of monitoring network traffic for irregularities. 

Suspicious Logins

Suspicious logins such as logins from unknown locations can indicate unauthorized access. These logins should be looked into to find potential security threats and prevent unauthorized access.

Threat intelligence plays a crucial role in identifying and mitigating cyber threats by providing vital information that informs various approaches to threat hunting and enhances proactive security measures. Using security analytics tools allows organizations to detect and respond to security incidents quickly.

In the post "Open Directory Exposes Phishing Campaign Targeting Google & Naver Credentials", our team uncovers a phishing campaign aimed at stealing user credentials through suspicious login attempts. The attackers set up spoofed login pages resembling legitimate sites like Google and Naver, tricking users into entering their credentials. By analyzing open directories and identifying these fraudulent pages, our team highlights the importance of monitoring cloned websites and redirects to login pages.

Malware Infections

Finding malware infections requires advanced tools and techniques. Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) systems provide visibility and response capabilities so security teams can respond quickly during an incident. Integrating threat intel feeds into these systems greatly increases malware detection and response and overall security.

In "Gateway to Intrusion: Malware Delivery Via Open Directories", we explore how threat actors utilize open directories to distribute malware, leading to infections. The article details instances where attackers hosted malicious files, such as AsyncRAT and BITS, in publicly accessible directories. By downloading and analyzing these files, the Hunt.io research team demonstrates the process of identifying malware infections through proactive threat hunting.

Exposed Open Directories

Exposed open directories can reveal critical information about potential threats. Analyzing such directories can help uncover details on malware tools, tactics, and other malicious activities.

In "Legacy Threat: PlugX Builder/Controller Discovered in Open Directory," Hunt.io uncovers an open directory containing components of the PlugX malware, including its builder and controller. The article details how the exposure of these tools provides insights into the malware's operation and potential vulnerabilities. By analyzing the contents of the open directory, Hunt.io demonstrates the value of investigating exposed directories in understanding and mitigating legacy threats.

These real-world examples underscore the importance of proactive threat hunting in maintaining robust cybersecurity defenses.

Command and Control (C2) Server Detection

Spotting communication with known malicious C2 servers is vital to prevent data breaches and unauthorized access. By continuously monitoring these connections, organizations can catch cyberattacks before they escalate. Hunt.io's C2 feed, designed to identify active malicious servers in near real-time, allows security teams to quickly detect and disrupt these threats, offering a critical edge in defending network security.

Identification of Suspicious Certificates

Detecting compromised digital certificates is essential, as attackers often use them to appear trustworthy. By analyzing unusual patterns in certificates and their hosting, Hunt.io's research has uncovered significant adversary activity. For instance, our researchers tracked suspicious TLS certificates to reveal the movements of Earth Baxia and PlugX, highlighting how monitoring certificates can expose covert threat actor operations.

JA4 Fingerprinting

Using the latest in SSL/TLS fingerprinting, JA4 enhances the detection of malicious encrypted traffic that traditional methods might miss. Our interview with John Althouse, the creator of JA4, shows how this updated technique builds upon JA3's foundation, offering more precise detection of threat patterns. By integrating with major cloud providers, JA4 provides improved visibility and responsiveness to encrypted threats across diverse network environments

Threat Hunting Techniques

Using threat hunting techniques like hypothesis creation, anomaly detection, and threat intel feeds is key to threat hunting and important for a proactive approach to cybersecurity. These techniques allow threat hunters to find and kill advanced threats and increase an organization's security posture.

Let's dive into these techniques.

Hypothesis and Testing

Hypothesis creation in threat hunting means forming testable predictions based on observations to explain something. This is called hypothesis-based hunting. It means creating a hypothesis about a threat and testing for its presence including threat-hunting hypothesis examples.

Once a hypothesis is formed, security teams analyze data to prove or disprove it and find new threat behavior in the process.

Anomaly Detection

Anomaly detection is key to finding deviations in network traffic and system activity that are not normal. Good anomaly detection helps organizations find unusual patterns like unauthorized access or data exfiltration.

A manufacturing company used network analysis tools to find industrial espionage and proved anomaly detection works in threat hunting.

Threat Intel Feeds

Threat intel feeds provide real-time and actionable information about known threats so threat hunters can find risks. Integrating threat intel allows hunters to focus on specific areas of concern like looking at specific logs or monitoring unusual outbound traffic. Comparing various sources of threat intelligence feeds helps in evaluating the accuracy, value, and relevance of threat intelligence data for an organization's cybersecurity needs.

A healthcare organization did this by proactively finding ransomware through threat intel feeds.

Tools for Threat Hunting

Advanced threat hunting requires many tools and methodologies to find and mitigate cyber threats. Common tools used in cyber threat hunting are Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) systems, Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) solutions, and advanced security analytics platforms.

Let's look closer at these threat hunting tools.

Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) Systems

SIEM systems do real-time analysis of security alerts across the network. These systems are key to monitoring and responding to security threats quickly. SIEM platforms by consolidating data from multiple sources allow quick threat detection and enable security teams to find threats.

Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) Solutions

EDR tools monitor endpoints for suspicious activity so threat response can happen quickly. Endpoint detection tools are key to finding malware in the network so security teams can respond quickly and minimize damage.

Advanced Security Analytics Platforms

Advanced security analytics platforms use software, algorithms, and analytical techniques to process security data. These platforms allow threat hunters to analyze processed data for anomalies, IoCs, or patterns of suspicious behavior.

Looking at timelines and finding deviations allows analysts to find abnormal behavior and increase the organization's security posture.

Threat Hunting Platform

Using a dedicated threat hunting platform is essential for proactively identifying and neutralizing cyber threats before they escalate. At Hunt.io, we focus on uncovering malicious infrastructure and providing solutions that keep you one step ahead of attackers. Our platform delivers real-time feeds of active Command and Control (C2) servers, enabling your team to detect and mitigate threats swiftly. Our Threat Hunting API integrates seamlessly with your existing systems, enriching threat intelligence data and tailoring insights to meet your unique security needs.

Our AttackCapture™ feature further strengthens defenses by uncovering potential threats hidden within exposed open directories. Analyzing attacker tools and techniques provides valuable insights that give you a clear edge in identifying and stopping threats.

We also offer HuntSQL™, a powerful threat hunting query interface that lets you dig deep into threat intelligence data, enabling precise searches and analysis for sharper insights. With Hunt.io, you'll have a suite of tools that make threat hunting more effective, helping you stay on top of evolving threats.

Take your threat hunting to the next level-schedule a demo with Hunt.io and see how our tools can give you the edge in cybersecurity.

The Importance of Building a Threat Hunting Team

Effective threat hunting increases an organization's ability to find and respond to cyber threats before they get out of hand by integrating threat intelligence with threat hunting efforts.

A good threat hunting team has:

• Threat hunters

• Threat intel analysts

• Incident responders

• Forensic analysts

Let's look at the key components of a threat hunting team.

Skills for Threat Hunters

A good threat hunter needs to know:

• Systems

• Applications

• Networks

• Authentication methods

• User behavior

• The attacker mindset

These skills are critical for threat hunting so hunters can find threats and respond to security incidents. An in-house threat hunting team is a dedicated resource for ongoing security and knows the organization's environment.

SOC Collaboration

The purpose of a Security Operations Center (SOC) is to monitor, detect, investigate, and respond to cyber threats. Collaboration between threat hunters and SOC teams, combining their skills and knowledge is key to complex operations.

Outsourcing threat hunting gives you access to a larger team of experienced security analysts and increases overall security posture by leveraging their experience with different adversary attacks.

Continuous Training and Development

Continuous training ensures threat hunters stay up to date with the changing cyber threat landscape. Regular review of incident response procedures helps identify areas for improvement and readiness so the team can find and respond to cyber threats.

Threat Hunt Case Studies

Case studies show real-life threat hunting and the results, effective strategies for finding and mitigating cyber threats. These examples show the importance of different types of threat hunting in different industries.

Financial Sector Threat Hunt

In the financial sector, targeted phishing schemes can have severe consequences. For instance, the FS-ISAC (Financial Services Information Sharing and Analysis Center) has documented cases where financial institutions caught phishing attempts by closely monitoring credential anomalies, allowing them to act before attackers could gain further access. One notable example is the Belgian bank Crelan, which, in 2019, suffered a significant phishing incident involving CEO impersonation. The attacker tricked an employee into wiring €70 million overseas, emphasizing just how essential proactive threat hunting and awareness are to prevent similar breaches. 

Healthcare Industry Threat Hunt

The healthcare industry has also faced targeted ransomware threats that could compromise patient data and disrupt critical services. In February 2024, Change Healthcare, part of UnitedHealth Group, was hit by the ALPHV/BlackCat ransomware group. This attack disrupted insurance processing nationwide. Early threat detection and real-time monitoring could have caught early warning signs, potentially preventing the operational setbacks experienced. 

Manufacturing Sector Threat Hunt

Threat hunting has been equally critical in manufacturing, where network anomalies often signal potential industrial espionage. In 2022, Costa Rica's Social Security Fund (CCSS) identified unusual network activity, alerting them to a ransomware attack by the Hive Ransomware Group. Continuous traffic analysis and vigilance helped prevent further espionage risks and secured their operations against external threats. 

Each of these cases demonstrates the power of proactive threat hunting and vigilance. Whether combating phishing, ransomware, or espionage, these organizations illustrate how threat hunting plays a crucial role in defending against increasingly sophisticated cyber threats.

How to Get Your Organization Ready for Threat Hunting

Preparation is key to a successful threat hunting program, setting the stage for threat detection. Making sure your environment is ready is critical for threat hunting.

Knowing how to get your organization ready for threat hunting is important; threat hunting is important for good cyber security.

Threat Hunting Framework

A threat hunting framework establishes the purpose and scope, equipping the team with the right tools, planning, executing, and reviewing the threat hunt. This structured approach ensures the threat hunting process is methodical and effective.

Right Technology

Investing in the right technology is the foundation of a threat hunting program. Key tools for successful threat hunting are SIEM systems, EDR solutions, advanced security analytics, and threat hunting platforms. Using these together makes threat hunting more efficient and effective so organizations can defend better against cyber threats.

Incident Response Plan

A good incident response plan ensures a coordinated and rapid response to security threats. Attending conferences and training programs encourages a culture of continuous learning for threat hunters so they can find and respond to cyber threats.

Conclusion

In summary, threat hunting is a must-have for modern cyber security. By seeing real-life scenarios, and using the right techniques and tools organizations can find and mitigate cyber threats. Building a threat hunting team and getting your organization ready with the right framework and technology is key to this.

So now you know what it takes to be one step ahead of the threats. Threat hunting is not just a strategy, it's a necessity.

Ready to strengthen your threat hunting capabilities? Book a demo with Hunt.io and stay one step ahead of cyber threats.