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Introduction

Threat hunting is a proactive approach to detecting and responding to advanced cyber threats. The goal of threat hunting is to identify and mitigate potential threats before they can cause harm to an organization’s assets. Threat intelligence is an essential component of effective threat hunting. This white paper will explore the role of threat intelligence in enabling organizations to conduct effective threat hunting and provide a technical example of how threat intelligence can be used for effective threat hunting.

What is Threat Intelligence?

Threat intelligence is the collection, analysis, and dissemination of information about potential threats to an organization’s assets. Threat intelligence can be obtained from a variety of sources, including open-source intelligence, commercial intelligence providers, and internal sources such as security logs and incident reports. Threat intelligence is used to identify and prioritize potential threats, assess their likelihood and potential impact, and develop strategies to mitigate those threats.

What is Threat Hunting?

Threat hunting is the proactive process of searching for and identifying potential threats to an organization’s assets. Threat hunting involves analyzing security logs, network traffic, and other sources of data to identify signs of potential compromise. Threat hunting is different from traditional incident response, which is a reactive process that occurs after an attack has occurred. Threat hunting is a proactive process that can help organizations identify and mitigate potential threats before they can cause harm.

Using Threat Intelligence for Effective Threat Hunting

Effective threat hunting requires a comprehensive understanding of the organization’s assets, the potential threats to those assets, and the tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) used by attackers. Threat intelligence can help organizations develop this understanding by providing valuable insights into potential threats, including the TTPs used by attackers.

There are several ways that organizations can use threat intelligence to improve their threat hunting capabilities:

1. Prioritize Threats – Threat intelligence feeds can be used to provide organizations with real-time information about potential threats. This information can be used to prioritize potential threats based on their severity and potential impact. For example, if a threat intelligence feed reports that a new malware variant is targeting a specific industry sector, organizations operating in that sector can prioritize their threat hunting efforts to focus on identifying and mitigating that particular threat.
2. Identify Indicators of Compromise (IOCs) – Threat intelligence feeds can provide organizations with IOCs that can be used to identify potential threats. These IOCs can include IP addresses, domain names, file hashes, and other information that can be used to identify potential threats. For example, if a threat intelligence feed reports that a particular IP address is associated with a known threat actor, organizations can use that information to block traffic from that IP address or investigate further to identify potential compromise.
3. Identify TTPs – Threat intelligence can provide organizations with information about the TTPs used by attackers. This can help organizations identify potential threats based on the tactics used by attackers. For example, if a threat intelligence feed reports that a particular threat actor is using a specific technique to bypass security controls, organizations can use that information to adjust their security controls to prevent similar attacks.
4. Monitor for New Threats – Threat intelligence feeds can help organizations stay up-to-date on new and emerging threats. This can help organizations proactively identify potential threats before they become widespread. For example, if a threat intelligence feed reports a new zero-day vulnerability, organizations can take proactive measures to mitigate the risk of exploitation.
5. Share Information – Threat intelligence can be shared between organizations to improve threat hunting capabilities. Sharing threat intelligence can help organizations identify potential threats that may have been missed by other organizations. For example, if one organization identifies a new threat actor targeting their sector, they can share that information with other organizations in the sector to improve their threat hunting capabilities.

Technical Example: Using Threat Intelligence for Network-based Threat Hunting

In this technical example, we will explore how threat intelligence can be used for network-based threat hunting. Network-based threat hunting involves analyzing network traffic to identify potential threats. Threat intelligence can provide valuable insights into potential threats that can help organizations identify and mitigate potential threats.

Step 1: Collect and Analyze Network Traffic

The first step in network-based threat hunting is to collect and analyze network traffic. This can be done using network monitoring tools such as Snort or Suricata. Network traffic can be analyzed for indicators of compromise (IOCs) such as IP addresses, domain names, file hashes, and other information that can be used to identify potential threats.

Step 2: Use Threat Intelligence Feeds to Identify Potential Threats

Threat intelligence feeds can be used to identify potential threats based on IOCs. For example, if a threat intelligence feed reports that a particular IP address is associated with a known threat actor, organizations can use that information to identify potential threats in their network traffic.

Step 3: Analyze Network Traffic for TTPs

Threat intelligence can provide information about the TTPs used by attackers. This information can be used to analyze network traffic for signs of potential compromise. For example, if a threat intelligence feed reports that a particular threat actor is using a specific technique to bypass security controls, organizations can use that information to analyze network traffic for signs of that technique.

Step 4: Prioritize Potential Threats Based on Severity

Threat intelligence can provide information about the severity of potential threats. This information can be used to prioritize potential threats based on their severity and potential impact. For example, if a threat intelligence feed reports that a new malware variant is targeting a specific industry sector, organizations operating in that sector can prioritize their threat hunting efforts to focus on identifying and mitigating that particular threat.

Step 5: Share Information

Threat intelligence can be shared between organizations to improve threat hunting capabilities. Sharing threat intelligence can help organizations identify potential threats that may have been missed by other organizations. For example, if one organization identifies a new threat actor targeting their sector, they can share that information with other organizations in the sector to improve their threat hunting capabilities.

Conclusion

Threat intelligence is an essential component of effective threat hunting. Threat intelligence can provide valuable insights into potential threats, including the TTPs used by attackers. Using threat intelligence, organizations can prioritize potential threats, identify indicators of compromise, identify TTPs, monitor for new threats, and share information to improve their threat hunting capabilities. By leveraging threat intelligence, organizations can proactively identify and mitigate potential threats before they can cause harm to their assets.