In the 3rd quarter of 2024, cyberattacks surged by 75% compared to the same time in 2023, with organizations experiencing an average of 1,876 attacks every week. 

These numbers show us the reality that attackers are always trying to find new ways to exploit gaps in our security. And the problem is not only the sheer volume of attacks but also their nature. 

Many of these threats operate quietly, exploiting gaps that automated systems overlook. So, waiting for alerts or reacting after an incident has already happened can’t work anymore. The only way to deal with this is with threat hunting, which is a proactive approach that helps you search for and address hidden risks before they escalate. 

In this article, we’ll explore what is threat hunting, how it works, and why it’s an important part of protecting your organization.

What is threat hunting?

Threat hunting is about actively searching for hidden threats within your network, risks that might bypass automated defenses. Instead of waiting for a security alert or reacting to known attacks, threat hunting tries to identify subtle signs of compromise before they escalate into something harmful.

How threat hunting works

It all starts with a hypothesis, which is an informed assumption based on patterns in your network, recent threat intelligence, or an understanding of how attackers operate. From there, security teams investigate, confirm whether there’s an actual threat, and act to neutralize it. 

By default, threat hunting is proactive and human-driven. Instead of waiting for a breach to become obvious, threat hunting helps you address weaknesses early. 

The key stages of the threat hunting process

Threat hunting is a systematic approach, so there are several steps in the process. 

the key stages of the threat hunting process

1. Hypothesis creation

As we mentioned already, threat hunting begins with a hypothesis, which means the team has a focused idea of where threats might be hiding or how they might behave. So, it’s not a guess. 

Your team has analyzed it and knows about the attacker tactics, patterns from previous incidents, or vulnerabilities in your systems. 

2. Investigation

With the hypothesis in place, the investigation phase begins, analyzing network traffic and other data sources to search for anything unusual. Security teams look for anomalies, patterns, or any Indicators of Compromise (IoCs) that align with the hypothesis. 

Tools like Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) systems are often used at this stage to help identify suspicious activity and validate findings. The goal is to find out any activity that might signal an active threat or an attempted breach.

3. Analysis and threat identification

Once data is gathered, the next step is to analyze it and decide whether it points to a real threat. This means correlating the data and using behavioral analysis to determine whether the irregularities are harmless or malicious. 

4. Resolution and mitigation

If the analysis confirms a threat, action is taken to address it. This might mean isolating compromised systems, removing malicious files, or fixing vulnerabilities. 

5. Feedback and continuous improvement

The final stage of the process is learning from the hunt. This step shows you new attack methods, system weaknesses, or tool performance, and all this information is then used to refine future threat-hunting strategies.

Types of threat hunting

There are different ways you can engage in threat hunting and it depends on your particular use case. The three main types of threat hunting are structured, unstructured, and hybrid. Although you can probably already guess what each type is about, let’s take a closer look. 

Structured threat hunting

Structured hunting is focused. It begins with a hypothesis to make an assumption about where a threat might exist or how it might behave. 

For example, you might suspect attackers are exploiting a specific vulnerability in your system or using a known tactic to move through your network.

Once the hypothesis is set, the investigation follows a clear path. Analysts shift through data, logs, and alerts with a specific goal, which is either to confirm or rule out the threat. It works well when there’s a defined starting point, such as a new piece of threat intelligence or a pattern you have observed in past attacks.

Unstructured threat hunting

Unstructured hunting, on the other hand, is more exploratory. It doesn’t begin with a specific hypothesis but instead focuses on identifying anomalies in your network.

For example, you might notice an unexpected increase in network traffic or odd login activity at unusual hours. So, unstructured hunting usually requires a good amount of expertise and intuition, as analysts interpret subtle signals that automated tools might overlook. 

Hybrid threat hunting

Hybrid hunting combines elements of both approaches. You may start with a hypothesis, as in structured threat hunting, but adapt as you discover anomalies during the process. 

Why is threat hunting essential for preemptive cybersecurity?

Threat hunting plays a massive role in any preemptive cybersecurity strategy and here’s why.

Threat hunting means actively seeking out potential vulnerabilities before they become a real threat, strengthening your overall security posture. Instead of waiting for attackers to exploit weaknesses, security teams can preemptively identify and address gaps, significantly reducing the risk of compromise. This forward-looking approach ensures that defenses are resilient and adaptive to evolving threats.

Another critical advantage of threat hunting is its ability to reduce dwell time, the period during which threats remain undetected within a network. The longer an attacker lingers, the more damage they can inflict, from stealing sensitive data to disrupting operations. Threat hunting minimizes this risk by uncovering threats that automated tools might overlook, offering an essential layer of protection against sophisticated adversaries.

And, of course, incorporating threat hunting into your cybersecurity strategy enhances incident response by shifting from a reactive to an informed and strategic approach. Teams are better prepared to contain threats swiftly and mitigate fallout, minimizing disruption to operations. 

Threat hunting also proves invaluable in identifying advanced threats, such as Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs), which are skilled at evading detection by traditional tools. The analysis of subtle patterns and behaviors helps unmask these hidden adversaries, ensuring comprehensive defense against even the most elusive attackers.

The role of cyber threat intelligence in effective threat hunting

Cyber threat intelligence, or CTI, is the analysis of data about cyber threats, who they are, what they’re targeting, and how they operate. 

Not only does this information include details about Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTPs) used by attackers, but it also includes real-time updates on new vulnerabilities and attack methods. For you, this means you get a clearer picture of the risks you face and how to prepare for them.

CrowdSec CTI

  

Explore the largest and most diverse CTI network on earth and get a full report on malicious IPs.

  Explore IPs

CTI as a foundation for hunting hypotheses

CTI is the foundation for many threat hunting strategies. For example, if intelligence suggests that attackers are targeting specific software vulnerabilities, threat hunters can focus on systems using that software. 

So, it’s a targeted approach that ensures your efforts are more focused and productive. Instead of sifting through endless logs without direction, your teams know where to look and what to look for.

Threat intelligence improves accuracy and efficiency

One of the most frustrating challenges in threat hunting is false positives. CTI helps reduce these distractions. With accurate and up-to-date intelligence, you can focus on verified IoCs and patterns tied to real threats. 

Threat intelligence offers diversified data

CTI combines various data streams. Internal logs and past incidents provide a historical view of the vulnerabilities in your system. External sources, like shared intelligence platforms and threat intelligence feeds, give real-time updates about emerging threats. 

Tools like the CrowdSec CTI even use community insights, pooling data from multiple users to identify and track active threats. 

Essential tools for threat hunting

Effective threat hunting relies on specific techniques, as we’ve already seen, and the right tools to discover and address hidden threats. We have listed a few of them below.

Security Information and Event Management

Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) systems gather and analyze logs from across your network, creating a centralized view of activity. These tools are particularly useful for identifying patterns or correlations that might suggest a threat. 

Endpoint Detection and Response

EDR tools provide visibility into individual devices, tracking processes, files, and behaviors in real time. If a device shows any signs of compromise, like a process trying to access unusual files, EDR tools can flag it.

Threat intelligence feeds

These feeds provide up-to-date information about current threats, such as IoCs or new attack methods. Integrating this data into your tools helps you align your strategies with the latest risks. It’s a great way to ensure that your hunting efforts are relevant.

CrowdSec CTI

  

Explore the largest and most diverse CTI network on earth and get a full report on malicious IPs.

  Explore IPs

Network Traffic Analysis tools

Network Traffic Analysis (NTA) tools monitor how data moves through your network, looking for unusual patterns that could suggest malicious activity. For example, unexpected communication with an external server might point to a data exfiltration attempt. 

Key challenges in threat hunting

Threat hunting is vital for building a strong cybersecurity posture, but it also comes with some challenges that can make it difficult to execute effectively.

Data overload

One of the biggest challenges is the sheer volume of data generated by network logs, SIEM systems, and threat intelligence feeds. When there’s too much data, your teams can struggle to extract actionable insights and critical risks may slip through unnoticed.

Skill and resource requirements

Threat hunting generally requires highly skilled professionals who have a deep understanding of cybersecurity and its investigative techniques. So, it’s a resource-intensive process that demands time, knowledge, and technology. 

Unfortunately, not all organizations have the capacity to dedicate the necessary resources. Smaller teams, in particular, often struggle to allocate time and technology to support proactive threat hunting efforts.

False positives

The nature of threat hunting means that false positives are unavoidable. Investigating these can consume valuable time and resources. Over time, this can lead to alert fatigue, where teams start overlooking potential risks due to the sheer volume of benign alerts they’ve already faced.

Choosing threat intelligence sources of impeccable quality is truly vital here. The CrowdSec CTI aggregates data from the vast CrowdSec Network through machine learning techniques, canary networks, and specially deployed honeypots to continuously verify intelligence and identify different patterns and emerging threat details. This data processing ensures the signals are highly accurate, free from false positives, and even free from data poisoning attempts from malicious actors. 

Keeping up with evolving threats

Attackers are always developing new techniques to evade detection, which means threat hunting strategies must also evolve just as quickly. For many organizations, this can be a problem because it requires both agility and investment.

The benefits of threat hunting for organization

It’s undeniable that threat hunting provides several tangible benefits for any organization with the most significant one being its ability to detect risks before they escalate. Instead of waiting for alerts, it actively searches for vulnerabilities or signs of compromise that automated tools might miss, improving the overall detection and mitigation of threats. 

Being proactive also makes your organization more resilient to attacks. Some threats, like APTs, avoid detection by blending in with normal activity. So, if you’re continuously looking for unusual behaviors and patterns, you can uncover these risks and stop them early. 

Clarity of information is another major advantage of threat hunting. Threat hunting also provides a clearer picture of how secure your organization’s network is, helping you make better decisions about where to allocate resources and which tools to prioritize. 

Rather than investing in general solutions, you can focus on the specific areas where your defenses need the most attention.

Last but not least, threat hunting can help you reduce incidence response time. When you detect and address threats proactively, you limit their scope and impact. This means less disruption to services, lower financial losses, and a quicker return to normal operations.

What the future holds

Cyber threats are evolving, and your systems also need to evolve with them. Threat hunting is now using smarter methods to stay ahead of such attacks. Automation is transforming the process, reducing repetitive tasks, and helping security teams focus on the most pressing risks. 

Collaboration through crowdsourced intelligence is another critical change you should take note of. Harnessing the power of the crowd to get threat intelligence data of unmatched quality sounds almost too good to be true, right? However, this is a strategic advantage no organization should ignore.

Advanced behavioral analysis also helps to address the gaps left by traditional tools. It identifies unusual patterns and behaviors so that you can uncover risks that evade signature-based detection.

All in all, threat hunting is a tool of great power for security teams. Granted, there are challenges along the way in choosing the right source or sources of threat intelligence and adopting threat hunting in your overall security strategy, but the benefits vastly outweigh the hassles. 

References and further reading