Threat Hunting: The proactive threat detection your company needs
Traditional alert-based security is no longer enough. Threat Hunting represents a necessary evolution: the active search for threats that have evaded our automated defenses.
It’s not just about responding to incidents, but anticipating them—assuming compromise has already occurred and our mission is to find it.
Data that supports the need for change
- 68% of security breaches take months to be identified (Verizon DBIR)
- Organizations with Threat Hunting programs reduce the average cost of a breach by 35%
- For every threat detected by automated systems, two more remain hidden
Real case: When the invisible becomes visible
Recently, a Threat Hunting team at a financial institution uncovered a persistent access that had been operating undetected for three months. The attacker used only legitimate system tools (a “Living off the Land” technique) to avoid triggering alerts.
The investigation began after detecting anomalous patterns: PowerShell activity at unusual hours and connections to newly registered domains. This discovery prevented the exfiltration of critical financial information, which could have had multimillion-dollar consequences.
Key elements for an effective program
- Comprehensive visibility – You can’t find what you can’t see
- Hypothesis-driven analysis – Asking questions based on known TTPs
- MITRE ATT&CK Framework – A structured guide to understanding attack techniques
- Adversarial mindset – The ability to think like an attacker
Questions to assess your readiness
- Could you detect someone using only native system tools?
- Have you established a baseline for “normal” behavior on your network?
- Does your team combine both defensive and offensive skillsets?
