Threat Hunting and Incident Response
Threat hunting and incident response work hand in hand to protect people and data. Threat hunting is a proactive search for signs of adversaries in your environment before they cause harm. Incident response is a prepared, practiced plan to contain, eradicate, and recover when an incident happens. Together they shorten risk exposure, reduce damage, and improve how quickly you learn from each event.
Hunt with a plan. Start from a hypothesis about where attackers might hide, then test it with data. Gather endpoint telemetry, network flow, cloud logs, and DNS data. Look for anomalies such as unusual login times, strange process chains, or odd file activity. Validate findings with a focused investigation rather than chasing dozens of alerts. A calm, repeatable process keeps bias out of the hunt.
Data and tools matter. Good data beats good intentions. Use SIEM and EDR as core engines, but also tap into network telemetry, cloud IAM logs, DNS, and important application logs. Map findings to a framework like MITRE ATT&CK to see which techniques are involved and where gaps exist. This helps you choose meaningful hunt questions and measure progress over time.
Incident response flow. When you confirm a threat, switch to response mode. Contain the affected host or segment the network, eradicate the malicious code and persistence mechanisms, then recover systems and services. After action, close the loop with a clear lessons-learned report, updated runbooks, and countermeasures to prevent recurrence.
A practical example. An employee account logs in from a new country at odd hours. A quick hunt checks recent activity and reveals credential abuse tied to a stale token. The team isolates the endpoint, revokes sessions, resets credentials, and patches the exploited flaw. They rotate keys, revalidate access, and update the response playbook to catch similar attempts sooner.
Playbooks and metrics. Keep simple, documented playbooks for common incidents, with roles and steps that non-experts can follow. Track metrics like mean time to detect (MTTD), mean time to respond (MTTR), and dwell time. Regular reviews help teams improve, not just report.
How to start. For small teams, begin with one or two hunts per month, not per week. Define a clear goal, assemble core data sources, and create lightweight templates. Automate routine checks, but keep analysis human. Foster a culture where hunting feeds into faster, smarter responses rather than slowing operations.
Key Takeaways
- Threat hunting proactively reveals hidden threats and reduces dwell time.
- A strong incident response plan speeds containment, eradication, and recovery.
- Mapping findings to MITRE ATT&CK helps prioritize hunts and improve defenses.