Human-led threat hunting enhances automation in detecting cyber threats effectively

TLDR:

• Human-led threat hunting uses various methodologies to complement automation in detecting cyber threats, ensuring a comprehensive defense strategy.
• The integration of human intelligence with automation is crucial for identifying Indicators of Behavior (IoBs) and adapting to evolving cyber threats.

In this Help Net Security interview, Shane Cox, Director, Cyber Fusion Center at MorganFranklin Consulting, discusses the evolving methodologies and strategies in threat hunting, highlighting the importance of human intelligence in conjunction with automation. Cox emphasizes the role of skilled threat hunters, the challenges of finding such talent, and the future of threat hunting.

Key Elements:

Human-led threat hunting employs various approaches to detect and mitigate sophisticated cyber threats that automated tools might overlook. These methodologies complement each other, with hypothesis-driven, IoC-driven, entity-driven, and behavior-based hunting techniques forming a comprehensive detective strategy. Human intelligence is essential for identifying subtle IoBs, which automated systems often miss due to their rule-based nature.

Skilled threat hunters play a crucial role in a cybersecurity team, as their experience and adaptability help identify and respond to threats effectively. However, the demand for such talent exceeds the supply, posing challenges for organizations in recruitment and retention. Measuring the success of a threat-hunting program involves qualitative and quantitative metrics, such as reduction in dwell time, incident detection rate, and improvement in automated systems.

The future of threat hunting will involve deeper integration of automation with human intelligence to stay ahead of evolving adversarial tactics. As attackers leverage AI, threat hunters must adapt their strategies and focus on interpreting IoBs. The complexity of IT environments, driven by cloud computing and IoT, will add layers of difficulty to threat detection. A balanced approach that combines automation with human insight will be crucial for comprehensive defense against cyber threats.