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There is trouble in paradise as bad actors develop deadly new attack methods, with new tools that evade traditional cybersecurity detection and protection methods. So outdated security strategies that wait for threats to trigger alarms will no longer provide adequate protection. But a trained cybersecurity provider can help to defend against this emerging peril.

Traditional strategies tend to rely on such established measures as antivirus software, firewalls and intrusion detection. These tools are helpful, but they only identify threats based on known patterns of harmful software. They do not detect new or unknown threats.

To keep important digital assets safe, your organization should be proactive, instead of reactive. Just like a hunter tracks prey, strategies that leverage cyber threat detection look for unusual patterns that could signal a compromise.

This approach delivers several key benefits. First, it helps security teams find and stop threats early, reducing the chance of a data breach. A proactive strategy also helps security teams understand hackers’ tactics and adjust their defenses accordingly. Finally, a layered, interactive strategy improves your team’s ability to discover sophisticated attacks that may slip past primary defenses.

Modern cyber attacks use tools like Advanced Persistent Threats and zero-day attacks to spread through networks undetected. These assaults exploit vulnerabilities not covered by traditional cybersecurity software.

In contrast, active threat hunting assumes that breaches have already occurred somewhere in the network. Threat hunters use both manual and automated methods to search through volumes of data for signs of a breach.

The process begins when a hunter uses their expert knowledge of threat actors’ tactics to make a reasonable assumption about potential threats. Using this information as a starting point, the hunter will carefully search endpoints — or any device that connects to your network — and datasets for unusual signs that could indicate a breach.

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The next steps blend human-based intuition experience with advanced analytics and machine learning, along with critical thinking, curiosity, and the ability to adjust tactics as threats evolve. Other tools may include Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) solutions that monitor physical devices that connect to a system — including mobile devices, desktop computers, virtual machines, embedded devices and servers — to analyze network traffic, and threat intelligence feeds to provide context regarding known threats. Hunter-trained AI and automation will also prove essential, though they cannot replace human expertise.

Trained threat hunters will typically use such AI-backed and other advanced tools as Security Information and Event Management solutions that collect, analyze, and correlate security data from various sources in real time, along with data analytics platforms that help in processing large information sets.

What’s next

For organizations with limited resources, implementing threat hunting can seem daunting. But with the help of a trained, professional cybersecurity provider, even small businesses can effectively incorporate threat hunting into their digital defenses.

You can use security tools such as a Security Operations Center and SIEM for automatic threat detection and reporting. These tools can help you monitor internal issues, antivirus logs, and network traffic monitoring and gain valuable insights.

A layered approach featuring a combination of tactics and defenses can also help. First, upskill your existing staff by investing in training and certification programs. Next, work with other small businesses to exchange information and ideas, helping to gain a wider understanding of the industry.

Finally, you can outsource your threat hunting to specialized service providers. They can quickly strengthen your defenses and provide services that fit your organization’s needs and budget.

Carl Mazzanti is president of eMazzanti Technologies in Hoboken, providing IT consulting and cybersecurity services for businesses ranging from home offices to multinational corporations.