Why Wait for An Alert?

Is this Threat Hunting?

In a recent scan of marketing literature from other security vendors, nearly every piece I read claimed that they will provide you with “threat hunting” services – one even claiming they did 24x7x365. Really? Better double-check that SOW or service description before signing and ask yourself, “What am I really getting?”

Let’s look at what “threat hunting” actually is and compare. Gartner says this about threat hunting (emphasis added):  

Gartner:

To hunt for security threats means to look for traces of attackers, past and present, in the IT environment. Organizations that employ threat hunting use an analyst-centric process to uncover hidden, advanced threats missed by automated, preventative, and detective controls. The practice is distinct from threat detection, which relies heavily on rules and algorithms.[i]

Automated Threat Detection?

In reality, many of these vendors are selling “threat detection” rather than “threat hunting.” They changed the name of their managed security operations center (SOC) services to use the new marketing buzzword. It’s 24x7x365 because it’s just an automated detection service. Their “analyst” (a Tier 1 SOC guy) waits for an automated alert and then works to adjudicate the alert, likely escalating it to another more senior “analyst” before concluding its relevance and sending it back to you. They only have data from the sources you provided. How’s that any different than the managed SOC services they sold last year? It doesn’t sound like the definition Gartner set forth to me.   

In that same article, Gartner says:

Hunt Before the Alert

Note Gartner’s focus on highly skilled, creatively thinking humans. Preferably experienced ones that have responded to all types of security incidents. These are real analysts looking for an intruder before any alerts are generated. They want different tools to expand the context of what they see and allow them to conclusively adjudicate a potential threat (not just an alert). They make and test hypotheses based on current threat intelligence. Ideally, you’d want a dedicated analyst that has direct knowledge of your unique IT environment. Not a random pod of folks. These real threat hunters are “rare” it says. They are probably not working in the graveyard shift at a SOC.

Real Managed Threat Hunting

PacketWatch offers a real managed threat hunting service. Our team of elite experts is from a wide range of backgrounds, including the military, government, law enforcement, commercial enterprise, and the intelligence community. They hunt and respond to incidents using the proprietary PacketWatch platform. They are creative thinkers honed with skills from responding to all types of security incidents across the globe. They work one-on-one with you and your team to further your security program. They are equipped to “uncover hidden, advanced threats missed by automated, preventative and detective controls.” They aren’t waiting for an alert to act. That sounds more like what Gartner meant when they defined the term.

Next Steps

So, if you are considering hiring a team for Threat Hunting:

1. Ask to meet the analyst assigned to your account
2. Read the Statement of Work (SOW)
3. Measure them against the Gartner standard
4. Make a wise decision

Give us a call or Contact Us to meet some of these rare, highly skilled, creatively thinking humans.