What are the most important metrics to track for your threat hunting program?

Time to Detect (TTD): This is the duration from when an attack begins to when it is detected. A shorter TTD indicates a more effective threat hunting process, as it implies that threats are identified quickly, reducing potential damage. Detection Rate: Complementing TTD, the detection rate measures the percentage of total threats that are successfully identified by the threat hunting team. A high detection rate, along with a low TTD, suggests a robust and efficient threat hunting program. False Positive Rate: This metric tracks the number of false alarms. A high rate of false positives can waste resources and divert attention from real threats. An ideal threat hunting program minimizes false positives while maintaining a high detection rate

"Calculating Time To Detect (TTD) is relatively easy, but improving it is challenging" The following factors have direct or indirect impacts on TTD: Technology: Does your organization have appropriate detection tools and technology implemented for detection and Threat Hunting? Coverage: Are logs from all critical systems and network devices integrated with the SIEM? Experience: Do you have an experienced threat-hunting team that is well-versed in attacks and detection engineering? Thoughts on improving TTD: - Monitor and analyze integration rates and log coverage - Regularly train threat-hunting teams in attacks and detection engineering - Continuously improve detection rules - Conduct purple team assessments regularly and measure TTD

There is an inherent uncertainty in threat hunting whether a threat is detected at all. Depending on the setup of the organisation and how threat hunting is done, the 'time to detect' KPI can be less important. While swift detection remains crucial ⏲️, exclusive focus on speed might overshadow nuanced insights. The value of threat hunting lies not just in speed but in the depth of understanding threats 🦹, how to detect them in the environment, and improving patterns for detection and defense 🛡️.

Most part of the professionals focus only on TTD, but we cannot forget TTI and TTC either. - Time to Detect (TTD): total time it takes from the initial compromise of a system or network to the point when the security team identifies and acknowledges the incident. - Time to Investigate (TTI): time it takes for security analysts to begin investigating a flagged event after it has been detected. - Time to Confirm (TTC): time it takes to confirm whether it's a genuine security incident or a false positive.

-Time to Detection (TTD): Measures how quickly threats are identified. - Threats Identified vs. False Positives: Balances accurate identification with minimizing false alarms. -Incident Response Time: Evaluates how rapidly confirmed threats are addressed. -Threat Coverage: Assesses the program's ability to handle various security risks comprehensively. -Adversary Dwell Time: Measures the duration threat actors remain undetected. -Threat Intelligence Integration: Evaluates the effectiveness of integrating threat intelligence. -Number of Incidents Closed: Tracks the efficiency of addressing and mitigating threats. -Coverage of Critical Assets -Skill Development and Training -Cost of Threat Hunting Program

"Time to Respond" özelinde, bir tehdit avı programı için en önemli metriklerden biri, tehdidin tespit edilmesinden itibaren tehdide yanıt verme süresidir. Bu süre, tehdidin tespit edildikten sonra ne kadar hızlı ele alındığını ve çözüldüğünü gösterir. Etkili bir tehdit avı programında, bu süre mümkün olduğunca kısa tutulmalıdır. Çünkü yanıt verme süresinin kısa olması, sistemler üzerindeki potansiyel zararın azaltılmasına ve güvenlik ihlallerinin daha hızlı çözülmesine olanak tanır.

Time to Respond is crucial in handling cyber threats. It measures how quickly a team can isolate and fix a confirmed threat. The faster the response, the better we prevent the threat from spreading and causing harm. A swift response minimizes disruption and keeps operations running smoothly.

I think the MTTR is the most valuable metric here in this context. MTTR (Mean Time to Response) measures the average time it takes to respond to and mitigate a security incident. It combines the detection, investigation, and response phases to provide a holistic view of the organization's incident response capabilities.

An important measure to consider when evaluating a threat-hunting program is the Mean Time to Detect (MTTD). The Mean Time to Respond (MTTR). These metrics help assess how quickly threats are discovered and addressed. The number of identified threats, their severity level, and the false positive rate are equally significant. Monitoring the frequency of hunting missions and their success rate is also crucial as it provides insights into the program's effectiveness. Additionally, keeping track of system vulnerabilities exposed during hunts and improvements made in system hardening afterward is vital for a cyber defense strategy.

Focusing on "Time to Respond" (TTR) is key in evaluating a threat hunting program. TTR measures how quickly your team reacts after detecting a threat. A shorter TTR implies a more efficient and effective response, crucial for reducing the impact of threats. This metric is a critical indicator of your team's ability to swiftly mitigate and resolve security incidents.

When assessing the ROI of threat hunting programs, it focuses on the benefits these programs provide compared to their costs. The ROI of an effective threat hunting program is often reflected in the costs of security breaches that are assumed to be prevented, vulnerabilities remediated, and reduced impact on business operations. It essentially measures how the investment in threat hunting contributes to enhancing the overall security posture and reducing potential financial losses from cyber threats.

Calculating the Threat Hunting ROI is a pivotal step in validating the effectiveness of our program. It's not just about the costs; it's about the tangible value we bring to the table. By estimating potential losses averted and subtracting the invested resources, we gain a clear picture of the program's impact. This holistic approach ensures that our threat hunting efforts are not just justified but also sustainable, contributing to a resilient security posture. It's not just a metric; it's a strategic tool for showcasing the tangible benefits of our proactive security measures.

It is possible, for example, to compare the number of incidents detected by the threat hunting program with those detected by other security mechanisms (e.g., security information and event management systems, intrusion detection systems). This can highlight the unique value added by threat hunting.

Understanding ROI in Threat Hunting hinges on differentiating proactive and reactive strategies. Proactive hunting, focusing on new detection use-cases and MITRE framework coverage, reduces the risk of advanced threats, offering long-term savings by preventing breaches and ensuring compliance. Reactive hunting's ROI lies in minimizing incident impact, preserving business continuity through rapid response. Proactive efforts, though initially costlier, can yield higher ROI by lessening incident frequency and severity. Reactive hunting is pivotal for immediate threat mitigation. Balancing both optimizes overall cybersecurity ROI, securing against varied threats and maintaining operational efficiency

Threat Hunting ROI is like measuring the value for money in your superhero team. It shows if the time and money spent on hunting down cyber threats are worth it. The higher the Threat Hunting ROI percentage, the better the team is at preventing big problems, like data breaches or attacks. It's a way to make sure your cybersecurity efforts are paying off and keeping the bad guys away.

In the context of Threat Hunting Maturity, the focus is on the development and sophistication of an organization's threat hunting capabilities. A mature threat hunting program is characterized by proactive and advanced techniques, skilled personnel, integration of comprehensive threat intelligence, and the effective use of analytics and automation tools. It evolves from basic reactive methods to more sophisticated, proactive strategies that anticipate and mitigate threats before they cause significant harm.

To me, this is the most important point: without maturity, most alerts and incidents will become mere noise, resulting in the distraction and overwhelming of your analysts with poor detections. Consequently, the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) will increase, and the organisation may be discouraged from continuing to invest in security due to its ineffectiveness.

Threat Hunting Maturity is like leveling up in a video game for your cybersecurity. The higher your maturity, the better you are at finding and dealing with threats before they cause trouble. It's about how well your team and tools work together to stay one step ahead of the bad guys. Using a framework like SANS helps you see where you are on the threat-hunting skill ladder and what you need to do to climb higher. So, it's like turning your security team into superheroes with better powers and smarter moves.

This proccess allows to conduct post-incident analysis to understand the root causes of security incidents and implement improvements in processes or technologies to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Evaluating a threat hunting program with a focus on "Threat Hunting Maturity" is pivotal. This metric assesses the program's development and sophistication. A mature program demonstrates advanced methodologies, skilled personnel, and effective use of tools. Higher maturity levels indicate better preparedness and capability to identify and mitigate complex threats. It's a vital measure for understanding the program's evolution and effectiveness in adapting to the evolving threat landscape.

Regarding Threat Hunting Feedback, it's crucial to have a system in place for collecting and analyzing feedback from the threat hunting activities. This feedback loop helps in refining hunting strategies, improving detection methods, and enhancing overall security measures. Effective feedback mechanisms ensure continuous improvement and adaptation of the threat hunting program to evolving cyber threats.

Evaluate how efficiently the threat hunting team operates. Feedback metrics can provide insights into how well your threat hunting program is performing and help identify areas for improvement.

Focusing on "Threat Hunting Feedback" is critical for assessing a threat hunting program. This metric involves gathering and analyzing feedback from the team on the tools, techniques, and processes used. Positive feedback indicates effective methodologies and high team morale, while negative feedback highlights areas needing improvement. This metric is essential for continuous improvement, ensuring the program remains effective and responsive to evolving cyber threats.

Threat Hunting Feedback is crucial because it gauges how satisfied and engaged your threat hunting team and stakeholders are. Positive feedback indicates a motivated and well-aligned program. You can collect this feedback through surveys, interviews, or focus groups, capturing insights on challenges, successes, lessons learned, best practices, recommendations, and improvements. Metrics like Net Promoter Score (NPS) or Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT) quantify this feedback, helping track improvements over time.

The main goal of a threat-hunting program is certainly to detect threats, but it's important to understand and convey that there are other valuable benefits it offers. These additional outcomes contribute significantly to enhancing the organization's overall security posture. Therefore, the effectiveness of a threat-hunting program should not be judged only by the quantity of threats it identifies.

From my perspective, Time to Resolve is also a key metric. Any Zero day vulnerability presents elevated risk until remediated. This measurement is critical to track risk reduction responsiveness over time. It can be really operationally challenging to get immediate availability to update but as we have seen with the recent Citrixbleed issues, we must articulate the real business risks any delays to updating services to a business has and move as fast as possible. Some architectures are easier to update without operational impact but we can always be better in resolving issues faster!

When it comes to the threat-hunting program, the key metrics to keep a close eye on include the number of identified threats, the time it takes to detect and respond to incidents, and the overall effectiveness of the security measures. Additionally, tracking false positives, incident resolution time, and the impact on business operations is crucial for refining and optimizing threat-hunting strategy. It's all about staying proactive and ensuring you're on top of potential security risks.

Microsoft Sentinel has a threat hunting feature which has matured considerably in the last few years. It can track and document efforts taken as part of the threat hunt as well as positive outcomes like if alerts or analytic rules are created as a result of it. This in my eyes is an important metric because ultimately if your threat hunting leads to new detection rules being created, you'll be better prepared to defend if a threat actor were to use a similar technique.

Important metrics to track in a threat hunting program include: Time to Detect: Measure the time taken to identify potential threats, aiming for quick detection to minimize impact. Incident Closure Rate: Track the rate at which identified threats are mitigated or resolved, ensuring effective response. Number of False Positives: Monitor false alarms to fine-tune hunting strategies,reducing wasted resources. For instance,a threat hunting team might focus on reducing the time to detect potential threats by using advanced detection tools and techniques. They track incident closure rates to ensure swift response and continuously work to minimize false positives, refining their hunting methods for more accurate identification of real threats.