What does threat hunting involve?

Threat hunting involves proactively searching for advanced persistent threats (APTs) within an organization's network. This process is driven by the understanding that traditional security measures may not detect sophisticated, stealthy attacks that can evade standard defenses. Instead of waiting for alerts or indicators of compromise to arise from automated systems, threat hunters actively investigate the environment to find hidden threats, leveraging various data sources and advanced analytics.

The proactive nature of threat hunting enables security teams to identify potential vulnerabilities, suspicious behaviors, or indicators of compromise before they lead to significant security incidents. This approach is critical because modern threats often use sophisticated techniques to bypass initial detection measures, and by actively searching for these threats, organizations can enhance their overall security posture.

In contrast, the other choices describe important security practices but do not encapsulate the core of what threat hunting entails. Monitoring network traffic, conducting software updates, and reviewing user access logs are essential components of a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy, but they are more reactive in nature, focusing on responding to known issues rather than seeking out hidden threats proactively.