Threat hunting techniques in Cybersecurity - Practice Problems & Coding Challenges

Challenge - 5 Problems

🧠 Conceptual

intermediate

Understanding Threat Hunting Hypotheses

Which of the following best describes the role of a hypothesis in threat hunting?

A A guess made without any data to start the investigation

B A final conclusion after completing the threat hunt

C A testable statement based on observed data to guide the hunt

D A list of all known malware signatures used in detection

💡 Hint

Think about how hunters decide what to look for before searching.

A hypothesis in threat hunting is a testable statement formed from observed data or intelligence. It guides the investigation by focusing on what to look for.

📋 Factual

intermediate

Common Data Sources in Threat Hunting

Which data source is most commonly used for detecting lateral movement within a network during threat hunting?

A Endpoint process execution logs

B DNS query logs

C Firewall traffic logs

D Email spam filters

💡 Hint

Consider where you can see what programs are running on computers.

Endpoint process execution logs show what programs run on devices and can reveal suspicious lateral movement activities.

🔍 Analysis

advanced

Analyzing Threat Hunting Techniques

Which technique is best suited for discovering unknown threats that do not match existing signatures?

A Anomaly detection using baselines

B Signature-based detection

C Using antivirus software scans

D Blocking known malicious IP addresses

💡 Hint

Think about how to find threats that look different from normal behavior.

Anomaly detection compares current behavior to a baseline of normal activity to find unusual patterns, helping discover unknown threats.

❓ Comparison

advanced

Comparing Threat Hunting Approaches

Which statement correctly compares proactive and reactive threat hunting?

A Proactive hunting waits for alerts before investigating; reactive hunting searches without alerts.

B Reactive hunting ignores alerts and focuses on random data analysis.

C Both proactive and reactive hunting only respond after a breach is confirmed.

D Proactive hunting uses hypotheses to search for threats before alerts; reactive hunting investigates after alerts.

💡 Hint

Consider when each hunting approach starts the investigation.

Proactive hunting starts with hypotheses and searches for threats before alerts occur. Reactive hunting investigates after alerts or incidents.

❓ Reasoning

expert

Evaluating Threat Hunting Outcomes

After conducting a threat hunt, a team finds no evidence of compromise but notices unusual spikes in network traffic at odd hours. What is the best next step?

A Ignore the spikes as false positives since no compromise was found.

B Investigate the unusual traffic further to understand its cause.

C Conclude the environment is safe and end the hunt immediately.

D Delete all logs to prevent confusion in future hunts.

💡 Hint

Think about how to handle suspicious but unclear findings.

Unusual traffic spikes may indicate hidden threats or misconfigurations. Investigating further helps ensure no threats are missed.

Practice

1. What is the main goal of threat hunting in cybersecurity?

easy

A. To create strong passwords for users

B. To install antivirus software on all computers

C. To block all internet access to prevent attacks

D. To actively search for hidden cyber threats before they cause damage

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the purpose of threat hunting

   Threat hunting is about proactively looking for threats that may not be detected by automated tools.

2. Step 2: Compare options to the goal

   Installing antivirus, creating passwords, or blocking internet are preventive or reactive, not active searching.

3. Final Answer:

   To actively search for hidden cyber threats before they cause damage -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   Threat hunting = active search [OK]

Hint: Threat hunting means actively looking for hidden threats [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing threat hunting with installing security software
• Thinking threat hunting is only about blocking access
• Believing it is about password management

2. Which of the following is a common technique used in threat hunting?

easy

A. Ignoring network logs

B. Waiting for alerts from antivirus software

C. Forming hypotheses about attacker behavior

D. Disabling firewalls to reduce false alarms

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify common threat hunting methods

   Threat hunting often starts with forming hypotheses about how attackers might behave.

2. Step 2: Evaluate each option

   Waiting for alerts is reactive, ignoring logs or disabling firewalls harms security, so only forming hypotheses fits.

3. Final Answer:

   Forming hypotheses about attacker behavior -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Hypothesis formation = key hunting step [OK]

Hint: Threat hunting starts with guessing attacker actions [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking threat hunting is passive waiting
• Ignoring important data sources like logs
• Reducing security tools to avoid alerts

3. Consider this simplified threat hunting step: if suspicious_activity_detected and data_source == 'network_logs': alert(). What happens if suspicious activity is found in network logs?

medium

A. An alert is generated

B. No alert is generated

C. The system shuts down

D. Data source is ignored

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the condition in the code

   The code triggers alert() only if suspicious_activity_detected is true and data_source equals 'network_logs'.

2. Step 2: Analyze the scenario

   If suspicious activity is found in network logs, both conditions are true, so alert() runs.

3. Final Answer:

   An alert is generated -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Conditions met = alert triggered [OK]

Hint: Alert triggers when suspicious activity is in network logs [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Assuming no alert without checking both conditions
• Confusing alert with system shutdown
• Ignoring the data source condition

4. A threat hunter wrote this pseudocode: if event_type = 'login_failure' then investigate(). What is wrong with this code?

medium

A. The assignment operator '=' is used instead of comparison '=='

B. The function investigate() is missing parentheses

C. The event_type variable is undefined

D. The condition should check for 'login_success' instead

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify the operator used in the condition

   The code uses '=' which usually means assignment, not comparison.

2. Step 2: Understand correct syntax for comparison

   To check equality, '==' should be used, so the condition properly tests event_type.

3. Final Answer:

   The assignment operator '=' is used instead of comparison '==' -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Use '==' for comparison, not '=' [OK]

Hint: Use '==' to compare, '=' assigns value [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing '=' with '==' in conditions
• Assuming function syntax error without checking operators
• Changing condition logic unnecessarily

5. You want to improve threat hunting by combining multiple data sources. Which approach best helps find hidden threats?

hard

A. Use only firewall logs to reduce data volume

B. Form hypotheses and analyze data from network, endpoint, and user activity logs

C. Ignore user activity logs because they are noisy

D. Rely solely on automated alerts without manual analysis

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the benefit of multiple data sources

   Using diverse data like network, endpoint, and user logs gives a fuller picture of threats.

2. Step 2: Evaluate approaches for effective threat hunting

   Forming hypotheses and analyzing multiple sources is proactive and thorough, unlike ignoring data or relying only on alerts.

3. Final Answer:

   Form hypotheses and analyze data from network, endpoint, and user activity logs -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Multiple data sources + hypotheses = better hunting [OK]

Hint: Combine data sources and hypotheses for best results [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using only one data source limits threat visibility
• Ignoring noisy data that can hold clues
• Relying only on automated alerts misses hidden threats