Threat hunting techniques in Cybersecurity - Interactive Code Practice

Practice - 5 Tasks

1fill in blank

easy

Complete the sentence to identify a common threat hunting technique.

Cybersecurity

One common threat hunting technique is [1] analysis, which involves examining data for unusual patterns.

Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'

Astatic

Bphishing

Cbehavioral

Dpassword

Attempts:

3 left

💡 Hint

Common Mistakes

Choosing 'static' which relates to fixed code analysis, not behavior.

Behavioral analysis looks at how users or systems act to find threats that don't match normal patterns.

2fill in blank

medium

Complete the sentence to describe a key step in threat hunting.

Cybersecurity

Threat hunting often starts with a [1] hypothesis to guide the investigation.

Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'

Astructured

Bguess

Cwild

Drandom

Attempts:

3 left

💡 Hint

Common Mistakes

Choosing 'random' or 'wild' which lack planning and focus.

A structured hypothesis helps hunters focus on specific threats or behaviors to investigate.

3fill in blank

hard

Fix the error in the sentence about threat hunting tools.

Cybersecurity

Threat hunters use [1] intelligence to enrich data and find hidden threats.

Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'

Asports

Bweather

Cmarket

Dthreat

Attempts:

3 left

💡 Hint

Common Mistakes

Choosing unrelated intelligence types like 'weather' or 'sports'.

Threat intelligence provides information about known threats to help hunters detect attacks.

4fill in blank

hard

Fill both blanks to complete the threat hunting process steps.

Cybersecurity

First, hunters [1] data sources, then they [2] suspicious activities.

Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'

Acollect

Bignore

Canalyze

Ddelete

Attempts:

3 left

💡 Hint

Common Mistakes

Choosing 'ignore' or 'delete' which do not help find threats.

Hunters collect data from various sources and then analyze it to find suspicious activities.

5fill in blank

hard

Fill all three blanks to complete the threat hunting workflow.

Cybersecurity

Hunters create a [1] based on [2] data, then use [3] tools to detect threats.

Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'

Ahypothesis

Bcollected

Canalysis

Drandom

Attempts:

3 left

💡 Hint

Common Mistakes

Choosing 'random' which is not planned or based on data.

Hunters form a hypothesis using collected data and apply analysis tools to find threats.

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