/building-threat-hunt-hypothesis-framework

name: building-threat-hunt-hypothesis-framework
description: Build a systematic threat-hunt workflow that turns threat intelligence and ATT&CK gap analysis into testable hypotheses, then executes and validates them via EDR/SIEM queries (CrowdStrike, Defender, Splunk, Elastic, Sysmon, Velociraptor, Sigma) and documents findings in a standardized hunt report. Use when planning or running a proactive threat hunt or scoping compromise from an intel- or anomaly-driven lead.
domain: cybersecurity
subdomain: threat-hunting
tags:
- threat-hunting
- methodology
- hypothesis
- threat-intelligence
- hunting-framework
- proactive-detection
version: '1.0'
author: mahipal
license: Apache-2.0
nist_csf:
- DE.CM-01
- DE.AE-02
- DE.AE-07
- ID.RA-05
mitre_attack:
- T1071
- T1059.001
- T1055
- T1547

Building Threat Hunt Hypothesis Framework

When to Use

• When proactively hunting for indicators of building threat hunt hypothesis framework in the environment
• After threat intelligence indicates active campaigns using these techniques
• During incident response to scope compromise related to these techniques
• When EDR or SIEM alerts trigger on related indicators
• During periodic security assessments and purple team exercises

Prerequisites

• EDR platform with process and network telemetry (CrowdStrike, MDE, SentinelOne)
• SIEM with relevant log data ingested (Splunk, Elastic, Sentinel)
• Sysmon deployed with comprehensive configuration
• Windows Security Event Log forwarding enabled
• Threat intelligence feeds for IOC correlation

Workflow

1. **Formulate Hypothesis**: Define a testable hypothesis based on threat intelligence or ATT&CK gap analysis. 2. **Identify Data Sources**: Determine which logs and telemetry are needed to validate or refute the hypothesis. 3. **Execute Queries**: Run detection queries against SIEM and EDR platforms to collect relevant events. 4. **Analyze Results**: Examine query results for anomalies, correlating across multiple data sources. 5. **Validate Findings**: Distinguish true positives from false positives through contextual analysis. 6. **Correlate Activity**: Link findings to broader attack chains and threat actor TTPs. 7. **Document and Report**: Record findings, update detection rules, and recommend response actions.

Key Concepts

| Concept | Description | |---------|-------------| | TA0001 | Initial Access | | TA0003 | Persistence | | TA0008 | Lateral Movement | | TA0010 | Exfiltration |

Tools & Systems

| Tool | Purpose | |------|---------| | CrowdStrike Falcon | EDR telemetry and threat detection | | Microsoft Defender for Endpoint | Advanced hunting with KQL | | Splunk Enterprise | SIEM log analysis with SPL queries | | Elastic Security | Detection rules and investigation timeline | | Sysmon | Detailed Windows event monitoring | | Velociraptor | Endpoint artifact collection and hunting | | Sigma Rules | Cross-platform detection rule format |

Common Scenarios

1. **Scenario 1**: Intelligence-driven hunt based on APT campaign report 2. **Scenario 2**: ATT&CK coverage gap analysis driving hypothesis creation 3. **Scenario 3**: Anomaly-driven hypothesis from UEBA alert investigation 4. **Scenario 4**: Situational awareness hunt based on industry sector threats

Output Format

Hunt ID: TH-BUILDI-[DATE]-[SEQ]
Technique: TA0001
Host: [Hostname]
User: [Account context]
Evidence: [Log entries, process trees, network data]
Risk Level: [Critical/High/Medium/Low]
Confidence: [High/Medium/Low]
Recommended Action: [Containment, investigation, monitoring]