Speaker 1: Welcome to this deep dive into threat hunting in the cloud.
Speaker 1: We know you're interested in how to handle threats across
Speaker 1: multiple cloud providers.
Speaker 2: Yeah, it can be a real challenge.
Speaker 1: It's like securing a fortress with walls that are constantly
Speaker 1: shifting and changing.
Speaker 2: That's a good analogy.
Speaker 1: We've got excerpts from a book called Threat Hunting in
Speaker 1: the Cloud Defending Aws, Azure and other cloud platforms against
Speaker 1: cyber attacks to help us out.
Speaker 3: Yeah, this book is a great resource. It really dives
Speaker 3: into the assumed breach mentality, which is so important for
Speaker 3: threat hunting.
Speaker 1: So it's not about just waiting for alarms to go off.
Speaker 1: You're actively searching for those subtle signs exactly.
Speaker 3: It's about assuming that the attackers are already in your
Speaker 3: environment and looking for evidence of their presence.
Speaker 1: So let's pee a picture for our listener. Imagine a
Speaker 1: company using both Aws and Azure, so juggling data across
Speaker 1: both platforms. What makes threat hunting particularly tricky in that
Speaker 1: multi cloud scenario.
Speaker 3: Well, you've got different security tools, different interfaces, even different
Speaker 3: logging format.
Speaker 1: So it's not just different clouds you're dealing with entirely
Speaker 1: different security ecosystems.
Speaker 3: Right, and that can make it really difficult to get
Speaker 3: a unified view of your security posture.
Speaker 1: So how do you even begin to approach threat hunting
Speaker 1: in that kind of environment.
Speaker 3: Well, one thing that can help is a framework like
Speaker 3: MI I, T R, A T T and CK.
Speaker 1: Oh yeah, I've heard of that.
Speaker 3: It basically maps out all the different tactics and techniques
Speaker 3: that attackers use.
Speaker 1: So it's like a playbook for understanding cyber attacks exactly.
Speaker 3: And it can be really helpful for threat hunters because
Speaker 3: it gives them a common language to describe attacks and
Speaker 3: it helps them to develop hypotheses.
Speaker 2: For their hunts.
Speaker 1: Okay, that makes sense, but let's not forget the human
Speaker 1: element here. Who are these threat hunters and what kind
Speaker 1: of skills do they need?
Speaker 3: Well, thread hunters are kind of a special breed, you know.
Speaker 3: They need to have a deep understanding of security concepts.
Speaker 3: They need to be good at data analysis, and of
Speaker 3: course they need to be comfortable with programming languages.
Speaker 1: Because they're sifting through mountains of log data exactly.
Speaker 3: But perhaps even more importantly, they need critical thinking skills
Speaker 3: and a healthy dose of paranoia.
Speaker 1: They have to constantly be thinking like an attacker exactly.
Speaker 3: They have to be asking themselves what if the attackers
Speaker 3: were already in where would they hide?
Speaker 2: What would their footprints look like.
Speaker 1: It's like being a digital detective, constantly searching.
Speaker 2: For clues, exactly.
Speaker 1: But this book also highlights the sheer scale of the
Speaker 1: threat we're facing these days. It's not just about loan
Speaker 1: hackers and basements anymore, is it.
Speaker 3: No, definitely not. Cybercrime is a multi trillion dollar industry now,
Speaker 3: and the bad guys are getting more organized and sophisticated
Speaker 3: all the time.
Speaker 1: So we've got everything from opportunistic cyber criminals to highly
Speaker 1: organized criminal gangs.
Speaker 2: Right, and then you've got the nation state.
Speaker 1: Actors, the real pros with deep pockets and long term agendas.
Speaker 2: Yeah, those are the ones that can really keep you
Speaker 2: up at night.
Speaker 1: The book uses the Solar Winds attack as an example.
Speaker 3: Right, and that was a really sophisticated attack. They were
Speaker 3: able to go undetected for months.
Speaker 1: One of the things they did was they compromise the
Speaker 1: supply chain.
Speaker 3: Yeah, they inserted malicious code into a trusted software update,
Speaker 3: which is then distributed to thousands of organizations.
Speaker 1: So it's not just about defending your own perimeter anymore.
Speaker 1: It's about understanding and securing your entire digital supply chain exact.
Speaker 1: So that adds a whole other layer of complexity to
Speaker 1: threat hunting. It definitely does, and it highlights why traditional
Speaker 1: security measures like firewalls and anti virus software aren't enough anymore.
Speaker 3: You need that proactive threat hunting approach to uncover the
Speaker 3: attacks that slip past your initial defenses.
Speaker 1: So let's dive into some of the specific attack vectors
Speaker 1: that the book highlights. We know that phishing is still
Speaker 1: a huge problem, even in sophisticated cloud environments. What makes
Speaker 1: it so difficult to combat well.
Speaker 3: Phishing attacks have gotten incredibly targeted and convincing.
Speaker 2: These days.
Speaker 3: We're way past those poorly written emails with obvious typos.
Speaker 1: So they're not easy to spot.
Speaker 2: Right.
Speaker 3: Attackers can craft personalized emails that look like they come
Speaker 3: from your CEO, your bank, or even your trusted cloud provider.
Speaker 1: So they're doing their research and they're exploiting our trust exactly.
Speaker 3: And it's not just about clicking on a link anymore.
Speaker 3: Phishing attacks can be used to deliver a variety of payloads,
Speaker 3: from malware to ransomware to credential stealing.
Speaker 1: Tools, and once those payloads are in your cloud environment,
Speaker 1: they can spread rapidly and cause serious damage.
Speaker 3: Yeah, it can be really tough to contain.
Speaker 1: Okay, so we've got phishing, which is still the most
Speaker 1: common attack vector. But the book also talks about ransomware,
Speaker 1: which seems to be evolving at an alarming rate. What
Speaker 1: are some of the new trends you're seeing there?
Speaker 3: Well, one trend is that ransomware attacks are becoming more
Speaker 3: sophisticated and more targeted in what way? Well, for example,
Speaker 3: attackers are using techniques like double extortion.
Speaker 1: What's that.
Speaker 3: It's where they not only encrypt your data, but they
Speaker 3: also steal it and threaten to release it publicly if
Speaker 3: you don't pay the ransom.
Speaker 1: So they're really turning up the pressure.
Speaker 3: Yeah, and the speed of these attacks is also terrifying.
Speaker 3: Some ransomware attacks can spread through an entire network in
Speaker 3: less than forty five minutes.
Speaker 1: It's barely enough time to grab a coffee.
Speaker 2: Ah, you know, it's crazy.
Speaker 3: So backups are essential, but even those might not be
Speaker 3: enough if the attackers have already exultrated your sensitive data.
Speaker 1: And I imagine this rapid spread is even more of
Speaker 1: a challenge in a multi cloud environment where you've got
Speaker 1: data scattered across different platforms.
Speaker 2: Absolutely yeah.
Speaker 3: If you don't have a unified view of your security
Speaker 3: posture across all your cloud environments, it's incredibly difficult to
Speaker 3: detect and contain a ransomware attack quickly.
Speaker 1: So you need to have the right tools and processes
Speaker 1: in place, exactly, and.
Speaker 3: You need to be able to respond quickly and decisively.
Speaker 1: So we're really starting to see how the complexity of
Speaker 1: the multi cloud environment amplifies the challenges of thread hunting.
Speaker 1: It's not just about understanding the individual threats, it's about
Speaker 1: understanding how they can exploit the unique vulnerabilities of this
Speaker 1: interconnected landscape exactly.
Speaker 3: And that's why building a strong thread hunting program, especially
Speaker 3: in a multi cloud world, requires a multifaceted approach.
Speaker 1: You need the right people, the right processes, and the
Speaker 1: right technology exactly.
Speaker 3: And you need to be constantly adapting and evolving your
Speaker 3: approach as the threat landscape changes.
Speaker 1: So we've established that threat hunting in the multi cloud
Speaker 1: world it's complex. But this book it doesn't just stay
Speaker 1: in the present. It looks ahead too, the future of
Speaker 1: threat hunting, and some of what it talks about it's
Speaker 1: like something out of a sci fi movie.
Speaker 2: It's true.
Speaker 3: The threat landscape is constantly evolving, yeah, and so are
Speaker 3: the ways we defend ourselves. One of the most interesting
Speaker 3: developments is AI, Artificial intelligence in cybersecurity.
Speaker 1: AI it seems like it's everywhere these days, but how
Speaker 1: is it used in threat hunting? Sometimes it feels like
Speaker 1: just a buzzword.
Speaker 3: It's definitely not just type AI and machine learning. They're
Speaker 3: already playing a big role in threat hunting, and they're
Speaker 3: only going to get bigger.
Speaker 2: Think about it.
Speaker 3: Threat hunters are always going through tons of data looking
Speaker 3: for those tiny signs of an attack. AI can automate
Speaker 3: that process, analyzing data way faster than humans ever could.
Speaker 1: So AI it's not replacing human threat hunters. It's more
Speaker 1: like a really powerful assistant helping them do their job better.
Speaker 2: That's a great way to put it.
Speaker 3: AI can help with things like anomaly detection, finding patterns
Speaker 3: that are out of the ordinary and that could mean
Speaker 3: malicious activity. It can also help with threat intelligence, connecting
Speaker 3: data from different sources to spot new threats and even
Speaker 3: predict what attackers might do next.
Speaker 1: That sounds incredibly powerful, but I've also heard some concerns
Speaker 1: about relying too much on AI. Couldn't attackers use AI
Speaker 1: against us, turning our own defenses against us.
Speaker 3: It's a valid concern and something security researchers are working on.
Speaker 3: AI could be used for good or bad. The key
Speaker 3: is to make strong AI models, models that can't be
Speaker 3: easily manipulated, and use them as just one part of
Speaker 3: your security strategy, not the whole thing.
Speaker 1: So AI is a powerful tool, but you can't replace
Speaker 1: human expertise. You still need those thread hunters who can
Speaker 1: understand the nuances of attacks and make informed decisions.
Speaker 3: Absolutely, humans are still crucial on cybersecurity. AI helps us
Speaker 3: see the big picture, but it's who make sense to
Speaker 3: the data, connect the dots, and decide how to react.
Speaker 1: In speaking of big changes, the book mentioned something even
Speaker 1: more futuristic, quantum computing. I have to admit I don't
Speaker 1: really get that one. Can you break it down?
Speaker 3: Quantum computing it's a whole different way of thinking. It
Speaker 3: uses quantum mechanics to do calculations at speeds you can't
Speaker 3: even imagine with regular computers. It's still early days, but
Speaker 3: it could change everything, including cybersecurity.
Speaker 1: Okay, so it's really fast computing but how does that
Speaker 1: affect threat hunting?
Speaker 3: Well, think about this. A lot of our digital world
Speaker 3: relies on encryption algorithms. They're practically unbreakable with today's computers,
Speaker 3: but a strong enough quantum computer, it could crack those
Speaker 3: algorithms wide open. Our current security measures would be useless.
Speaker 1: So quantum computing is a double edged sword. It could
Speaker 1: lead to great advancements, but it could also give attackers
Speaker 1: a huge advantage, letting them break through our defenses exactly, And.
Speaker 3: That's why researchers are working on new encryption algorithms, yeah,
Speaker 3: and security protocols ones that can with stand quantum attacks.
Speaker 3: It's a race against time, a race we can't afford
Speaker 3: to lose.
Speaker 1: So AI's on the rise, quantum computing's on the horizon.
Speaker 1: The future of threat hunting sounds like a wild ride.
Speaker 1: But let's talk about something that's happening now. Threat hunting
Speaker 1: as a service. What is that and why are companies
Speaker 1: turning to it?
Speaker 3: Threat hunting is a service we call it ties. It's
Speaker 3: basically outsourcing your threat hunting. You get a specialized provider
Speaker 3: to do it for you. It's becoming really popular, especially
Speaker 3: for organizations that don't have the resources or the expertise
Speaker 3: to build their own threat hunting program.
Speaker 1: So instead of building a team of cybersecurity ninjas from scratch,
Speaker 1: you hire a team that's already out there fighting the
Speaker 1: bad guys on the front lines.
Speaker 3: That's a great way to put it. TOSS providers have
Speaker 3: the experience, the tools, the threat intelligence to help organizations
Speaker 3: of all sizes. They can monitor your systems twenty four
Speaker 3: to seven hundred, analyze logs for a suspicious activity, even
Speaker 3: help you respond to incidents.
Speaker 1: It sounds like a great option for companies just charting
Speaker 1: out with threat hunting or those who feel overwhelmed by
Speaker 1: the multi cloud world. But what about companies that have
Speaker 1: already invested in their own security. Do they still need
Speaker 1: TOSS They.
Speaker 3: Can still benefit even companies with mature security programs. They
Speaker 3: can get specialized expertise from TOAs providers. Think of it
Speaker 3: like calling in a special forces team when you need
Speaker 3: extra firepower. TOS providers can work with your existing team,
Speaker 3: bring a fresh perspective, advanced threat intelligence, even specialized tools you.
Speaker 2: Might not have.
Speaker 1: So TOAs can be a good addition to any security program,
Speaker 1: whether you're just starting out or you're already a pro exactly.
Speaker 3: And as the threats keep evolving, I think we'll see
Speaker 3: more companies using tos to stay ahead.
Speaker 2: Of the game.
Speaker 1: Okay, so we've talked about the people on the processes.
Speaker 1: What about the technology. The book mentions Azure Sentinel and
Speaker 1: Amazon Guard Duty. But technology changes so fast. What's next
Speaker 1: for threat hunting tools?
Speaker 3: The evolution of threat hunting tools is fascinating. One big
Speaker 3: trend is integration. Right now, a lot of security teams
Speaker 3: are dealing with tools sprawl. They've got a bunch of
Speaker 3: different tools and they don't work well together.
Speaker 1: So it's like trying to fight a war with soldiers
Speaker 1: from different countries who can't understand each other.
Speaker 3: That's a great analogy. But things are changing. We're seeing
Speaker 3: more integrated platforms that can take data from lots of sources,
Speaker 3: correlate events, and give you a more complete view of
Speaker 3: your security.
Speaker 1: So instead of having a bunch of separate tools, you
Speaker 1: have one central command center where you can see everything
Speaker 1: that's happening exactly.
Speaker 3: And this is crucial for multi cloud environments where you're
Speaker 3: dealing with data from different providers. Another trend to watch
Speaker 3: for is XDR Extended Detection and Response.
Speaker 1: Okay, what's XDR. How is it different from the other tools.
Speaker 3: Think of XDR as the next step from EDR Endpoint
Speaker 3: Detection and Response EDER focuses on individual devices like laptops
Speaker 3: and servers. XDR expands that to include cloud workloads, email,
Speaker 3: identity and more. It's like having a security camera that
Speaker 3: can see everything else.
Speaker 1: So it connects the dots between different security data sources
Speaker 1: to get a complete picture of the attack.
Speaker 3: Exactly, and that visibility is key for threat hunting. The
Speaker 3: more data you have, the more likely you are to
Speaker 3: find those subtle signs of an attack.
Speaker 1: And I bet AI and machine learning play a big
Speaker 1: part in XDR helping make sense of all that data.
Speaker 3: Absolutely, AI and machine learning are essential to analyze huge
Speaker 3: amounts of data and find those needles in the haystack,
Speaker 3: the events that really signal a threat.
Speaker 1: So threat hunting tools in the future they'll be more integrated,
Speaker 1: more intelligent, more powerful. That's a huge change, it.
Speaker 3: Really is, and these changes will be crucial as we
Speaker 3: face more sophisticated cyber threats.
Speaker 1: We've covered a lot, but before we move on, what
Speaker 1: about regulations? Are there any specific ones for threat hunting
Speaker 1: in the cloud?
Speaker 3: That's important The rules around cloud security are always changing,
Speaker 3: but there are a few frameworks you should know. One
Speaker 3: is the NIST Cybersecurity Framework the CSF.
Speaker 1: We talked about miter ATT and CK for understanding attack
Speaker 1: or tactics. What's NIST CSF.
Speaker 3: About is a set of guidelines best practices for managing
Speaker 3: cybersecurity risk. It's not just about threat hunting, but it
Speaker 3: does recommend things like identifying threats, detecting events, responding to incidents.
Speaker 1: So it's a broader framework for a good cybersecurity program,
Speaker 1: and threat hunting is part of that exactly.
Speaker 3: It's widely recognized and used, so it's good to align
Speaker 3: with it, even if it's not required. Then there are
Speaker 3: industry specific regulations like HIPPA for healthcare, PCIDSS for payment cards,
Speaker 3: GDPR for data protection in Europe, So if.
Speaker 1: You're in a regulated industry, you need to know these
Speaker 1: rules and make sure your threat hunting program follows them absolutely.
Speaker 3: And the cloud adds new complexities to compliance. You need
Speaker 3: to understand the shared responsibility model. The cloud provider secures
Speaker 3: the cloud itself, but you're responsible for securing what's in
Speaker 3: the cloud, so you need to configure your cloud environments correctly.
Speaker 3: Put in the right security controls and monitor for threats.
Speaker 1: What's a shared responsibility. But ultimately, you're responsible for your
Speaker 1: data in the.
Speaker 3: Cloud right and threat hunting can help you show that
Speaker 3: that you're taking steps to protect your data and meet
Speaker 3: your compliance obligations.
Speaker 1: It sounds like threat hunting. It's really important for any
Speaker 1: organization's cloud security, especially when you're dealing with multiple clouds
Speaker 1: and all these evolving threats and regulations.
Speaker 3: I completely agree. It's not just something extra, it's becoming essential.
Speaker 3: If you want to particut your data and your reputation,
Speaker 3: you have.
Speaker 2: To do it.
Speaker 1: We've covered so much in this deep dive. We started
Speaker 1: with the basics of threat hunting, then we explored AI
Speaker 1: and quantum computing. It's been a fascinating journey. But before
Speaker 1: we wrap up, let's bring it back to our listener.
Speaker 1: What are some things they can do right now to
Speaker 1: improve their organization's threat hunting capabilities.
Speaker 3: That's a great question, and you don't need a huge
Speaker 3: budget or a team of experts to get started. The
Speaker 3: first step is to just assess your current security. What
Speaker 3: tools are you using, what data are you collecting, what
Speaker 3: processes do you have from monitoring your systems?
Speaker 1: So take inventory of your defenses, figure out where you're
Speaker 1: vulnerable exactly.
Speaker 3: Once you understand your strengths and weaknesses, you can start
Speaker 3: developing a threat hunting strategy, and remember you don't have
Speaker 3: to do everything at once. Start by focusing on the
Speaker 3: most common attacks, fishing and ransomware. Those are the easiest
Speaker 3: ways in for attackers, so they're a good place to start.
Speaker 1: And we talked about mitre ATT and CK. Can that
Speaker 1: help with understanding those attacks and developing detection rules.
Speaker 3: Absolutely, it's like a playbook for attackers. It shows you
Speaker 3: their most common moves. You can use that to build
Speaker 3: your defenses and hunt for those tactics in your environment.
Speaker 1: You've mentioned threat intelligence a few times. Where can people
Speaker 1: go to stay updated on the latest threats and techniques.
Speaker 3: There's so many great resources out there, some are free,
Speaker 3: some are paid. Follow security researchers and organizations on social media,
Speaker 3: Subscribe to blogs and newsletters, go to industry conferences and webinars.
Speaker 1: So knowledge is power. The more you know, the better
Speaker 1: you can defend.
Speaker 3: Yourself exactly, and don't be afraid to try to and things.
Speaker 3: There's no one right way to do threat hunting, so
Speaker 3: find what works best. For you, and if you're feeling overwhelmed,
Speaker 3: there are managed security service providers they can help.
Speaker 1: That's a good point. They can provide the expertise and
Speaker 1: support that many organizations need, especially in the complex world
Speaker 1: of multi cloud security.
Speaker 2: Exactly.
Speaker 3: They can help you navigate the challenges, implement the right tools,
Speaker 3: and build a thread hunting program that fits your needs.
Speaker 1: So, for anyone who's feeling intimidated by threat hunting, what's
Speaker 1: the one thing you want them to remember?
Speaker 2: Be proactive.
Speaker 3: Don't wait for the attackers to come to you, go
Speaker 3: out there and find them. Threat hunting is an ongoing process.
Speaker 3: It never stops. It's about constantly learning, adapting, staying ahead
Speaker 3: of the bad guys.
Speaker 1: That's a great way to put it. Threat hunting is
Speaker 1: a journey, not a destination, and it's a journey every
Speaker 1: organization needs to take if they want to stay safe.
Speaker 3: Well said, and remember you're not alone. There are resources, tools,
Speaker 3: experts out there to help you every step.
Speaker 2: Of the way.
Speaker 1: This has been an amazing deep dive into threat hunting
Speaker 1: in the cloud. Thank you so much for sharing your
Speaker 1: expertise with us and our listener.
Speaker 2: It's been my pleasure.
Speaker 1: Thanks for having me and to our listener, thank you
Speaker 1: for joining us. We hope you learned a lot and
Speaker 1: that you'll be able to use this information to improve
Speaker 1: your organization's security. Remember, stay vigilant, stay informed, and stay
Speaker 1: ahead of the game. This concludes your deep dive into
Speaker 1: threat hunting in the Cloud. We hope you enjoyed the
Speaker 1: episode and found it helpful.