No Result Hunts

Revised DateComment
03.11.2024Page added

Introduction

Let me kick of this chapter with a simple statement: “threat hunts are valuable even when no threats are found”. In cybersecurity, and in life in general, any action yielding no answers are deemed pointless and valueless. My personal opinion - few things are worthless, we just have to find the value of things. The absence of tangible results doesn’t mean failure - quite the contrary. In threat hunting, the absence of findings doesn’t mean the hunt was a failure - in fact, it can be an indicator of a strong security posture. Proactive threat hunting remains one of the best ways to stay ahead of adversaries, regardless of what you uncover. In this chapter we are going to have a look on why a hunt that yields no findings is still a critical part of your security program and how to use these results to refine future hunts for even greater effectiveness.

Positive sides

As I stated - few things are worthless, we just have to find the value of things. These are the positives sides of “failure”. As we can see in the mind map under, there are quite a few sides to consider. I’ll describe each one in the next section.

mindmap
  (Positive sides)
    Boosting Confidence in Security Posture
    Validating and Refining Detection Rules
      Review Rules for Effectiveness
      Adjust Rules to Reduce Noise
      Broaden Detection Focus
    Improving and Understanding Baselines
      Establish Normal Behavior
      Detect Abnormal Activity
    Contributing to Documentation and Audit Readiness
      Document Proactive Efforts
      Create Repeatable Processes
      Enhance Audit Transparency
    Knowledge Gained About the Organization
      Learn System Behavior
      Faster Incident Response

Boosting Confidence in Security Posture

When a threat hunt comes up empty, it reinforces confidence that current detection and protection mechanisms are holding strong. This lack of findings can validate that endpoint, network, and cloud defenses are effectively preventing or identifying threats before they gain traction. For security leaders and stakeholders, the results demonstrate that the organization’s security posture is sound, with no immediate gaps being exploited by malicious actors.

Tip

Think of it like a health checkup—just because no problems are found doesn’t mean it was pointless. Regular assessments of the environment, even with no findings, help confirm that defenses are functioning as intended.

Validating and Refining Detection Rules

A “no result” threat hunt also provides a chance to assess and validate detection rules, processes, and tools. If a hunt continually finds nothing, this could be a signal to fine-tune detection rules to catch even the most subtle anomalies. It’s also an opportunity to analyze whether the rules are tuned for your specific environment or whether they might be missing certain threat vectors.

For instance, if your detection rules are too conservative or narrowly focused, you might be missing activity that’s low and slow or relies on subtle techniques. On the other hand, if rules are too broad, they can yield excessive noise, making it difficult to focus on genuine threats. Each hunt is a test that helps strengthen and tailor detection mechanisms for the unique threats your organization faces.

Tip

Most detection rules are based on queries - often queries stemming from threat hunts. Keep in mind - query optimalization as well.

Improving and Understanding Baselines

Every hunt, even if it yields no suspicious findings, adds valuable data to the baseline understanding of what “normal” activity looks like. Baselines are critical in identifying deviations that could indicate a compromise or unauthorized activity. By consistently refining this understanding, security teams become better equipped to spot unusual patterns, giving them a head start on identifying early warning signs of potential threats.

For instance, unusual login times, unexpected data transfers, or atypical application behavior can be difficult to detect if the baseline isn’t well defined. Each hunt without findings clarifies what is normal, helping your team sharpen its ability to detect what’s abnormal.

Contributing to Documentation and Audit Readiness

The documentation created during each hunt provides a paper trail of proactive security activities. This is often valuable for audit and compliance purposes, as many regulations now emphasize active, continuous monitoring over simple, static protections. Documented hunts with clear methodologies and consistent follow-through show auditors and regulatory bodies that your organization is committed to proactively securing its assets, not just reacting to incidents.

In this way, threat hunts contribute to the overall transparency of security operations. The documentation they produce can help establish a repeatable process, making it easier for security teams to standardize their threat-hunting playbooks and continuously improve their approach.

Knowledge Gained About the Organization

Each hunt is an opportunity to learn more about the network environment, applications, user behavior, and the interconnected nature of systems. This enhanced understanding is invaluable not only for future threat hunts but also for incident response. In the event of a real threat, security teams will be able to act with a deeper understanding of system behavior, making them faster and more effective.

This institutional knowledge gained over time means that threat hunters become intimately familiar with the infrastructure, which enhances their ability to respond quickly and accurately in the event of a true incident.

Important

Each hunt is an opportunity to learn more about the network environment, applications, user behavior, and the interconnected nature of systems.

Refining Fure Hunts After a Clean Result

If a threat hunt yields no findings, that doesn’t mean there’s no room for refinement. Up until now we’ve been quite positive having no results. But, it may be that this is a sign that you are doing something wrong. Keep in mind: you must always be on the alert - thinking critically - asking if “this” is right, plausible or even expected.

Here are some ways to optimize future hunts based on what you learn from a “clean” result:

mindmap
  (Refining Future Hunts)
    Check for Gaps in Coverage
      Identify Missing Data Sources
      Expand to Cloud Environments
      Include Endpoints and Third-Party Segments
    
    Review Hypotheses and Indicators
      Align with Latest Threat Intelligence
      Reference The DFIR Report
      Adapt to Adversarial Tactics and Techniques
    
    Fine-Tune Detection Rules
      Refine Rules to Catch Subtle Patterns
      Adjust for Low-Level Process Activity
      Focus on Unusual Login Behaviors
      Reduce Noise, Increase Anomaly Detection
    
    Incorporate Behavioral and Anomaly-Based Detection
      Add Behavior-Based Rules
      Flag Deviations from Normal Baselines
      Strengthen Detection of Sophisticated Threats
    
    Automate and Streamline
      Automate Documentation
      Use Templates for Reporting
      Reduce Repetitive Tasks for Analysts

Let me jog through these concepts, below - but first let me repeat myself a bit first:

Important

You must always be on the alert - thinking critically - asking if “this” is right, plausible or even expected

Check for Gaps in Coverage

Consider whether the hunt might be missing certain data sources or asset types, such as cloud environments, endpoints, or third-party network segments. Expanding coverage can help capture a wider range of activities and potential threats.

Review Hypotheses and Indicators

Threat actors evolve constantly, and it’s essential to revisit the hunt hypotheses against the latest threat intelligence. Sources like The DFIR Report can provide insights into recent adversarial tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) to help align your hunts with real-world scenarios.

Fine-Tune Detection Rules

Repeatedly clean hunts might indicate overly conservative detection rules. Refine them to catch subtle patterns, such as low-level process activity or unusual login behaviors, which might otherwise go undetected. Adjusting detection rules can help reduce noise while increasing the chance of spotting true anomalies.

Incorporate Behavioral and Anomaly-Based Detection

Traditional hunts focus on known indicators of compromise (IoCs), but behavior-based detection can reveal unusual activity that isn’t directly tied to known threats. Incorporating baselines and rules that flag deviations from normal behavior strengthens the hunt’s ability to detect subtle, sophisticated threats.

Automate and Streamline

Refinement may also involve streamlining documentation and reporting, automating parts of the process to save time on future hunts. Automated templates for documentation, for example, can reduce repetitive tasks, allowing analysts to focus on interpreting findings and adjusting hunt tactics.

By refining future hunts with these steps, the threat-hunting process becomes more agile, efficient, and aligned with current threat landscapes, ensuring that the team remains proactive in detecting emerging risks.

Embracing the Value of Threat Hunts—With or Without Findings

A threat hunt that yields no findings is not a failure. In fact, it’s a signal that, most likely, the organization’s defenses are working as expected and that there’s an opportunity to refine processes, improve baselines, and increase the team’s knowledge. The process alone yields significant benefits, giving security teams a proactive edge and laying a stronger foundation for the future.

In the complex landscape of modern cyber threats, even a “quiet” hunt is a valuable investment. Refining future hunts to include broader coverage, behavior-based analysis, and automated documentation will ensure that teams remain sharp, agile, and ready to detect and respond to any new challenges that may arise.