Proactive 101: Threat Hunting is Not Proactive!
In the cybersecurity world, there's often a misconception between proactive and reactive actions. Many believe that stopping an attack while it happens is proactive security, but true proactive security means preventing the attack from occurring in the first place. For example, wearing a seatbelt is proactive—you put it on before you start driving to prevent injury. On the other hand, an airbag is reactive; it deploys only after a crash has occurred. In cybersecurity, to be truly proactive, you must take measures to prevent incidents before they can cause damage.
The Misconception of Threat Hunting
When considering proactive actions versus reactive actions, the focus should be on controlling access—allowing access for those who should have it and prohibiting access for those who shouldn't. If this is the focus, then threat hunting is too late in the process to be considered proactive.
At AMEOT, we support threat hunting as a crucial part of our monitoring process. Our monitoring isn't just about watching metrics or alarms; it involves actively looking for irregularities in timing or location. We track services and protocols to understand who they serve, how they are running, and whether their performance deviates from expected norms. Monitoring includes examining login patterns, checking the source of network traffic, and evaluating the status of patches, updates, and applications across different departments.
However, none of this is proactive. The proactive part involves planning to understand what should be present or absent and knowing when something is amiss. Threat hunting is essentially monitoring with a focus on identifying known bad activities. The analysis to determine what to hunt for is proactive, but the act of hunting is reactive.
Proactive Security Measures
Proactive security means making it difficult for attackers to gain access in the first place. This includes obfuscation and isolation strategies to protect critical systems and data. At AMEOT, we practice proactive methodologies to prevent unauthorized interactions and deploy rapid-response reactive methods when an interaction begins.
Consider the example of the ransomware attack on the Baltimore City Government in 2019. The city was hit by the RobbinHood ransomware, which encrypted thousands of computers and demanded a ransom of 13 Bitcoins (worth about $76,000 at the time). The attack disrupted many city services, including real estate transactions and water billing, and the total recovery cost was estimated to be over $18 million. Proactive measures, such as regular patch management, employee training, and robust backup systems, could have significantly reduced the impact of this attack .
Real-World Examples
The importance of proactive security is evident in various high-profile cybersecurity incidents. For instance, in 2020, Cognizant, a global IT services company, was hit by the Maze ransomware. The attack disrupted operations and led to an estimated cost of between $50 million and $70 million. If Cognizant had implemented tighter proactive security measures, such as advanced threat detection and network segmentation, the attack could have been prevented or significantly mitigated .
The average cost of a data breach in 2023 was $4.45 million, according to IBM's Cost of a Data Breach Report. This figure represents immediate containment and remediation costs, as well as long-term expenses such as regulatory fines and reputational damage. Proactive security measures can help organizations avoid these significant financial losses .
Why Listen to AMEOT?
You might be wondering why you should trust AMEOT. If you’re reading this, you’ve probably not heard of us before. AMEOT protects enterprises and governments from breaches and ransomware through education, proactive security methods, and fast response tools and personnel. We know how to minimize your attack surface, understand that people are your weakest link, and recognize that many of your trusted programs were not created with security in mind.
You might hesitate because we don’t have thousands of employees yet, we don’t spend millions on advertising, and we don’t employ retired CIA agents or former law enforcement. But these factors don’t stop breaches or ransomware. Companies spend money on these things to meet your expectations and make a sale with subpar offerings. We focus on being proactive and we always have. Now, we are coming out of stealth because we know our solutions work.
What we will do for you won’t be flashy, but it will be effective. Our approach might sound boring and low energy, and it should. Proactive security focuses on policy and planning. When you book a 30-minute call with AMEOT, we won’t overwhelm you with military jargon or celebrity endorsements. Instead, we will talk about the things you already do that undermine your breach and ransomware strategy. We’ll teach you how to structure your workflows to be both effective and safe.
The Role of AI in Proactive Security
At AMEOT, we leverage AI for automation and analysis, but we focus on its predictive capabilities. Everything runs in cycles, and AI helps us spot patterns and predict potential points of vulnerability where threats might emerge next. This allows us to proactively secure your environment, reducing the risk of breaches and ransomware attacks. AI is not an electronic crystal ball, but it provides a myriad of options to get ahead of potential disasters.
Calls to Action
Ready to learn more about proactive security? Visit AMEOT for more information and to explore our "Proactive 101" series.
Want to discuss how we can help your organization? Book a 30-minute call with AMEOT and let’s start building a solid breach and ransomware strategy together.
Thank you for your time and attention. By adopting proactive security measures, you can potentially save your organization from significant financial losses and operational disruptions. Let’s work together to secure your future.
References
- Baltimore Sun
- Wired
- ZDNet
- IBM Security