What does 'Hunt' refer to in threat hunting?

In the context of threat hunting, 'Hunt' refers to the proactive process of actively seeking out cyber threats that may have evaded existing security measures. This practice involves security professionals analyzing data from various sources, looking for indicators of compromise, anomalous behavior, or any signs of malicious activities that traditional security tools and measures may have missed.

This proactive approach is essential because it goes beyond the reactive nature of most traditional security measures, which often only respond to confirmed incidents. By actively hunting for threats, security teams can identify and mitigate potential risks before they lead to significant damage or breaches.

Improving user awareness of security protocols does play a role in overall security strategy, but it is not the specific focus of threat hunting. Similarly, creating automated responses pertains to the operational aspect of incident response rather than the hunting phase. Documenting security incidents is crucial for compliance and future learning but again does not align with the active pursuit of potential threats implied by hunting.