Another feature in hunting, which will speed up responses from a threat hunting scenario is TakeAction
When selecting a record in the result, the Take Action button will be visible as seen in below picture
So instead of just creating a new incident or adding events to an existing incident we can take actions from the hunting experience.
In the Take actions experience we have actions grouped by Devices, Files and Users.
The action options available is dependent on the data in the result. For instance, file information like checksum is required to being able to quarantine a file.
When clicking Next we can see the target selected and click Next
We can add a Remediation name and Description for our action
This feature enables a rapid response at the fingertips of the threat hunters for immediate actions
During Ignite, Microsoft has announced a new set of features in the Advanced Hunting in Microsoft 365 Defender.
These features will definitely help you in the Threat Hunting process and also reduce the gap between analysts, responders and threat hunters and simplify the life of a threat hunter.
Multi-tab support
When having hunting training classes, I usually recommend to use multiple browser tabs. One for the query development, and one used to go back to previous queries to see how some things were done earlier.
for example, if you are developing a hunting query and need an if statement, external data, regex or other more advanced features it is easier to just open a previous query to see how it was solved last time. At least until you get more fluent in KQL. This is to avoid having to save your new query, go back to the old one, and then back to the new again
With the multi-tab support we can open the query in a new tab
Resource usage
The new Hunting Page will now provide the resource usage for the query both timing and an indicator of the resource usage
This will make it easy to see when query optimization is recommended and needed. You could for example use equals, has instead of contains, remove columns not used to reduce the dataset etc. Of course, when it’s feasible.
If you would like to learn more about how to optimize queries, please visit:
Schema, Functions, Queries and Detection Rules have been separated into tabs for, according to my opinion, easier access and pivoting which will give a better overview in each tab.
Schema Reference
The schema reference will open as a side pane
When looking at one of the *events tables, the ActionType column is very useful to see which events are being logged. Earlier, I usually selected distinct ActionType in the query to have a look at the events being logged. Now, it’s possible to use the quick access from the portal to expand all action types for a specific table.
Above image shows the action types for DeviceFileEvents. In the DeviceEvents there are around 180 different action types to query.
For the hunting query development and hunting use-cases, the action types is a great go-to resource.
The columns in the schema reference is clickable and can in a simple way be added to the query
Simple query management
Inspect record
The inspect record pane is an easy way to see the data for one single row. When developing new queries I usually take a subset of data (take/limit 20) to see an overview of the results, and also select an event to see all data instead of side scrolling through all columns when needed.
New features in inspect record is that we can do quick filters which will be added to the query.
In this example we would like to know more about process executions from the C:\AttackTools folder
If we would like other pre-defined FolderPath filters, we can select View more filters for FolderPathWe can continue the query development and as in below example, get the count for each file in the folder specified in the query.
Last but definitely not least… Link the query results to an incident
This is my favorite, this will reduce the gap and simplify the process between threat hunters, responders, and analysts.
By selecting the relevant events in the result, they can be added to an existing incident, or create a new incidents.
This feature will help organizations to define the threat hunting both in a proactive hunting scenario, and in a reactive, post breach scenario when the hunters will assist analysts and responder with a simplified process.
How to link the data to an incident
To be able to link the data you need to have the following columns in the output
Timestamp
DeviceId/AccountObjectID/AccountSid/RecipientEmailAddress (Depending on query table)
ReportId
Develop and run the query
Please note, you cannot have multiple queries in the query window when linking to incident
Choose to create a new incident or link to an existing
Add the necessary details and click nextSelect the impacted entitiesAfter finishing the wizard, the data will end up in a new alert in the incident
Last tip
Run a quick check in your environment to see if you have remote internet-based logon attempts on your devices by looking for RemoteIPType == “Public”. There are other where RemoteIPType is useful, like processes communicating with Internet.
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.