Training Course on MITRE ATT&CK Framework for Threat Hunting

Course Title: Training Course on MITRE ATT&CK Framework for Threat Hunting

Executive Summary

This intensive two-week course equips participants with the knowledge and skills to effectively utilize the MITRE ATT&CK framework for proactive threat hunting. Participants will learn to identify adversary tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs), map them to the ATT&CK matrix, and develop threat hunting hypotheses. Through hands-on labs and real-world scenarios, they will gain experience in leveraging various tools and techniques to uncover hidden threats within their organization’s network. The course covers the entire threat hunting lifecycle, from planning and data collection to analysis, reporting, and remediation. By the end of the program, participants will be able to build and execute effective threat hunting programs, improving their organization’s security posture and resilience.

Introduction

In today’s dynamic threat landscape, organizations need to move beyond reactive security measures and embrace proactive threat hunting. The MITRE ATT&CK framework provides a structured and comprehensive knowledge base of adversary tactics and techniques, enabling security teams to understand and anticipate attacker behavior. This course is designed to provide participants with a deep understanding of the MITRE ATT&CK framework and its application in threat hunting. Participants will learn how to leverage the framework to develop threat hunting hypotheses, identify relevant data sources, and use various tools and techniques to uncover malicious activity. The course emphasizes hands-on learning through practical exercises and real-world scenarios, allowing participants to develop the skills and experience necessary to become effective threat hunters. By the end of the course, participants will be equipped to build and implement robust threat hunting programs within their organizations, improving their ability to detect and respond to advanced threats.

Course Outcomes

• Understand the MITRE ATT&CK framework and its components.
• Develop threat hunting hypotheses based on adversary TTPs.
• Identify and collect relevant data sources for threat hunting.
• Utilize various tools and techniques to analyze data and uncover malicious activity.
• Map identified threats to the MITRE ATT&CK matrix.
• Develop effective threat hunting reports and recommendations.
• Build and implement a threat hunting program within their organization.

Training Methodologies

• Interactive lectures and discussions.
• Hands-on labs and practical exercises.
• Real-world threat hunting scenarios.
• Case study analysis of past security incidents.
• Group projects and collaborative problem-solving.
• Guest speaker sessions from industry experts.
• Tool demonstrations and hands-on experience.

Benefits to Participants

• Enhanced knowledge of the MITRE ATT&CK framework.
• Improved skills in threat hunting and incident response.
• Ability to proactively identify and mitigate threats.
• Increased confidence in their ability to defend against advanced attacks.
• Career advancement opportunities in cybersecurity.
• Improved understanding of attacker tactics and techniques.
• Ability to contribute to a stronger security posture for their organization.

Benefits to Sending Organization

• Reduced risk of successful cyberattacks.
• Improved detection and response capabilities.
• Enhanced security posture and resilience.
• More efficient use of security resources.
• Increased employee awareness of security threats.
• Better alignment with industry best practices.
• Improved compliance with security regulations.

Target Participants

• Security Analysts
• Incident Responders
• Threat Intelligence Analysts
• Security Engineers
• SOC Analysts
• System Administrators
• Network Engineers

Week 1: Foundations of MITRE ATT&CK and Threat Hunting

Module 1: Introduction to MITRE ATT&CK

1. Overview of the MITRE ATT&CK framework.
2. Understanding the ATT&CK matrix and its components.
3. Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTPs).
4. Navigating the ATT&CK website and resources.
5. Using ATT&CK for threat modeling and assessment.
6. Relationship between ATT&CK and other security frameworks.
7. Hands-on exercise: Exploring the ATT&CK matrix.

Module 2: Threat Hunting Fundamentals

1. Defining threat hunting and its benefits.
2. The threat hunting lifecycle: Planning, Data Collection, Analysis, Reporting, Remediation.
3. Proactive vs. Reactive security approaches.
4. Developing threat hunting hypotheses.
5. Identifying key data sources for threat hunting.
6. Common threat hunting tools and techniques.
7. Lab: Developing threat hunting hypotheses based on ATT&CK TTPs.

Module 3: Data Collection and Analysis

1. Identifying relevant data sources (e.g., logs, network traffic, endpoint data).
2. Collecting data using various tools and techniques (e.g., Sysmon, Zeek, PowerShell).
3. Data normalization and enrichment.
4. Analyzing data using SIEMs, EDRs, and other security tools.
5. Identifying anomalies and suspicious activity.
6. Understanding data analysis techniques.
7. Hands-on lab: Collecting and analyzing Windows event logs with Sysmon.

Module 4: Initial Access and Execution Techniques

1. Understanding Initial Access techniques in ATT&CK.
2. Phishing, spearphishing, and watering hole attacks.
3. Exploiting public-facing applications.
4. Analyzing email headers and attachments.
5. Detecting malicious code execution.
6. Investigating suspicious processes.
7. Lab: Analyzing a phishing email and identifying malicious attachments.

Module 5: Persistence and Privilege Escalation Techniques

1. Understanding Persistence techniques in ATT&CK.
2. Creating persistent backdoors.
3. Registry key modifications.
4. Scheduled tasks and startup programs.
5. Understanding Privilege Escalation techniques in ATT&CK.
6. Exploiting system vulnerabilities.
7. Lab: Identifying persistence mechanisms in a compromised system.

Week 2: Advanced Threat Hunting and Reporting

Module 6: Lateral Movement and Command & Control

1. Understanding Lateral Movement techniques in ATT&CK.
2. Credential dumping and reuse.
3. Pass-the-hash and pass-the-ticket attacks.
4. Remote services and shared drives.
5. Understanding Command & Control techniques in ATT&CK.
6. Establishing C2 channels.
7. Lab: Detecting lateral movement using network traffic analysis.

Module 7: Defense Evasion and Credential Access

1. Understanding Defense Evasion techniques in ATT&CK.
2. Obfuscation and encryption.
3. Anti-analysis techniques.
4. Hiding malicious activity.
5. Understanding Credential Access techniques in ATT&CK.
6. Credential harvesting and theft.
7. Lab: Analyzing malware that employs defense evasion techniques.

Module 8: Impact and Data Exfiltration

1. Understanding Impact techniques in ATT&CK.
2. Data destruction and system disruption.
3. Ransomware attacks.
4. Understanding Data Exfiltration techniques in ATT&CK.
5. Staging and exfiltrating sensitive data.
6. Identifying data leakage.
7. Lab: Simulating a ransomware attack and analyzing its impact.

Module 9: Threat Hunting Tooling and Automation

1. Using SIEMs for threat hunting (e.g., Splunk, Elastic Security).
2. Leveraging EDRs for endpoint detection and response.
3. Utilizing threat intelligence platforms (TIPs).
4. Automating threat hunting tasks with scripting (e.g., Python, PowerShell).
5. Building custom threat hunting dashboards.
6. Integrating threat hunting tools with security workflows.
7. Hands-on lab: Building a threat hunting dashboard in Splunk.

Module 10: Threat Hunting Reporting and Program Development

1. Creating effective threat hunting reports.
2. Communicating findings to stakeholders.
3. Developing actionable recommendations.
4. Building a threat hunting program within your organization.
5. Defining roles and responsibilities.
6. Establishing threat hunting processes and workflows.
7. Capstone Project: Developing a threat hunting plan for a specific scenario.

Action Plan for Implementation

1. Conduct a security assessment to identify gaps in threat detection capabilities.
2. Develop a threat hunting plan based on the MITRE ATT&CK framework.
3. Implement data collection and analysis tools.
4. Train security personnel on threat hunting techniques.
5. Establish a regular threat hunting schedule.
6. Document threat hunting findings and recommendations.
7. Continuously improve the threat hunting program based on lessons learned.