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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for a Threat Hunter

💰 $110,000 - $185,000

CybersecurityInformation SecurityIT SecurityThreat Intelligence

🎯 Role Definition

As a Threat Hunter, you are the detective of our digital world. You won't just wait for alarms to sound; your mission is to proactively search for the shadows—the hidden adversaries and sophisticated threats lurking within our network and systems. You will operate on the assumption that we are already compromised and use your intelligence, curiosity, and technical prowess to find evidence of malicious activity. This role is pivotal in shifting our security posture from reactive to proactive, identifying gaps in our defenses, and providing the critical insights needed to neutralize threats before they cause significant harm. You will be a key player in a dynamic team, collaborating with Incident Responders, Threat Intelligence Analysts, and Security Engineers to fortify our resilience against an ever-evolving threat landscape.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Security Operations Center (SOC) Analyst (Level II/III)
  • Incident Responder
  • Digital Forensics Analyst
  • Security Engineer

Advancement To:

  • Senior or Principal Threat Hunter
  • Threat Intelligence Lead / Manager
  • Red Team Manager or Offensive Security Lead
  • Cybersecurity Architect

Lateral Moves:

  • Malware Reverse Engineer
  • Security Researcher
  • Threat Intelligence Analyst
  • Purple Team Specialist

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Proactively hunt for and identify advanced threats, malicious actors, and anomalous activity across diverse enterprise environments using a combination of security tools and analytical techniques.
  • Develop data-driven threat hypotheses based on emerging attacker tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs), threat intelligence, and an understanding of the organization's unique risk profile.
  • Leverage security data from a wide range of sources, including SIEM, EDR, network traffic analysis (NTA), cloud logs (AWS, Azure, GCP), and full packet captures to conduct in-depth investigations.
  • Create high-fidelity detection rules, queries, and analytics in platforms like Splunk, Elastic, or CrowdStrike to automate the discovery of new and emerging threats.
  • Analyze host, network, and memory forensics data to understand the full scope of a potential compromise and assist in root cause analysis.
  • Contribute directly to the enhancement of the organization's security posture by providing actionable, evidence-based recommendations for remediation and control improvements.
  • Collaborate closely with the Incident Response (IR) team, serving as a subject matter expert and providing deep contextual analysis during active security incidents.
  • Develop custom scripts and tools (primarily in Python or PowerShell) to automate repetitive hunting tasks, data enrichment, and complex data analysis.
  • Maintain and apply a deep, practical understanding of the MITRE ATT&CK® framework to guide hunting activities, map adversary behaviors, and identify gaps in detection coverage.
  • Consume, process, and operationalize cyber threat intelligence from various internal and external sources to inform and focus proactive hunting missions.
  • Author and disseminate comprehensive threat hunt reports and technical briefings that are clear, concise, and tailored to both technical teams and executive leadership.
  • Simulate adversary TTPs in a controlled environment to test the effectiveness of existing detection capabilities and validate security controls.
  • Perform deep-dive analysis of malware samples, including static and dynamic analysis, to extract indicators of compromise (IOCs) and understand core functionality.
  • Stay current with the latest cybersecurity threats, attack vectors, vulnerabilities, and mitigation strategies through continuous research, training, and industry engagement.
  • Mentor junior analysts and share advanced knowledge across the security organization to uplift the team's overall threat detection and response capabilities.
  • Develop and maintain a formal threat hunting methodology and playbook that aligns with organizational goals and the evolving threat landscape.
  • Interface with offensive security teams (Red Team, Pen Testers) to understand their techniques and translate that knowledge into improved defensive countermeasures.
  • Review and triage high-severity alerts from automated security systems, using them as leads for broader, more comprehensive hunting expeditions.
  • Conduct "purple team" exercises, working collaboratively with offensive security to test and validate detection and response controls in a real-time, transparent manner.
  • Profile and model normal user and system behavior to establish robust baselines for identifying statistically significant anomalies indicative of malicious activity.
  • Investigate and attribute threat actor activity by correlating technical findings with known adversary profiles, campaigns, and geopolitical motivations.

Secondary Functions

  • Develop and refine threat detection use cases for implementation within the SIEM and other security platforms.
  • Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis for security leadership and risk management teams.
  • Contribute to the organization's data strategy and roadmap, particularly concerning security data collection, retention, and normalization.
  • Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies within the broader cybersecurity team.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Advanced SIEM & Log Analysis: Expert-level proficiency in query languages and data analysis within SIEM platforms such as Splunk (SPL), Elastic Stack (KQL), or Google Chronicle.
  • EDR/XDR Expertise: Deep hands-on experience with market-leading Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) tools like CrowdStrike Falcon, SentinelOne, or Microsoft Defender for Endpoint for hunting and investigation.
  • Scripting & Automation: Strong scripting skills using Python or PowerShell for data manipulation, API integration, and automating analytical tasks.
  • Network Traffic Analysis: Proficiency in analyzing network traffic using tools like Wireshark, Zeek (formerly Bro), or Suricata, and understanding network protocols to identify malicious communications.
  • Operating System Internals: In-depth knowledge of Windows, Linux, and/or macOS operating systems, including file systems, memory management, and system logging for forensic analysis.
  • MITRE ATT&CK Framework: A thorough understanding of the ATT&CK framework and the ability to apply it practically to map adversary behavior, guide hunts, and measure detection coverage.
  • Cloud Security: Experience hunting for threats in cloud environments (AWS, Azure, GCP) and familiarity with their native security services (e.g., GuardDuty, Azure Sentinel).
  • Digital Forensics: Foundational knowledge of digital forensics principles and experience with tools for memory analysis (e.g., Volatility) and disk forensics (e.g., FTK Imager, Autopsy).
  • Threat Intelligence: Ability to consume, analyze, and operationalize threat intelligence data from various feeds and platforms (TIPs) to generate hunting hypotheses.
  • Malware Analysis: Basic to intermediate static and dynamic malware analysis skills to identify indicators of compromise (IOCs) and understand malware behavior.

Soft Skills

  • Analytical & Investigative Mindset: An innate curiosity and a methodical, data-driven approach to problem-solving and uncovering hidden patterns.
  • Unwavering Curiosity: A strong desire to learn how things work, why they break, and how they can be exploited.
  • Effective Communication: The ability to clearly articulate complex technical findings and their business impact to a wide range of audiences, from engineers to executives.
  • Collaboration & Teamwork: A proven ability to work effectively within a team, sharing knowledge and collaborating with other security functions.
  • Resilience & Adaptability: The capacity to remain focused and effective under pressure, especially during incident investigations, and to adapt to new technologies and threats.
  • Creative Problem-Solving: The ability to think like an adversary and devise innovative ways to detect their presence.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor's Degree in a relevant field or equivalent demonstrated experience and/or certifications.

Preferred Education:

  • Master's Degree in Cybersecurity or Information Security.
  • Relevant industry certifications such as GIAC Certified Forensic Analyst (GCFA), GIAC Certified Incident Handler (GCIH), GIAC Cyber Threat Intelligence (GCTI), or OSCP.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Computer Science
  • Cybersecurity
  • Information Technology
  • Digital Forensics

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 3-7+ years of experience in a hands-on cybersecurity role.

Preferred:

  • Direct experience in a Threat Hunting, Incident Response, or senior-level SOC Analyst role.
  • Demonstrable experience uncovering and analyzing sophisticated threats (e.g., APTs, advanced malware).
  • A portfolio of personal projects, blog posts, or conference presentations related to cybersecurity research or tool development is highly desirable.
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