Cyber threat hunters identify threats that either internal actors, such as a single employee, or external actors, such as criminal organizations, are carrying out. A threat hunt actively searches for malicious events and activities within an environment to discover active cyberattacks. Typically, a threat hunt team relies upon intelligence group communications, which enable them to react swiftly and efficiently to mitigate threats.

Active threats represent risks to business operations that need to be identified and monitored. Open-source intelligence (OSINT) and threat-intelligence sharing platforms are highly effective ways to do this. With OSINT, a wide range of publicly available information is collected and analyzed to identify potential threats. OSINT sources are diverse and include social media, blog posts, news articles, chat forums, and many other sources.

Threat intelligence and threat hunting encompass the strategies used to detect and protect against active threats. Threat intelligence describes gathering and analyzing data to help identify potential threats and determine the most effective way to mitigate them. Threat intelligence enables the proactive identification of malicious activity and the capabilities and objectives of different threat actor groups. In addition, threat hunting describes actively searching for signs of malicious activity on an organization’s network.

Patch management is an essential part of IT security. It involves regularly monitoring, assessing, and updating an organization's software, such as operating systems, applications, and device drivers. Patch management aims to ensure organizations have the latest security updates and patches to protect their systems from potential vulnerabilities. It should also include a plan for applying these patches promptly and a backup plan in case of disruptions.