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hunting-for-unusual-network-connections

hunting-for-unusual-network-connections

github.com/mukul975Security35.2k79 installsUpdated 8w ago
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About hunting-for-unusual-network-connections

A security-hunting skill for investigating unusual network connections using endpoint and SIEM telemetry. It guides analysts from forming a hypothesis and querying data through validating findings and documenting response recommendations.

Key features

  1. 01Form a testable hunting hypothesis
  2. 02Identify relevant telemetry sources
  3. 03Query SIEM and EDR data
  4. 04Correlate activity across data sources
  5. 05Validate and document findings

Use cases

  1. 01Investigate suspected command-and-control traffic
  2. 02Hunt for DNS-based data exfiltration
  3. 03Scope internal network scanning from a compromised host
  4. 04Assess alerts during incident response

Install

Copy the command and run it in a terminal.

$npx skills add https://github.com/mukul975/anthropic-cybersecurity-skills --skill hunting-for-unusual-network-connections

After installing, type/hunting-for-unusual-network-connectionsin Claude Code to confirm it loaded.

Bundled files

References and scripts installed along with SKILL.md.

LICENSE
assets/
template.md
references/
api-reference.md
standards.md
workflows.md
scripts/
agent.py
process.py

Details

From the project README

Hunting For Unusual Network Connections

When to Use

  • When proactively hunting for indicators of hunting for unusual network connections in the environment
  • After threat intelligence indicates active campaigns using these techniques
  • During incident response to scope compromise related to these techniques
  • When EDR or SIEM alerts trigger on related indicators
  • During periodic security assessments and purple team exercises

Prerequisites

  • EDR platform with process and network telemetry (CrowdStrike, MDE, SentinelOne)
  • SIEM with relevant log data ingested (Splunk, Elastic, Sentinel)
  • Sysmon deployed with comprehensive configuration
  • Windows Security Event Log forwarding enabled
  • Threat intelligence feeds for IOC correlation

Workflow

  1. Formulate Hypothesis: Define a testable hypothesis based on threat intelligence or ATT&CK gap analysis.
  2. Identify Data Sources: Determine which logs and telemetry are needed to validate or refute the hypothesis.
  3. Execute Queries: Run detection queries against SIEM and EDR platforms to collect relevant events.
  4. Analyze Results: Examine query results for anomalies, correlating across multiple data sources.
  5. Validate Findings: Distinguish true positives from false positives through contextual analysis.
  6. Correlate Activity: Link findings to broader attack chains and threat actor TTPs.
  7. Document and Report: Record findings, update detection rules, and recommend response actions.

Key Concepts

ConceptDescription
T1071Application Layer Protocol
T1095Non-Application Layer Protocol
T1571Non-Standard Port

Tools & Systems

ToolPurpose
CrowdStrike FalconEDR telemetry and threat detection
Microsoft Defender for EndpointAdvanced hunting with KQL
Splunk EnterpriseSIEM log analysis with SPL queries
Elastic SecurityDetection rules and investigation timeline
SysmonDetailed Windows event monitoring
VelociraptorEndpoint artifact collection and hunting
Sigma RulesCross-platform detection rule format

Common Scenarios

  1. Scenario 1: Backdoor communicating to C2 on non-standard port
  2. Scenario 2: Data exfiltration over DNS to attacker nameserver
  3. Scenario 3: Compromised host scanning internal network
  4. Scenario 4: Cryptominer connecting to mining pool

Output Format

Hunt ID: TH-HUNTIN-[DATE]-[SEQ]
Technique: T1071
Host: [Hostname]
User: [Account context]
Evidence: [Log entries, process trees, network data]
Risk Level: [Critical/High/Medium/Low]
Confidence: [High/Medium/Low]
Recommended Action: [Containment, investigation, monitoring]

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