Threat Hunter | Career Path

Overview

Proactively searches for signs of compromise within an organization's networks and systems that may have evaded existing security defenses, using threat intelligence and advanced analysis techniques.

Responsibilities

• Proactively search for undetected threats within an organization's network and systems
• develop hypotheses based on threat intelligence
• analyze logs and network traffic for anomalies
• utilize advanced security tools
• create new detection rules based on findings

Required Skills

• Deep understanding of attacker TTPs (Tactics, Techniques, Procedures - MITRE ATT&CK)
• SIEM query languages
• endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools
• network analysis
• scripting (Python)
• data analysis
• creative thinking
• strong intuition

Salary Expectations

$100,000 - $170,000+ USD

Relevant Certifications

• CompTIA Security+
• GIAC Security Essentials (GSEC)
• GIAC Certified Incident Handler (GCIH)
• GIAC Certified Intrusion Analyst (GCIA)
• GIAC Certified Enterprise Defender (GCED)
• Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)
• Licensed Penetration Tester (LPT)
• Hack The Box Certified Defensive Security Analyst (HTB CDSA)

Common Career Pathway

Advanced role, typically requires significant experience as a Security Analyst (Tier 2/3 SOC), Incident Responder, or Forensics Analyst. Requires a proactive mindset.

Learning Roadmap

Experienced Analyst/IR -> Master MITRE ATT&CK -> Advanced SIEM/EDR usage -> Deep Network/Log Analysis -> Threat Intelligence concepts -> Develop Hunting Hypotheses -> Scripting for analysis -> GCTI/Advanced SANS courses.