Threat hunting has always been a demanding process. Analysts often deal with massive volumes of data, limited resources, and the challenge of identifying advanced adversaries that slip past conventional security tools. Intel 471 is addressing these issues with the
launch of Guided Threat Hunts, a new feature within its HUNTER platform designed to make threat hunting more methodical and effective.
The feature extends Intel 471’s role beyond intelligence collection into operational security. "Guided Hunts allow organizations to operationalize threat hunt packages in a reliable and consistent manner focused on the advanced behaviors and TTPs leveraged by threats and actors,”
Mike Mitchell, Vice President of Threat Hunt Intelligence at Intel 471 told MSSP Alert. "These TTPs are used to hide in plain sight and bypass traditional security controls.” That’s where many SIEM and XDR tools fall short—rules-based detections alone can’t keep up with fast-changing attacker infrastructure and evolving behaviors.
Smarter Queries, Better Focus
Guided Threat Hunts introduces Pivot and Filter Queries to help teams cut through irrelevant data and zero in on actionable indicators. Pivot Queries let analysts build on initial searches, asking follow-up questions to uncover patterns and artifacts that might otherwise remain hidden. Filter Queries help reduce noise by tuning searches to match a specific environment. "Pivoting and filtering data can be a complex task,” Mitchell added, "but HUNTER's library of suggested pivots helps the analyst understand the best approach to dig into the returned data.”
The feature is also designed with accessibility in mind. It doesn’t require a dedicated hunt team to get value. “The Guided Hunt feature was designed to help any level of analyst or threat hunter through the process of investigating the results from an initial hunt,” said Mitchell. The idea is to take what Intel 471’s own team has learned from running countless hunts and turn it into a repeatable, validated process.
Covering the Full Threat Landscape
While Intel 471’s intelligence-driven hunt packages are designed to address 80% of advanced threats, Guided Threat Hunts helps organizations uncover the remaining 20% - the long tail of threats that are unique to their environment, industry, or risk profile. "Through our customer feedback pipeline and threat team backlog of hypotheses,” Mitchell explained, "HUNTER's library of packages covers the latest emerging threats and advanced behaviors.” And for everything else, the Custom Hunt capability allows users to build out tailored hunts specific to their own risk landscape.
A Force Multiplier for MSSPs
This is especially useful for MSSPs looking to deliver high-touch MDR services. “MSSPs can leverage the HUNTER Hunt Management Module to define unique environments and deliver white-glove threat hunting,” said Mitchell. Instead of building new hunts from scratch for every client, Guided Hunts lets them quickly investigate, report, and show ROI across multiple environments. “It becomes a force multiplier,” he added, helping teams scale threat hunting without compromising quality, and moving beyond the limitations of static intel feeds or rules-based detection.
Guided Threat Hunts is available as part of the HUNTER solution and integrates with major XDR platforms. By standardizing and simplifying advanced threat detection, Intel 471 is helping security teams, regardless of experience level, run more effective hunts, reduce gaps, and move faster when it counts.
