How CodeHunter authorizes, blocks, and contains code before it executes. Practitioner and SOC-facing content covering deterministic verdicts, triage automation, and EDR augmentation.

Alert-heavy security dashboard illustrating the limits of reactive monitoring and the need to control software execution before risk escalates

Minimize False Positives with Integrated Threat Analysis

/in , /by

Understanding False Positives 

While it is crucial to err on the side of caution, the prevalence of false positives can have significant ramifications for cybersecurity teams and overall organizational efficiency. A false positive occurs when a security system incorrectly identifies benign activity as malicious. A cybersecurity system like an Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) platform or a Secure Email Gateway (SEG) flags an activity as a potential threat based on predefined rules, patterns, and algorithms. Due to the ever-changing and complex nature of cyber threats these rules and patterns are not foolproof. Many rely upon an updated catalog of known threats, leaving security teams dependent on information outside of their control. The National Vulnerability Database, for example, is so inundated with new threats that 75% of vulnerabilities submitted in 2024 have yet to be processed.

Consequences of False Positives 

Resource Drain – Investigating false positives requires time and effort. Security teams often need to manually inspect and validate each alert, a time-consuming process. This diverts resources away from investigating genuine threats and proactive security measures.

Alert Fatigue – When security personnel are bombarded with false positives, they may become desensitized to alerts. This alert fatigue can cause legitimate vulnerabilities to be missed due to the sheer volume of flagged files to process.

Operational Disruption – Frequent false positives can lead to unnecessary disruptions in business operations. For example, when a legitimate file is flagged as suspicious business productivity slows as the security team works through the more recent alerts before realizing there is no real cause for suspicion.

Reduced Trust in Security Systems – Over time, a high rate of false positives can erode trust in cybersecurity systems. Security personnel might start to ignore alerts, assuming they are false, undermining the effectiveness of their organization’s security infrastructure.

Causes of False Positives  

Several factors contribute to the prevalence of false positives:

Overly Sensitive Detection Rules – Security systems with highly sensitive detection rules are more likely to flag benign activities as threats. While this sensitivity can help in detecting new or evolving threats, it also contributes to a greater alert workload.

Lack of Context – Many security systems operate without the full context of user behavior and organizational norms. Without this context, distinguishing between normal and abnormal file behavior becomes challenging.

Evolving Threat Landscape – The constantly changing nature of cyber threats means that detection rules need to be continuously updated. Maintaining this pace can be difficult, leading to outdated rules that misclassify activities.

Mitigating False Positives

Addressing the issue of false positives requires a multi-faceted approach:

1. Improving Detection Algorithms: Advanced machine learning and artificial intelligence can enhance the accuracy of threat detection systems. By learning from historical data and contextual information, these systems can better differentiate between legitimate and malicious activities.

2. Tiered Alerting Systems: Implementing a tiered alerting system can help prioritize alerts based on their severity and likelihood of being true positives. This approach allows security teams to focus their efforts on the most critical alerts first.

3. Regular Updates and Tuning: Continuously updating and tuning detection rules based on the latest threat intelligence can help minimize false positives. Security teams should routinely review and refine these rules to adapt to the evolving threat landscape.

The CodeHunter Solution

ISC2 notes that only 52% of cybersecurity professionals believe that their organization has the tools and people needed to respond to cyber incidents over the next 2 to 3 years. That’s not good news for security teams already struggling to keep up with the daily warnings generated. So, what can be done to make the influx of alerts more manageable?

It’s no secret that having an active cybersecurity defense system is necessary to protect organizations from rampant cyber threats. Platforms like SentinelOne scan company environments at scale, running pattern-matching algorithms with rules informed by publicly known threats, threat actors, and their tendencies. Unfortunately, this abundance of caution comes with an abundance of alerts, far more than the typical security team can handle. That’s where CodeHunter comes in. CodeHunter’s threat hunting engine automatically analyzes flagged files at scale and at speed, producing actionable intelligence in a fraction of the time it takes to manually reverse engineer malware. CodeHunter’s SentinelOne integration relieves security teams of the burden of investigating every warning to the fullest, supplying in-depth analysis to support timely response and remediation processes. Because CodeHunter doesn’t rely on pattern matching to identify malware, it properly assesses alerts raised by other systems to determine if the behavior is actually suspicious or just a false positive caught by an overly sensitive algorithm.

Learn how CodeHunter can maximize your SentinelOne investment by minimizing false positives here.

 

Read more

Interconnected circuitry forming a padlock, representing secure control over software execution and the verification of code behavior before it runs

Automated Defense Protects Against Software Supply Chain Attacks

/in , , , /by

Read more

Binary code with a hidden threat symbol illustrating zero-day risk and the danger of unknown software behavior executing before it is understood

Proactive Prevention: How to Defend Against Zero-Day Attacks

/in , , , /by

The Anatomy of Zero-Day Malware

Zero-day malware is called such because it takes advantage of zero-day vulnerabilities, which are newly discovered flaws that have yet to be patched. The time when the vulnerability is discovered is referred to as “Day 0”. These vulnerabilities provide cyber attackers with a window of opportunity to launch their attacks, often catching victims- and their security systems- off guard. In the time that it takes for a patch to be deployed across an entire enterprise malware can already be siphoning critical information from your system.  

Read more

digital security imagery representing software execution activity and the importance of verifying and controlling code behavior before it is allowed to run

Strengthening Defense-in-Depth With Automated Malware Detection & Analysis

/in , , , /by

Defense-in-Depth in Today’s Cyberthreat Landscape

The probability of falling victim to an advanced malware attack, including zero-day exploits, multi-part malware, and custom attacks continues to rise. Cybercriminals persist, finding new ways to find their way into “secured” corporate networks, and tools like malware-as-a-service have made it easy to launch sophisticated attacks for even the most novice of threat artists. For organizations to stay ahead of a breach, a multi-layered cybersecurity practice that combines a robust defense-in-depth strategy with cutting-edge technologies like automated threat detection and reverse engineering malware analysis is critical. Read more

Abstract digital security visualization representing software execution activity and the need to verify and control code behavior before it runs

Malware-as-a-Service: A Top Threat to Organizations in 2024

/in , , , /by

What is Malware-as-a-Service?

Malware-as-a-service (MaaS) poses a serious threat to enterprise organizations. MaaS functions much like any other software-as-a-service you may be familiar with, and in some cases even comes with technical support. Hackers develop complex malware systems that can be easily purchased by even the most novice of cybercriminals, who can then launch sophisticated attacks against individuals and businesses. Malware-as-a-service democratizes cybercrime, providing any run-of-the-mill criminal with the expertise of an experienced hacker, drastically increasing the average strength and sophistication of a malware attack.  Read more

Abstract red cybersecurity visualization representing high-risk software execution environments and the need to verify and control code behavior before it runs

Elevating Malware Signature Creation to New Heights

/in /by

In cybersecurity, malware signatures, comprised of specific byte patterns, file attributes, code sequences, and other characteristics, play a crucial role in identifying and flagging malicious software. These signatures enable security tools like Windows Defender, Malwarebytes, and Sophos to spot potential threats within computer files and network data.

Read more

Abstract cybersecurity scene illustrating malicious activity and the importance of controlling software execution before harmful code is allowed to run

The Revolutionary Impact of Zero-Day Malware Identification on the Industry: The Urgency of Addressing Malware Threats

/in , , /by

 

Read more

Abstract red digital trend illustrating rising operational risk and the consequences of failing to control software execution before code is allowed to run

If We Really Cared About the Cybersecurity Talent Shortage…

/in , /by

…We Wouldn’t Make Cybersecurity Jobs So Hard To Fill

The cybersecurity industry is booming with job openings, but organizations don’t have the talent to fill them. Over a third of the 1.8 million cybersecurity jobs in the U.S. go unfilled due to lack of skills and expertise — generating a talent gap that could fill Yankee Stadium thirteen times over. (That’s 18 times the amount of seats in Fenway Park for you Red Sox fans.)

Meanwhile, cyberattacks keep increasing in frequency and sophistication. By 2023, the number of global malware attacks is projected to reach over 1.4 billion — and that’s just known malware. It’s impossible to predict the real impact of new threats in the years to come.

With such an overwhelming demand for talent and innovation, you would assume that the path to employment would be streamlined. But that’s far from the reality.

The cybersecurity industry is difficult to break into, workers report high levels of burnout, and too few employers offer room for career advancement. Without industry-wide solutions to bridge the talent gap, cybersecurity teams won’t keep up with rapidly evolving threats.

Barriers to Entry

Most cybersecurity positions require at least a bachelor’s degree and three or more years of experience. That includes entry-level positions. Meanwhile, computer science has one of the highest dropout rates in higher education, meaning fewer potential candidates are heading into IT in the first place, let alone cybersecurity.

Assuming a potential new hire has graduated with a bachelor’s degree in computer science — and even with a cybersecurity certificate or two — landing a cybersecurity job worth the effort is a difficult task. Breaking into the cybersecurity field is often unclear, and navigating a cybersecurity career path can be just as confusing.

Cybersecurity is constantly changing and evolving to face the latest threats and meet new and stricter standards. That means the learning curve gets steeper and more complex with time. It’s harder for every fresh wave of college grads to gain a foothold. And when they do, the workload is heavy and demanding, with too few rewards to keep skilled workers around for the long haul.

Overwork and Burnout

The people who do manage to break into the industry often find that it’s a far more demanding job than they might have anticipated. Notorious for overwork and burnout, cybersecurity jobs are not for the faint of heart. Cybersecurity professionals are often ignored when things go right and villainized when things go wrong.

CodeHunter CEO Larry Roshfeld applies this exhausting thought to the cybersecurity industry as a whole: “The thing about being responsible for cybersecurity is that we know we can’t win; the best we can ever hope for is not to lose.”

The fatigue that comes with this line of work shows in the numbers. Over half of surveyed IT security professionals said they or someone they knew left their job due to overwork and burnout or worked with someone who has. Additionally, 60% of employers report difficulties retaining qualified cybersecurity professionals.

These obstacles have created a skills gap that’s become increasingly difficult — and increasingly urgent — to overcome. If there aren’t enough opportunities for new hires to learn and grow, the current generation of cybersecurity professionals won’t have anyone to pass the baton to.

We Need a Culture Shift

Employers must balance expectations, workers’ well-being, and industry demands from multiple angles. To lead the way, the cybersecurity community can do the following:

  • Promote cybersecurity training in local colleges offering computer science programs.
  • Provide internships that offer meaningful experience in the cybersecurity field and help prospective cybersecurity professionals get ahead as quickly as possible.
  • Hire for top talent potential (as opposed to current skill levels), and provide the support and training to reach that potential.
  • Upskill and reskill current employees and promote from within while regularly freeing up entry-level positions.
  • Train all employees on cybersecurity best practices, compliance, and managing risk factors on a routine basis throughout the organization to share the burden of responsibility.
  • Look for exceptional soft skills in addition to tech skills — especially in management positions. Over half of ISACA’s survey respondents report a significant gap in soft skills in the cybersecurity industry.
  • Offer flexibility with scheduling and consider what employees need for a healthy work-life balance. This helps prevent burnout and attracts new talent.
  • Foster diversity. Employers who create a welcoming environment for everyone are recruiting from a larger talent pool, and are at less risk of high turnover.
  • Market the critical mission of cybersecurity: we make a difference by protecting people and organizations from cyber threats, big and small. The work is constantly evolving — and never dull.

Unfortunately, We Don’t Have That Kind of Time

While all of the above would set up the cybersecurity industry for a brighter and more robust future, none of those things will make a difference overnight — and we still need viable solutions now.

Even if we could hire armies of well-trained cybersecurity professionals, we would still be outnumbered by constantly evolving threats and increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks. We need solutions that help workers efficiently face threats at scale — and we needed them yesterday.

CodeHunter helps bridge the talent (and numbers) gap in cybersecurity with automated threat detection and analysis. It rapidly identifies otherwise undiscoverable threats and saves organizations precious time to discovery, resources, and man hours.

Learn more about the scale of the issue and how CodeHunter can help tackle it.

 Or check out these other resources to learn more about how CodeHunter combats the rising threat of malware

  • CodeHunter Enterprise is currently available. See how your organization’s needs align with CodeHunter’s advanced capabilities.
  • Learn all about advanced malware and why it’s one of cybersecurity’s greatest threats.
  • Understand how CodeHunter automates threat detection and analysis to make threat discovery and prevention accessible to cybersecurity teams of all experience levels.