Revolutionizing Network Security: My Deep Dive into Corelight’s Investigator NDR Platform

In the ever-evolving landscape of cybersecurity, staying ahead of sophisticated threats requires cutting-edge tools and a keen understanding of network behavior. As someone relatively new to network threat hunting, I recently had the opportunity to explore Corelight’s Investigator software, part of its Open NDR Platform. My goal was to understand how Network Detection and Response (NDR) systems are used in Security Operations Centers (SOCs) and how they fit into the daily workflow of security analysts. What I discovered was nothing short of revolutionary.

My Objective: Bridging the Gap Between Novice and Expert

Before diving into my experience, it’s important to note that I’m not a seasoned network security analyst. However, I do have a background in network traffic analysis, having been an early user of Sniffer, one of the first network traffic analyzers. Back in the mid-1980s, these tools were expensive, required extensive training, and produced cryptic data that was challenging to interpret. Fast forward to today, and I wanted to see how modern NDR systems like Corelight’s Investigator have transformed the landscape of network security.

The Role of NDR in SOC Workflows

NDR systems have become indispensable in modern SOCs, particularly for mid- to elite-level security operations. These systems provide deep visibility across networks, detect intrusions and anomalies, and help analysts triage events. By integrating NDR with Security Information and Event Managers (SIEMs), endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions, and firewalls, SOCs can gather, enrich, and correlate network data with widespread events. This integration enables faster and more efficient responses to complex attacks that can evade traditional EDR solutions.

Starting Up the NDR System: A Seamless Experience

When I first opened Investigator, I was greeted by a user-friendly dashboard that displayed a ranked list of the latest highest-risk detections, organized by IP address and frequency of occurrence. This intuitive interface made it easy for me, even as a novice, to start exploring the data. Clicking through the alerts, I could see detailed information about the issues flagged, including evidence of exploit tools like NMAP, reverse command shells, and suspicious DNS servers.

What truly impressed me was Investigator’s ability to add context to each alert. Instead of deciphering cryptic network traffic patterns, the dashboard explained the significance of each event and even mapped it to the MITRE ATT&CK framework. This level of detail not only helped me understand the broader implications of the threats but also served as an educational tool for learning about unfamiliar exploits.

How AI Complements the Human Response

One of the standout features of Investigator is its integration of AI. The AI hints were not just helpful but genuinely useful, providing actionable next steps in a clear and concise manner. For example, when investigating a suspicious alert, the AI suggested searching specific logs for signs of communication with an external command-and-control server or checking for lateral movement within the network. These suggestions were seamlessly integrated into the workflow, making the investigative process more efficient and focused.

What I appreciated most was that the AI did not replace human judgment but rather enhanced it. The AI provided insights and recommendations, but the final decision-making was left to the analyst. This balance between automation and human expertise is crucial in cybersecurity, where context and intuition often play a significant role.

Exploring Advanced Features: Dashboards and Command Line

Investigator comes equipped with dozens of specialized dashboards that enable deeper analysis. For instance, the anomaly detection dashboards provide summaries, detailed information, and insights into novel techniques observed on the network. These dashboards are invaluable for identifying truly malicious events versus harmless anomalies or misconfigurations.

Additionally, the built-in command line panel allows analysts to search for specific conditions, further enhancing the tool’s versatility. Corelight’s Threat Hunting Guide provides sample command strings that can be directly used in Investigator, helping analysts become more familiar with the data and improve their threat-hunting skills.

What NDR Reveals That Traditional Tools Cannot

One of the most significant advantages of NDR platforms like Investigator is their ability to enrich and integrate data. Each network connection is enriched with data collected by the Investigator, including comparisons to normal network baseline activity. This enrichment helps analysts quickly distinguish between everyday network behavior and unusual activity flagged by the system.

Moreover, Investigator’s integration with other security tools, such as SIEMs, EDR solutions, and firewalls, allows for a comprehensive view of the network. This integration is particularly beneficial when tracking malware that moves across multiple threat domains, as it provides the visibility needed to understand complex relationships and threat movements.

Am I Ready to Be a Network Security Analyst Now?

While my experience with Investigator was enlightening, I’m not quite ready to transition into a full-time network security analyst role. However, I gained valuable insights into the day-to-day operations of SOC analysts and how tools like Investigator can enhance their workflows. The platform’s ability to tie together alerts with other parts of the network, provide context, and offer actionable insights is truly transformative.

Investigator serves as a force multiplier for SOC teams, saving time and providing resources to figure out threats and mitigations. It bridges the gap between basic skills and advanced threat-hunting capabilities, making it an invaluable tool for both novice and experienced analysts.

Conclusion: A New Era in Network Security

My journey with Corelight’s Investigator has been nothing short of eye-opening. The platform’s user-friendly interface, AI-driven insights, and advanced features make it a game-changer in the field of network security. As cyber threats continue to evolve, tools like Investigator will play a crucial role in helping SOCs stay ahead of the curve.

If you’re curious to learn more about how elite SOC teams use Corelight’s open NDR platform to detect novel attack types, including those leveraging AI techniques, visit corelight.com/elitedefense. For more information about Corelight’s open NDR platform, visit corelight.com.

Tags: Network Detection and Response, NDR, Corelight, Investigator, SOC, Cybersecurity, Threat Hunting, AI in Security, MITRE ATT&CK, Network Traffic Analysis, EDR, SIEM, Malware Detection, Network Security, Open NDR Platform, David Strom, Elite SOC Teams, AI-Driven Security, Network Visibility, Threat Intelligence, Palo Alto Networks, CrowdStrike Falcon, Suricata, Yara, Network Time Protocol, Command-and-Control Server, Lateral Movement, DNS Anomalies, Exploit Tools, NMAP, Reverse Command Shells, Burner Email Accounts, Phishing-as-a-Service, South African Router, Russia, US, Croatia, Network Baseline Activity, Enrichment, Integration, Cryptographic Keys, External Dynamic Lists, Threat Domains, Novel Attack Types, AI Techniques, Network Protocols, Network Adapters, Packet Capture, Network Monitoring, Cybersecurity Tools, Network Defense, Network Threat Hunting, Network Security Analyst, Network Security Workflow, Network Security Education, Network Security Insights, Network Security Mitigation, Network Security Response, Network Security Alerts, Network Security Context, Network Security Data, Network Security Integration, Network Security Enrichment, Network Security Baseline, Network Security Malware, Network Security Anomalies, Network Security Misconfigurations, Network Security Vulnerabilities, Network Security Breaches, Network Security Outages, Network Security Triage, Network Security Correlation, Network Security Detection, Network Security Response Time, Network Security Efficiency, Network Security Advanced Attacks, Network Security EDR, Network Security SIEM, Network Security Firewalls, Network Security Log Files, Network Security HTTP Requests, Network Security File Transfers, Network Security Malware Payloads, Network Security Threat Intelligence, Network Security Indicators of Compromise, Network Security Resolution, Network Security Repository, Network Security Common Vulnerabilities, Network Security Exploit Timeline, Network Security DNS Origins, Network Security HTTP Requests, Network Security File Transfers, Network Security Network Protocols, Network Security Network Adapters, Network Security Packet Capture, Network Security Network Monitoring, Network Security Cybersecurity Tools, Network Security Network Defense, Network Security Network Threat Hunting, Network Security Network Security Analyst, Network Security Network Security Workflow, Network Security Network Security Education, Network Security Network Security Insights, Network Security Network Security Mitigation, Network Security Network Security Response, Network Security Network Security Alerts, Network Security Network Security Context, Network Security Network Security Data, Network Security Network Security Integration, Network Security Network Security Enrichment, Network Security Network Security Baseline, Network Security Network Security Malware, Network Security Network Security Anomalies, Network Security Network Security Misconfigurations, Network Security Network Security Vulnerabilities, Network Security Network Security Breaches, Network Security Network Security Outages, Network Security Network Security Triage, Network Security Network Security Correlation, Network Security Network Security Detection, Network Security Network Security Response Time, Network Security Network Security Efficiency, Network Security Network Security Advanced Attacks, Network Security Network Security EDR, Network Security Network Security SIEM, Network Security Network Security Firewalls, Network Security Network Security Log Files, Network Security Network Security HTTP Requests, Network Security Network Security File Transfers, Network Security Network Security Malware Payloads, Network Security Network Security Threat Intelligence, Network Security Network Security Indicators of Compromise, Network Security Network Security Resolution, Network Security Network Security Repository, Network Security Network Security Common Vulnerabilities, Network Security Network Security Exploit Timeline, Network Security Network Security DNS Origins, Network Security Network Security HTTP Requests, Network Security Network Security File Transfers.

,