Specialized Hunts: Threat Hunting within Mail Servers from Pluralsight

This course will teach you how you can perform threat hunting analysis on email servers.

Email Servers are crucial for the data flows within an organization. Finding security vulnerabilities before the attackers do is essential for protecting the sensitive data transmitted over emails. In this course, Specialized Hunts: Threat Hunting within Mail Servers, you will learn techniques and methods for improving your skill set in threat hunting. Throughout the course, you will get to know how to leverage different tools in performing threat hunting analysis on Email servers. First, you will learn how to find vulnerabilities related to email account enumeration. Next, you will explore how to identify if an email server is exposed to denial of service attacks. Finally, you will discover how you can leverage ElasticSearch to diagnose malicious activity in the messages reaching an email server. By the end of this course, you will improve your skill set in threat hunting, as well as your ability to find indications of compromise in email servers.

What's inside

Syllabus

Course Overview

Remote Email Collection (T1114.002)

Endpoint Denial of Service (T1499.002)

Internal Spearphishing (T1534)

Traffic lights

Read about what's good

what should give you pause

and possible dealbreakers

This course provides training on threat hunting analysis, enabling learners to identify vulnerabilities and indications of compromise on email servers

Leverages ElasticSearch for detecting malicious activity in email messages, enhancing the course's relevance to real-world security practices

Reviews summary

Practical threat hunting in mail servers

According to students, "Specialized Hunts: Threat Hunting within Mail Servers" is a largely well-received course that offers a solid foundation in email security threat hunting. Learners consistently highlight the practical skills gained and the effectiveness of the hands-on labs and clear instruction. The course provides a concise overview, covering essential topics like ElasticSearch for log analysis and MITRE ATT&CK mapping for spearphishing. While excellent for professionals new to the domain, some experienced learners felt it may be too basic and wished for more advanced or in-depth scenarios, especially concerning specific threat actor tactics or complex case studies.

Covers ElasticSearch for log analysis, with varied depth.

"The content on ElasticSearch for log analysis was particularly useful and practical."

"The coverage of ElasticSearch was too superficial, and I struggled to follow some of the more technical explanations..."

A concise overview, though some desire more advanced topics.

"It's concise, which is both a pro and a con - great for quick learning, but leaves you wanting more advanced material."

"My only feedback is that some sections could be expanded upon..."

"While it covers essential ground, I wished for more advanced scenarios or deeper dives into specific attack vectors."

Ideal for beginners, but may lack depth for experts.

"This course provided a solid introduction to threat hunting in mail servers."

"Useful for beginners, perhaps, but not for me."

"The content was too basic for the 'specialized' title. I was expecting deep dives into specific threat actor TTPs..."

"Still, highly recommend for those new to or seeking to formalize their approach to email threat analysis."

Generally relevant, though minor concerns about tool recency.

"Good course with relevant topics."

"The segment on internal spearphishing was enlightening, and the MITRE ATT&CK mapping was a nice touch."

"Some of the tools discussed were slightly outdated or an could have used more modern alternatives."

Instructor provides clear explanations for complex topics.

"The instructor explains complex topics clearly."

"The instructor's clear explanations and the well-structured modules made learning enjoyable."

Provides highly practical skills and engaging hands-on labs.

"The hands-on labs were superb and directly applicable to my work."

"I gained practical skills in identifying email enumeration and DoS vulnerabilities."

"I particularly liked the hands-on exercises which really cemented the concepts."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Specialized Hunts: Threat Hunting within Mail Servers with these activities:

Review networking fundamentals

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Review the foundational concepts of networking to ensure you have a strong base before diving into threat hunting analysis.

Browse courses on Networking

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Review OSI model and network protocols.
Set up a simple network with different devices.

Learn about email security best practices

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Enhance your knowledge on industry best practices for securing email systems and protecting against threats.

Browse courses on Email Security

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Review guidelines on email authentication and encryption.
Explore techniques for spam and phishing prevention.

Show all two activities

Career center

Learners who complete Specialized Hunts: Threat Hunting within Mail Servers will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Mail Server Engineer

Mail Server Engineers securely manage, maintain, and troubleshoot email servers. This course in Specialized Hunts: Threat Hunting within Mail Servers can directly advance your career in this field. You will learn essential techniques to identify and mitigate security vulnerabilities. The course emphasizes email account enumeration and denial of service attacks, which directly impact an email server's security posture. You'll also explore how to leverage ElasticSearch for further analysis and prevention of malicious activities.

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Mail Administrator

Mail Administrators are responsible for the day-to-day operations of email systems. They ensure that email is delivered reliably and securely and that email services meet the needs of the organization. This course in Specialized Hunts: Threat Hunting within Mail Servers provides valuable knowledge to excel as a Mail Administrator. The course covers techniques to identify and prevent vulnerabilities in email servers, ensuring optimal email delivery and security.

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Information Security Analyst

Information Security Analysts plan and implement security measures to protect an organization's computer networks and systems. They identify and address vulnerabilities in email servers and other systems. This course in Specialized Hunts: Threat Hunting within Mail Servers directly aligns with the responsibilities of an Information Security Analyst. It provides a deep understanding of threat hunting techniques specific to email servers, enabling you to effectively protect organizations from cyberattacks.

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Cybersecurity Analyst

Cybersecurity Analysts protect computer networks and systems from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, disruption, modification, or destruction. This course in Specialized Hunts: Threat Hunting within Mail Servers is a valuable resource for Cybersecurity Analysts. It provides specialized knowledge in threat hunting techniques for email servers, enabling you to effectively identify and mitigate security risks.

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Cloud Security Engineer

Cloud Security Engineers are responsible for securing cloud-based infrastructure and applications. They identify and mitigate vulnerabilities in cloud-based email servers and other systems. This course in Specialized Hunts: Threat Hunting within Mail Servers provides valuable knowledge for Cloud Security Engineers. It covers techniques to identify and prevent vulnerabilities in email servers, ensuring the security and integrity of cloud-based email systems.

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Vulnerability Analyst

Vulnerability Analysts identify, assess, and mitigate vulnerabilities in computer systems and networks. This course in Specialized Hunts: Threat Hunting within Mail Servers is designed to enhance your skills in identifying and mitigating vulnerabilities in email servers, a critical aspect of Vulnerability Analysis. It provides hands-on experience in threat hunting techniques, enabling you to effectively protect organizations from cyber threats.

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Penetration Tester

Penetration Testers assess the security of computer systems and networks by simulating attacks. They identify vulnerabilities in email servers and other systems and provide recommendations for remediation. This course in Specialized Hunts: Threat Hunting within Mail Servers is a valuable resource for Penetration Testers. It provides advanced techniques for identifying and exploiting vulnerabilities in email servers, enabling you to effectively evaluate the security of email systems.

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Threat Intelligence Analyst

Threat Intelligence Analysts collect, analyze, and disseminate information about threats to an organization's computer systems and networks. They identify and assess vulnerabilities in email servers and other systems. This course in Specialized Hunts: Threat Hunting within Mail Servers provides valuable knowledge for Threat Intelligence Analysts. It covers techniques to identify and prevent vulnerabilities in email servers, enabling you to effectively protect organizations from cyberattacks.

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Security Operations Center Analyst

Security Operations Center Analysts monitor and respond to security incidents. They identify and mitigate vulnerabilities in email servers and other systems. This course in Specialized Hunts: Threat Hunting within Mail Servers is a valuable resource for Security Operations Center Analysts. It provides real-world techniques for identifying and mitigating vulnerabilities in email servers, enabling you to effectively protect organizations from cyber threats.

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Incident Responder

Incident Responders investigate and respond to security incidents. They identify and mitigate vulnerabilities in email servers and other systems. This course in Specialized Hunts: Threat Hunting within Mail Servers is a valuable resource for Incident Responders. It provides hands-on experience in identifying and mitigating vulnerabilities in email servers, enabling you to effectively protect organizations from cyber threats.

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Malware Analyst

Malware Analysts analyze malware to understand its behavior and develop防御mitigations. They identify and mitigate vulnerabilities in email servers and other systems. This course in Specialized Hunts: Threat Hunting within Mail Servers is a valuable resource for Malware Analysts. It provides advanced techniques for identifying and exploiting vulnerabilities in email servers, enabling you to effectively protect organizations from cyber threats.

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Forensics Analyst

Forensics Analysts investigate computer systems and networks to collect evidence of security incidents. They identify and mitigate vulnerabilities in email servers and other systems. This course in Specialized Hunts: Threat Hunting within Mail Servers may be useful for Forensics Analysts. It provides a foundation in threat hunting techniques for email servers, enabling you to identify and analyze evidence of cyberattacks.

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Network Administrator

Network Administrators manage and maintain computer networks. They identify and mitigate vulnerabilities in email servers and other systems. This course in Specialized Hunts: Threat Hunting within Mail Servers may be useful for Network Administrators. It provides a foundation in threat hunting techniques for email servers, enabling you to improve the security of your network infrastructure.

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Systems Administrator

Systems Administrators manage and maintain computer systems. They identify and mitigate vulnerabilities in email servers and other systems. This course in Specialized Hunts: Threat Hunting within Mail Servers may be useful for Systems Administrators. It provides a foundation in threat hunting techniques for email servers, enabling you to improve the security of your systems.

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Database Administrator

Database Administrators manage and maintain databases. They identify and mitigate vulnerabilities in email servers and other systems. This course in Specialized Hunts: Threat Hunting within Mail Servers may be useful for Database Administrators. It provides a foundation in threat hunting techniques for email servers, enabling you to improve the security of your databases.

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