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Overview

UTMStack’s Threat Detection system identifies and responds to security threats in real-time by correlating log data, threat intelligence, and malware activity patterns from multiple sources. This unified approach enables detection of complex threats that use stealthy techniques to evade traditional security controls.
UTMStack can swiftly analyze log data to identify and halt threats at their source in real-time, even if the threat was not directly detected on the server itself.

Detection Capabilities

Real-Time Correlation

Correlate events from multiple sources before data ingestion to detect complex attack patterns instantly.

Advanced Persistent Threats

Identify APTs that use multi-stage attacks and lateral movement across your infrastructure.

Behavioral Analysis

Detect anomalous behavior that deviates from established baselines and normal patterns.

MITRE ATT&CK Mapping

Alerts are mapped to MITRE ATT&CK techniques for standardized threat classification.

Alert Severity Levels

Alerts are classified into three severity levels to prioritize security response:
  • High (3): Critical threats requiring immediate attention
  • Medium (2): Significant security events that should be investigated promptly
  • Low (1): Informational alerts for awareness and trend analysis
Focus your initial response efforts on High and Medium severity alerts to maximize security impact. Use Low severity alerts for trend analysis and proactive threat hunting.

Alert Lifecycle

Every alert in UTMStack goes through a defined lifecycle:
  1. Generation: Alert created by correlation rules or threat intelligence matches
  2. Automatic Review: Initial status when alert is first generated (status: 1)
  3. Investigation: Security analyst reviews alert details and context
  4. Resolution: Alert is closed with appropriate disposition (true positive, false positive, etc.)

Correlation Rules

Manage detection rules through the Alerting Rules module (/alerting-rules):
  • Pre-built Rules: Hundreds of out-of-the-box rules for common threats
  • Custom Rules: Create organization-specific detection logic
  • Rule Testing: Validate rules against historical data before deployment
  • Rule Tuning: Adjust thresholds and conditions to reduce false positives

Alert Categories

Alerts are organized into categories for efficient triage:
  • Malware Activity: Virus, trojan, ransomware detections
  • Network Attacks: Port scans, DDoS, network intrusions
  • Authentication Failures: Brute force, credential stuffing
  • Data Exfiltration: Unusual outbound traffic, large data transfers
  • Policy Violations: Configuration changes, unauthorized access
  • Lateral Movement: Internal reconnaissance, privilege escalation

Detection Data Sources

Threat detection leverages multiple data sources:
  • Endpoint Logs: Process execution, file access, registry changes
  • Network Traffic: Flow data, packet captures, DNS queries
  • Authentication Logs: Login attempts, privilege escalations
  • Application Logs: Web server access, database queries
  • Cloud Activity: API calls, resource modifications
The more diverse your data sources, the better UTMStack can correlate events and detect sophisticated attacks.

Alert Enrichment

Alerts are automatically enriched with contextual information:
  • Target Information: User accounts, IP addresses, hostnames affected
  • Adversary Details: Source IPs, threat actor attribution when available
  • Data Source Context: Which integration or agent generated the alert
  • Threat Intelligence: IOC matches, reputation scores, threat feeds
  • MITRE Techniques: Tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) mapped to the alert

Integration Points

Threat Detection integrates with:

Best Practices

Optimize Threat Detection
  1. Regularly review and tune correlation rules to reduce false positives
  2. Enable all relevant integrations to maximize visibility
  3. Establish baselines for normal behavior in your environment
  4. Integrate threat intelligence feeds for enhanced context
  5. Document common alert patterns to streamline investigations

Technical Implementation

References:
  • Alert Management Module: frontend/src/app/data-management/alert-management/
  • Alert Types: frontend/src/app/shared/types/alert/utm-alert.type.ts
  • Alert Severity Constants: frontend/src/app/shared/constants/alert/alert-severity.constant.ts:1-8
  • Rule Management Route: frontend/src/app/app-routing.module.ts:150

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