---
url: "https://xcademia.com/courses/apt-detection-and-advanced-threat-hunting"
title: APT Detection and Advanced Threat Hunting
description: "4-day hands-on threat hunting training using Splunk, Microsoft Sentinel & ELK. MITRE ATT&CK aligned for SOC L2/L3 analysts and threat hunting professionals."
publishedAt: "2026-04-13T06:38:30.039576+00:00"
updatedAt: "2026-04-14T09:58:43.406222+00:00"
type: course
code: "CYB-0158"
level: Practitioner
duration_days: "4"
track: "Cyber Warfare & Advanced Threat Defence"
category: "Cybersecurity & Ethical Hacking"
credential_tier: tier1
price_gbp: "4495"
---

# APT Detection and Advanced Threat Hunting

> A four-day hands-on practitioner programme covering hypothesis-driven threat hunting for nation-state intrusions across Splunk, Microsoft Sentinel, and ELK, with daily lab exercises and a live capstone. Build the detection engineering, hunt methodology, and intelligence reporting skills to find APT actors who have already bypassed standard SIEM alerting.

## Overview

Nation-state actors average 197 days inside a network before detection. Standard SIEM alerts are designed for known-bad indicators, not patient, living-off-the-land operators who use legitimate tools, trusted processes, and compromised credentials. This four-day programme develops the threat hunting capability needed to find what alerts miss, using the same platforms deployed in enterprise and government SOC environments.

Across four days of mentor-led instruction and hands-on platform labs, participants build APT-specific detection rules in Splunk and Microsoft Sentinel, execute structured threat hunts in all three platforms, apply MITRE ATT&CK Navigator to map detection coverage and identify gaps by adversary group, and analyse network traffic and DNS patterns for C2 beaconing and anomaly indicators. Every day concludes with a practical exercise reinforcing the session content.

The programme culminates in a four-hour capstone: a live red-versus-blue hunt scenario using a simulated nation-state intrusion dataset. Participants detect, investigate, and produce a professional intelligence report under realistic time pressure. This course is aligned with MITRE ATT&CK, NCSC threat hunting guidance, and platform-specific SOC detection engineering standards.

## Prerequisites

- Active experience in a SOC analyst or security operations role at L2 level or above.
- Familiarity with at least one SIEM platform and basic query language experience.
- Understanding of common attack techniques including phishing, credential theft, and lateral movement.

## What you will learn

- Hunt for long-dwell nation-state intrusions using Splunk, Microsoft Sentinel, and ELK across four days of hands-on lab work.
- Apply MITRE ATT&CK Navigator to build detection coverage maps and identify gaps by specific adversary group.
- Detect living-off-the-land techniques, LOLBin abuse, fileless malware, and trusted process injection patterns.
- Identify lateral movement, credential dumping, and C2 beaconing signatures across enterprise telemetry.
- Write structured threat hunting hypotheses and execute disciplined, evidence-based hunts to completion.
- Produce professional intelligence reports translating hunt findings into actionable SOC and CISO recommendations.
- Design and prioritise a detection engineering programme based on threat actor likelihood and sector exposure.

## Skills you will gain

- Hypothesis-driven threat hunting methodology
- Splunk SPL for detection engineering
- Microsoft Sentinel KQL query writing
- ELK Stack threat hunting
- MITRE ATT&CK Navigator coverage mapping
- C2 beaconing and DNS anomaly detection
- Living-off-the-land technique detection
- Intelligence report production
- Lateral movement detection
- Hunt library development and documentation
- Cloud intrusion detection
- Supply chain compromise hunting

## Career progression

- Threat Hunter
- SOC L2 Analyst
- SOC L3 Analyst
- Blue Team Lead
- Detection Engineer
- Incident Responder

## Curriculum

1. **Module 1: Getting Ready**
   - Pre-reading: MITRE ATT&CK threat hunting methodology overview and hypothesis framework guide
   - Platform access setup: Splunk trial environment, Sentinel workspace, ELK stack lab configuration
   - Introduction to the hunt hypothesis framework and hunt log documentation standard used throughout
   - Course objectives, skill baseline assessment, and individual learning pathway alignment
2. **Module 2: Why Standard SIEM Misses Nation-State Actors**
   - The 197-day average dwell time: what it means operationally for detection team strategy
   - Alert-driven versus hypothesis-driven detection: why the strategic shift matters for APT hunting
   - How nation-state actors operate inside the detection gap using legitimate tools and trusted accounts
   - Living-off-the-land techniques: why signature-based detection fails against LOLBin abuse
   - Detection engineering fundamentals: signal-to-noise ratio, alert fatigue, and coverage gaps
3. **Module 3: Living-Off-the-Land and Fileless Malware**
   - LOLBins catalogue: the legitimate tools most commonly abused by nation-state actors
   - PowerShell abuse patterns: obfuscation, encoded commands, and remote execution detection
   - WMI subscriptions and scheduled task persistence: detection signatures and hunt queries
   - Fileless malware execution: in-memory payloads, registry persistence, and reflective loading
   - Building behavioural baselines for LOLBin abuse detection in enterprise environments
4. **Module 4: Hunt Hypothesis Development and Planning**
   - Structured hunt planning: translating threat intelligence into a testable, falsifiable hypothesis
   - IoC-based versus TTP-based hunting: why TTP-based hunting discovers more persistent intrusions
   - Writing hunt hypotheses for specific APT group techniques using MITRE ATT&CK as a guide
   - Building and documenting a hunt library for team reuse and programme continuity
   - Hunt prioritisation: focusing effort on highest-risk techniques by adversary likelihood
5. **Module 5: Splunk: APT Detection Rule Building**
   - SPL fundamentals for threat hunting: joins, subsearches, statistical analysis, and lookup tables
   - Building APT-specific detection rules for APT28, APT29, and Volt Typhoon TTPs in Splunk
   - Lateral movement detection using authentication event correlation and process telemetry
   - Credential dumping indicators: LSASS access patterns and Mimikatz behavioural signatures
   - Scheduled search optimisation and alert tuning to reduce false positives without losing coverage
6. **Module 6: Splunk: Network Traffic and DNS Anomaly Hunting**
   - C2 beaconing detection: statistical analysis of outbound connection frequency and regularity
   - Domain generation algorithm identification using entropy analysis and DNS query patterns
   - Statistical baseline construction for DNS and HTTP traffic using Splunk analytics commands
   - Hunting for long-dwell implants using periodic communication timing signatures
   - Lab exercise: hunt for C2 beaconing and DNS anomalies in a simulated enterprise dataset
7. **Module 7: Microsoft Sentinel: KQL and Lateral Movement Detection**
   - KQL query writing for threat hunting: syntax, joins, time-series analysis, and aggregation
   - Lateral movement detection: pass-the-hash, pass-the-ticket, Kerberoasting, and Golden Ticket indicators
   - Credential dumping detection in Microsoft Sentinel log sources: endpoint and identity telemetry
   - Azure AD and cloud-specific hunting patterns for APT29-style cloud intrusion operations
   - Lab exercise: hunt for lateral movement indicators in a simulated Sentinel workspace
8. **Module 8: Sentinel: ATT&CK Navigator Coverage Mapping**
   - Building a detection coverage map using MITRE ATT&CK Navigator from existing Sentinel rules
   - Mapping analytics rules to specific ATT&CK techniques and identifying coverage gaps by layer
   - Prioritising new detection rule development by adversary group profile and sector likelihood
   - Identifying and documenting detection blind spots for CISO reporting and resource justification
   - Communicating coverage gaps and remediation priorities to SOC leadership and CISO audiences
9. **Module 9: ELK Stack: Threat Hunting Lab**
   - ELK stack architecture overview for threat hunters: Elasticsearch, Logstash, Kibana roles
   - Building hunt dashboards in Kibana for continuous monitoring and anomaly visualisation
   - Writing EQL queries for process event correlation and network anomaly detection
   - Hunting for supply chain intrusion patterns in software deployment and update logs
   - ELK lab exercise: hunt using APT-sourced endpoint and network telemetry dataset
10. **Module 10: Supply Chain and Cloud Intrusion Detection**
   - Detecting SolarWinds-style software supply chain implants in enterprise endpoint and network data
   - Trusted software abuse: detecting signed binary execution used to deliver malicious payloads
   - Cloud-specific lateral movement in AWS and Azure: unusual API calls, role assumption, and data access
   - APT29 Microsoft 365 targeting: detecting cloud intrusion in audit logs and sign-in data
   - Combined hunt scenario: identify a supply chain compromise from mixed log source dataset
11. **Module 11: Advanced TTP Analysis: Volt Typhoon and APT41**
   - Volt Typhoon living-off-the-land hunting: LOTL detection in OT-adjacent and industrial environments
   - APT41 dual-use operations: hunting indicators that distinguish espionage from ransomware pre-positioning
   - Long-dwell persistence mechanisms: scheduled tasks, WMI subscriptions, and registry run key analysis
   - Exfiltration detection: identifying slow, low-volume data theft over DNS, HTTPS, and cloud storage
   - Combined hunt exercise: apply both actor profiles to a live enterprise dataset and document findings
12. **Module 12: Intelligence Report Production**
   - Translating hunt findings into structured, actionable intelligence products for SOC and CISO audiences
   - Professional hunt report format: evidence chain, confidence levels, and recommended next actions
   - Briefing executive stakeholders on APT hunt findings without unnecessary technical complexity
   - Handoff documentation for incident response teams when a hunt becomes an active investigation
   - Building and maintaining a documented hunt programme library for continuous SOC improvement
13. **Module 13: Capstone: Live Nation-State Hunt Exercise**
   - Four-hour live red-versus-blue hunt using a simulated nation-state intrusion dataset across all three platforms
   - Participants detect, investigate, and attribute the simulated intrusion independently within the time window
   - Produce a complete professional intelligence report including findings, confidence levels, and recommendations
   - Full instructor debrief: methodology review, missed indicators, false positive analysis, and improvement plan
   - Peer review of intelligence reports: structured feedback on analytical quality and reporting standard

## Exam & certification

You will receive an Xcademia certificate of completion based on participation and successful completion of labs and scenario simulations.

## Delivery options

- **Live Online** — Join live instructor-led sessions from anywhere. Interactive, engaging, and flexible.
- **Onsite Training** — We come to you. Training delivered at your workplace for teams of 6 or more.
- **Venue-Based** — Classroom training at a professional venue. Ideal for focused, immersive learning.
- **Blended** — Combine online and in-person learning for maximum flexibility and impact.

## Frequently asked questions

**What SIEM experience do I need before attending?**

Familiarity with at least one SIEM platform and basic query writing is expected. Participants do not need expertise across all three platforms, as each is taught from a hunting-focused foundation within the programme.

**How current is the threat actor and campaign content?**

Content is updated continuously. Case studies and hunt datasets reflect current 2025-2026 campaign activity from major APT groups including Volt Typhoon, APT29, APT41, and Lazarus.

** Will I have access to lab platforms after the course?**

Lab access is provided for the duration of the programme. Participants receive guidance on setting up equivalent personal environments for continued practice after completion.

**What do I leave with?**

A Certificate of Achievement, a completed capstone hunt intelligence report, a documented ATT&CK coverage map for your environment, and a personal hunt library developed across the four days.

**Does this course need an exam?**

No. Assessment is through platform labs and the four-hour capstone hunt. Completion requires full attendance and successful delivery of the capstone intelligence report.

## Course at a glance

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Code | CYB-0158 |
| Duration | 4 days |
| Level | Practitioner |
| Track | Cyber Warfare & Advanced Threat Defence |
| Category | Cybersecurity & Ethical Hacking |
| Credential tier | tier1 |
| Price (GBP) | £4495 |

---

## About this content

This Markdown course profile is the citation-grade twin of [APT Detection and Advanced Threat Hunting](https://xcademia.com/courses/apt-detection-and-advanced-threat-hunting). It is published by **Xcademia** (UK Companies House 12322710) and is available for AI search engines and large language models to index, summarise, and cite.

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