Description

This curriculum spans the full lifecycle of malware response in a modern SOC, comparable to an operational playbook used across multi-phase incident engagements, from threat intelligence integration and detection engineering to forensic rigor, legal compliance, and continuous improvement loops seen in mature security operations programs.

Module 1: Threat Intelligence Integration for Malware Detection

Select and normalize threat feeds from commercial, open-source, and ISAC providers based on IOC freshness, false positive rates, and coverage of relevant malware families.
Map intelligence artifacts (IPs, domains, hashes) to detection rules in SIEM and EDR platforms using automated enrichment pipelines with proper TTL handling.
Implement automated blocking at the firewall and proxy level for high-confidence command-and-control indicators, balancing disruption risk with response speed.
Develop use cases to detect lateral movement patterns derived from APT group TTPs, aligning with MITRE ATT&CK techniques such as T1021 (Remote Services).
Establish feedback loops from incident investigations to refine intelligence source selection and prioritize feed integration based on detection efficacy.
Enforce access controls and audit logging on threat intelligence platforms to prevent unauthorized modifications or data leakage of sensitive IOCs.

Module 2: Malware Detection Engineering in SIEM and EDR

Write correlation rules in SIEM to detect suspicious process creation chains indicative of PowerShell or WMI-based malware execution.
Configure EDR sensors to capture full process trees and network connections while managing performance impact on endpoint systems.
Develop custom YARA rules to identify obfuscated payloads in memory dumps and file system scans based on known malware packing techniques.
Implement anomaly detection baselines for outbound network traffic to flag beaconing behavior from infected hosts.
Integrate sandbox telemetry into detection logic by parsing Cuckoo or Joe Sandbox reports for dynamic behavioral indicators.
Validate detection rules using purple teaming exercises to measure true positive rates and reduce alert fatigue.

Module 3: Incident Triage and Malware Analysis Workflow

Define escalation thresholds for malware alerts based on asset criticality, user role, and observed behavior severity.
Isolate infected systems using automated playbooks while preserving volatile memory for forensic analysis.
Extract and hash suspicious binaries from endpoints using EDR tools, ensuring chain of custody for potential legal proceedings.
Perform static analysis on PE files to identify packed sections, suspicious imports, and embedded strings without executing the sample.
Conduct dynamic analysis in isolated lab environments to observe malware network calls, registry modifications, and persistence mechanisms.
Document malware behavior in a standardized format for inclusion in internal threat repositories and future detection development.

Module 4: Malware Containment and Eradication Procedures

Coordinate with network operations to block malicious domains at DNS and proxy layers using automated IOC distribution mechanisms.
Deploy EDR remediation scripts to remove persistence mechanisms such as scheduled tasks, services, and registry run keys.
Quarantine compromised user accounts and enforce password resets based on confirmed malware activity timelines.
Reimage endpoints with confirmed rootkit or bootkit infections due to inability to guarantee clean state.
Validate eradication by verifying removal of all identified IOCs and absence of residual network activity.
Maintain a rollback plan for containment actions that inadvertently disrupt business operations.

Module 5: Forensic Data Collection and Chain of Custody

Collect memory dumps from infected systems using trusted tools like DumpIt or WinPmem, logging tool version and execution time.
Acquire disk images using write blockers and verify integrity with cryptographic hashes prior to transport.
Log all forensic data handling activities, including personnel, timestamps, and storage locations, to support legal admissibility.
Store forensic evidence on encrypted, access-controlled servers with role-based permissions and audit trails.
Coordinate with legal and compliance teams when collecting data from executive or regulated systems.
Use write-once media or immutable storage for long-term retention of forensic artifacts in breach investigations.

Module 6: Malware Attribution and Reporting

Compare malware artifacts against internal and external databases to identify known threat actors or campaigns.
Assess confidence levels in attribution based on code reuse, infrastructure overlap, and TTP alignment with documented APT groups.
Generate technical reports detailing malware functionality, impact scope, and observed attack stages for executive and technical stakeholders.
Redact sensitive information before sharing indicators with external partners or ISACs under appropriate NDAs.
Submit IOCs to information sharing platforms like MISP with proper classification and confidence scoring.
Document limitations in attribution conclusions to prevent overstatement in internal or regulatory reporting.

Module 7: Continuous Improvement of Malware Defenses

Conduct post-incident reviews to identify gaps in detection, response, or tooling following confirmed malware events.
Update detection rules and blocking policies based on lessons learned from recent malware incidents.
Measure dwell time and mean time to detect (MTTD) for malware infections to track program effectiveness over time.
Rotate decryption keys and update TLS inspection certificates in proxies to maintain visibility into encrypted malware traffic.
Re-evaluate EDR agent configuration annually to balance telemetry depth with system performance and privacy requirements.
Integrate new malware variants into internal training datasets for SOC analyst tabletop exercises and detection testing.

Module 8: Governance and Compliance in Malware Response

Align malware response procedures with regulatory requirements such as GDPR, HIPAA, or PCI-DSS for breach notification and data handling.
Document and justify exceptions to standard malware containment actions when business continuity constraints apply.
Obtain legal authorization before conducting forensic searches on personally owned devices under BYOD policies.
Review malware detection rates and false positives quarterly with risk and audit teams to demonstrate control effectiveness.
Ensure third-party MSSP contracts define malware response SLAs, evidence handling standards, and reporting obligations.
Classify malware incidents according to internal severity tiers to standardize escalation and communication protocols.