The Kusto Detective Agency – Call of the Cyber Duty is an engaging challenge issued by Microsoft Azure Data Explorer, designed to sharpen KQL (Kusto Query Language) skills for threat hunting, detection engineering, and incident response. This initiative is ideal for cybersecurity professionals looking to enhance their analytical capabilities in Microsoft’s security ecosystem.
🔗 Relevant URL: Kusto Detective Agency – Credly Badge
You Should Know:
1. What is KQL?
Kusto Query Language (KQL) is a powerful tool for querying large datasets in Microsoft Azure Data Explorer (ADX), Azure Sentinel (now Microsoft Defender XDR), and Log Analytics. It helps security analysts extract insights from logs efficiently.
2. Basic KQL Commands for Threat Hunting
Here are some essential KQL commands to get started:
// Search for failed login attempts
SecurityEvent
| where EventID == 4625
| summarize FailedLogins = count() by Account
| sort by FailedLogins desc
// Detect suspicious process executions
DeviceProcessEvents
| where FileName in~ ("powershell.exe", "cmd.exe")
| where InitiatingProcessFileName != "explorer.exe"
| project Timestamp, DeviceName, FileName, CommandLine
3. Advanced KQL for Detection Engineering
Use joins and time-based analysis to uncover threats:
// Find lateral movement via RDP let suspiciousIPs = datatable(IP:string) ["192.168.1.100", "10.0.0.15"]; SecurityEvent | where EventID == 4624 | where LogonType == 10 // RDP logon | join kind=inner suspiciousIPs on $left.IpAddress == $right.IP | project TimeGenerated, Account, IpAddress
4. Practical Incident Response Steps
- Extract Indicators of Compromise (IoCs) from logs:
DeviceNetworkEvents | where RemoteIP startswith "185." | summarize Connections = count() by RemoteIP, RemotePort
- Hunt for persistence mechanisms:
RegistryEvents | where ActionType == "RegistryValueSet" | where RegistryKey contains "Run"
- Linux & Windows Commands for Cyber Investigations
- Linux (Sysmon/Log Analysis):
grep "Failed password" /var/log/auth.log journalctl -u ssh --no-pager | grep "authentication failure"
- Windows (Event Logs):
Get-WinEvent -FilterHashtable @{LogName='Security'; ID=4688}
What Undercode Say:
The Kusto Detective Agency is a must-try for cybersecurity professionals aiming to master KQL for threat detection. By combining KQL queries with real-world incident response tactics, analysts can uncover hidden threats efficiently.
🔍 Key Takeaways:
- KQL is essential for Microsoft security tools.
- Threat hunting requires log analysis, IoC extraction, and persistence checks.
- Linux/Windows commands complement KQL investigations.
🚀 Expected Output:
A well-structured KQL query that detects suspicious RDP logins and correlates them with known malicious IPs.
let knownMaliciousIPs = datatable(IP:string) ["185.165.29.1", "45.227.253.109"]; SecurityEvent | where EventID == 4624 and LogonType == 10 | join kind=inner knownMaliciousIPs on $left.IpAddress == $right.IP | project TimeGenerated, TargetAccount, IpAddress
Prediction:
As cyber threats evolve, KQL will become even more critical for automated detection in Microsoft’s security stack. Expect more gamified learning like the Kusto Detective Agency to emerge.
References:
Reported By: Mehmetergene Kusto – Hackers Feeds
Extra Hub: Undercode MoN
Basic Verification: Pass ✅
